#723 | Stillness, Ambiguity & Dystopia

In case you missed it, we're (re)launching our JOURNAL next week – a printed annual packed with all-new, original features across 100 pages.

First launched in 2010 and updated in 2014, we’re practicing what we preach with Vol. 3. Inside you’ll find a year of SEEDs decoded, group chats on culture’s weird twists and the signals shaping what’s coming next – from peak social media to yearning, liminality and the strange little things that make 2026 feel… 2026. We’ve got it all covered and if you're in London next week, come to the launch. Protein JOURNAL will be free to MEMBERS and available to buy in the STORE for £15.

SEEDS****(17 to catch up on 😮‍💨)

Notes On ResaleHow resale platforms are shaping the way we shop and show up in the world.Protein XYZJoanna LowryAmbiguity MaxxingIn a world obsessed with likes and followers, people are increasingly choosing mystery – keeping secrets and making you work to get them.Protein XYZSophia EpsteinSex And The InternetIn her new performance and book, Mindy Seu uncovers the overlooked histories shaping our digital lives.Protein XYZKesia InkersoleThe Detail DeficitPushing back against a culture addicted to efficiency and intent on flattening our senses.Protein XYZLetty ColeThe Pre-Viral EconomyFrom brand buzz to micro-aesthetics, Polymarket transforms collective intuition into predicting the signals of tomorrow.Protein XYZProteinStillness ModeA quiet tactic for brands looking to leave a mark, not just make a moment.Protein XYZLaura VentHave We Reached Peak Merch?If you missed our FORUM last week, here are the highlights and recording.Protein XYZProteinCentreless CultureWith no fixed point of reference, meaning spreads fast and splinters even faster, creating a network of micro-scenes.Protein XYZRina NicolaeBrand Britain EvolvedFeaturing Martin Parr, Protect, Burberry, Ffern and Jim Legxacy.Protein XYZProtein2025 ReflectionsThe ideas that travelled furthest, resonated the deepest and created the most impact.Protein XYZProteinLet Me ExplainA short theory of why everyone’s explaining everything online now.Protein XYZNatalie PodaimaWhat Makes a Good Collab?Or how the boring, captivating, strategic and unhinged collide.Protein XYZProteinDystopia BaitThe future looks bad on purpose – with brands increasingly turning worst-case futures into launch strategy and marketing fuel.Protein XYZSophia EpsteinBuilt By AccidentA look at skateparks, DIY spaces and brand-funded hubs that thrive not through polish or permission, but through collective authorship.Protein XYZCharles WeakReset To RealAnalogue is becoming a form of resistance, but when disconnection becomes a status symbol, who actually gets to log off?Protein XYZVictória OliveiraRegular MaxxingOn feeling special without being exceptional.Protein XYZAlice Jasmine CrippaCulture Isn’t CodedAn interview with Matt Klein about his (very) manual analysis of 70+ global trend forecasts – and the patterns machines can’t see.Protein XYZProtein

Want full access? Become a MEMBER

CONTRIBUTE

SEED CLUB is our decentralised research community where 400+ handpicked strategists, journalists, and cultural curators sow and grow all the SEEDS every day - identifying, analysing and explaining signals in culture. As a contributor you also have the opportunity to collaborate with Protein AGENCY on client projects as well as connect and learn from an incredibly diverse, smart and entertaining group of humans.

APPLY TO JOIN