CONTEXT, INSPIRATION AND RESEARCH
Project Inspiration
The early phases of our work were inspired and informed by a collection of speculative artefacts that reflect key components of futures, created by the UBS-Y think tank. We decoded those materials and extract common themes of the future, select the areas of interest and the ideas around future mobility, decision envisioning and personal data.
As a team, we were interested in exploring the future of work, its impact to work-life balance, changing values and dynamics, lifestyle and happiness. This brought us to exploring the Digital Nomad culture.
Desk Research
We began our initial desk research on the culture of Digital Nomadism, future of well-being and happiness for workers, timeline of nomadism and its influence on the concept of Digital Nomads, re-evaluation of future work models by business and management magazines like Harvard Business Review and Forbes, market and demographic research on Digital Nomads and geographical, financial, political, regulatory implications on this lifestyle.
Methods
Literature Review
Web deep dive
Industry Reports
Social Media Analysis
Primary Research
We conducted primary research with varied groups of people associated with the Digital Nomad industry namely:
Digital Nomads: Remote interviews with Digital Nomads spread across globally, such as from North America, Canada, Latin America, the United Kingdom, Europe, India and South East Asia to understand their motivation to pursue this lifestyle, needs, expectations and pain points. Conversations with Digital Nomad online communities.
Leaders in Public Policy with the Government: To understand how policies for Digital Nomads are implemented at a policy level and what could be improved.
Pioneers and Entrepreneurs in the Digital Nomad Industry: To understand services catering to Digital Nomads and opportunity areas to explore.
Through our research, we realised that a majority of problems faced by Digital Nomads were financial. So, to explore the financial angle we conducted primary research with experts in:
Embedded Finance: To understand how services catering to Digital Nomads can have a financial element supporting them.
Behavioural Design for Finance: To understand what motivates people to make better financial decisions.
Insurance for Digital Nomads: To understand financial needs of Digital Nomads.
Banking and Financial Services Institutions: To understand policies and products created by large banks and neo-banks to support the community.
