The Future of Taste

Every brand today exists under the scrutiny of the algorithm. If it is not deemed worthy, it simply disappears. Visibility is no longer earned by distinctiveness or depth, but by the ability to fit within a recognisable pattern.

This has created a quiet crisis of identity. In the pursuit of performance, brands have begun to look, sound, and behave alike. What began as a way to surface taste has become a machine for producing it. The algorithm does not just show us what we like; it teaches us how to like - replacing curiosity with consensus. The result is an eerie uniformity. Logos, interiors, packaging, photography, even tone of voice begin to converge into a single, frictionless aesthetic.

You can see this clearly in interior design for example. Styles like Japandi or mid-century modern once reflected deep craft traditions and philosophy, but as soon as they became hashtags, their lifespan shortened. When something trends on TikTok, it peaks at the moment it’s discovered. The cycle is so fast that by the time a brand or designer leans into it, the aesthetic is already over. The algorithm doesn’t just flatten culture; it accelerates its expiry.

The same dynamic plays out across branding, fashion, and communication. Visual codes are repeated until they lose meaning. Fonts, colour palettes, and photographic styles become interchangeable. The irony is that the more brands try to appear relevant, the less recognisable they become. It is easy to confuse visibility with vitality, but one is mechanical and the other is human.

The task now is not to keep up with the algorithm, but to outlast it. That means leading with conviction rather than calibration. Great brands are not built on what the market already knows. They are built on belief. They speak from a place of purpose, history, and emotion. They cultivate memory. They have the confidence to be consistent, and the taste to evolve without losing themselves.

At Here, we describe this philosophy as Beautility; the union of beauty and utility, drawn from the ideas of William Morris. It is a belief that everything made should serve a purpose and stir the senses. In practice, that means creating work that is both intelligent and emotive, work that feels inevitable because it is true. When beauty and usefulness align, a brand earns longevity. It becomes something people want to live with, not just look at.

Beautility is also a form of resistance. It values the things algorithms cannot simulate: material, time, craftsmanship, surprise. It defends the textured, the local, the imperfect. It asks brands to be interpreters of culture, not reflections of it. In that way, design becomes strategy. It holds together what data cannot quantify, the coherence between how a brand looks, behaves, and feels.

This philosophy is something we share with our design partners in London and overseas, whose work stands outside the scroll. Anushri Patel, Partner at HPAD in India, speaks about designing for a feeling rather than a feed, and creating environments that evolve rather than expire with trends. “We aim to design timeless spaces, ones that deepen as they evolve. This exists only in context and cannot be replicated. That’s why our landscapes are never backgrounds; they are the rhythm that keeps the architecture alive. At Monkey Forest (our eco-villas, real estate project), this philosophy comes alive where the architecture breathes with the trees, the air carries the scent of change, and every path feels different with each passing season. As the light, texture, and scent evolve, the space continues to move, even when the world rushes past. This feeling can never be captured; it has to be experienced.” - Anushri Patel, Partner at Hiren Patel Architects & Design.

The lesson for brands is clear. Algorithms feed on the ephemeral. To endure, you must build with permanence in mind. Brands that last are not those that chase the rhythm of the feed. They are the ones that slow it down. They understand that culture rewards those who create belonging, not those who chase attention. They recognise that identity, when built with purpose and beauty, becomes self-sustaining. In the end, identity is not what flickers on a screen. It is what earns the right to live in your audience’s consciousness — a place won through imaginative originality and the full sensorial power of design. When beauty and purpose align, a brand becomes something people want to live with, not just look at.