Case Study: TypeO - The pandemic exposed a need for change and innovation nobody thought they'd need.
TypeO was formed in 2016 as an online retailer of premium home and interior design products.
Copywriter Magnus Wittbjer and creative director Micha van Dintherwork to sell high-quality products that inspire creativity and comfort.
Their website doubles as a journal, frequently updated with the founder's favourite products, insightful interviews and local experiences in the wilderness – all of which help to advertise the products they sell.
Focusing on design helps TypeO adapt and evolve alongside other mediums. They provide guides that embed Instagram posts, using on-trend, user-generated content. It creates a personal connotation, resonating with daily life, really selling the purpose and style of a lifestyle brand. TypeO also creates Spotify playlists to encourage creativity in every season, enhancing the brand presence and promoting their values of creation, relaxation and isolation.
Southern Sweden is famous internationally for design, connecting the destination with people through social media helps to create a sense of wanderlust for them – building a strong foundation for a stronger follower-ship through merging the online experience.
TypeO also gives opportunities for collaboration, adopting some circular design methods. Using the 'TypeO Process', artists can have a consultation with the founders, workshop to create a satisfactory product, and plan a successful release. We talk a lot about becoming centres of excellence – this brand is the place to go for discovering design and life in Southern Sweden.
Based near Ystad, Sweden, the Loft where Magnus and Micha worked – a slower-paced, simpler environment. In 2020, they opened up this space so others could experience isolation in a remote, charming way.
We often talk about tourism businesses going online, we hardly think about online businesses going offline into tourist attractions. It's more accessible and more of a lifestyle in itself.
TypeO had planned to open the space for public use before the pandemic, but as lockdowns and national guidelines came into place it was the perfect opportunity to meet the needs of the domestic traveller looking to have an exclusive or premium experience.
Encouraging creativity and productivity, isolation and privacy, the TypeO Loft is designed with minimalism in mind. Staycations and exclusivity are big trends in tourism, they step up to combine the two during a period of high demand.
Shoppable holiday destinations have been popping up over the past couple of years, using authenticity, a specific design style and creating a genuine connection with the brand. Stays at the Loft create a complete TypeO experience, displaying in real life the products they sell online.
Other examples of shoppable destinations include The McKinley Bungalow and the Pieces Home, by An Aesthetic Pursuit.
Transforming a traditionally social experience into an independent one has become a micro-trend in itself. Bord för en (Table for One) is a Swedish independent dining experience with zero contact, using dumbwaiters and pulleys to serve food in a stylish, quirky experience.
TypeO also provides a zero contact experience, only ever hosting up to two people at a time in a remote, rural area. They encourage a complete disconnect and clarity in creativity, an ideal space for workstations and staycations.
With a rise in workation destinations as a result of the pandemic, TypeO is one of many spaces that make remote working easier. Another example is Outsite, a co-living concept that looks to create a global community of remote working destinations.
Read more about Outsite
TypeO has become a great example of what a B&B can do – a successful expansion for a brand that expresses the founder's visions and passion through a shared, independent experience. They were able to adapt to some of the most prevalent trends in tourism in a way that keeps intact the brand's DNA.
1. Have a transformative experience – imagine, facilitate upgrades and provide opportunities of self-improvement
2. Create a constant interaction between visitors and brand. Use social media to create a strong brand presence and personalise the user experience as that's what drives a brand, not image or a message
3. Quality over quantity – build exclusivity and think about how to use social distancing to encourage it while focusing on individual experiences
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