Future Landscapes of Intimacy.


In times where rapid digitalization and fewer human interactions are redefining our traditional concepts of romance, sex and relationships, we immerse ourselves in what it means to be “intimate” in our modern world.

Intimacy and meaningful connection is what makes us feel alive.

Intimacy matters, not only in the private realm, but also for its potential impact in the future of work, living, health, technology and our society at large. 

At Bespoke we are constantly interested in the underlying cultural forces emerging in the present, and therefore shaping our collective future. The pandemic accelerated many socio-technological changes that were slowly brewing in the background, and it has impacted us collectively immensely, but has especially left a mark on very personal levels. We wanted to start scratching the surface of these changes to better understand their potential impact and consequences. 

We read, talked with experts, researched and immersed ourselves into the world of love, relationships, sex and intimacy, looking for signals, fresh ideas, emerging stories, new values and behaviors that are defining  this domain every day. 

This knowledge piece shares some of our main insights and reflections and we hope it fuels your curiosity towards your own intimacy thinking.

As an attempt to create an understanding of intimacy today, we observed and collected a diverse range of signals speaking about the main societal changes, technologies and emerging behaviors shaping this landscape, and we articulated a set of insights to illustrate the depth of these changes and its potential implications for tomorrow.

The following 5 ideas below cover different perspectives and dimensions on what is emerging when talking about intimacy in our modern world.

What do we mean with intimacy?

Intimacy can take many shapes and forms; from intimacy of the mind, to emotional, physical or collective intimacy. From being with your pet in a 3 months lockdown, to holding your newborn baby skin to skin, from being at home cooking a meal with your parents on zoom, to being naked with someone, physically or metaphorically. In our exploration, we focused on the shifting paradigms of intimacy, primarily -but not exclusively- from the perspective of young people living under the influence of our global internet and technology-powered culture.

Not surprisingly, as we explored this theme it became clear that intimacy means many different things to different people in different cultures and contexts. For most, intimacy is a spectrum, something fluid and tied to the uniqueness of personal experience and memory. Words like ‘trust’, ‘control’, ‘vulnerability’ ‘touch’ and ‘being present’ started popping up in our conversations when trying to define it.

The pandemic did not only reveal the shortcomings of our economic and healthcare systems, but also gave us time to rethink, reframe, and redefine our relationships with others and with ourselves.
The silverline of the crisis is that we have seen new narratives emerging around body positivity, high touch, gender labels and roles, inclusivity and pleasure. As with many other crises, the virus was just the catalyst of changes that were already happening, and by looking at youth in particular, we might be able to better understand this new paradigm of intimacy emerging in the intersections of technology, pleasure, entertainment, wellbeing and human connection.

INSIGHT
01. Inner Intimacy.

01. Inner Intimacy.

Towards a deeper and more conscious relationship with ourselves.
INSIGHT
02. Diversifying & Demystifying Intimacy.

02. Diversifying & Demystifying Intimacy.

Towards New Inclusive Narratives Of Intimacy.
INSIGHT
03. Public Intimacy.

03. Public Intimacy.

Towards a collective intimacy experience.
INSIGHT
04. Intimacy On Demand.

04. Intimacy On Demand.

From creating an intimate moment towards purchasing one.
INSIGHT
05. Virtual Intimacy.

05. Virtual Intimacy.

Towards new types of intimacy, allowing for experimentation and playfulness facilitated by technology.