This is the third edition of The Lazaris Report. Our reports bring you, studio insights, creative intelligence, cultural pulse, and sometimes design assets. If you want to skip the politics/economics discussion hit this button to go straight to the fun stuff.

Turns out AI is coming for our jobs.

Just not in the way most people talking about AI online would have predicted. (In this post) I am not talking about creatives losing their jobs due to “AI tools” replacing their labor, and pushing their wages lower. I am referring to the large global economic ramifications of the Trump administration’s insane tariff plan that appears to have been written by ChatGPT. Since Trump’s announcement on April 2nd the stock and bonds market have been rocked, and analysts have been piling on their recession predictions for 2025. The whiplash of tariffs being thrown on, then paused, then brought on again creates an environment where businesses cannot plan or forecast. As of writing this post (April 11th morning) the US has announced 145% tariffs on China, and 10% blanket tariffs across the board. This is a completely self inflicted wound to the US economy, American consumers and businesses.

Many of our clients import some or most of their products from China. Products will get stuck in limbo, and many businesses will fold. I expect that we will start to see more layoffs across industries in the next month or two.

What can you do about it?

Find and/or build your community and go do things.

• If you are politically inclined or just wanting to get involved with advocating Mike Monteiro wrote a great post yesterday titled “How to build a better mosh pit”.

• If you are in the US and looking for other creatives go to AIGA meetings, CreativeMornings talks.

• Reach out to people who’s work you love and see if you can have a virtual coffee chat with them.

Take care of your mental health

Everyone talks about this stuff online, so I don’t need to beat a dead horse. Get moving, workout, walk, run whatever, just get out from behind your screens. Delete social media or logoff. Digital Detox in whatever way works best for you.

Save your money

I probably sound like your parents at this point. But SAVE SAVE SAVE. We don’t know what the economy is going to look like in week, month, or even 6 months. But volatility is here and looks like its going to be sticking around. You’ll want a healthy amount of savings for the road ahead.

Things happen outside your control, and the rat race course of life is constantly changing. When things slow down, you are also allowed to slow down. Trying to force work during down turns can is a really easy way to crash and burnout. So match the intensity of the moment and you are allowed to take time for yourself.

The Fun Stuff:

Rein Wine is live!

We just posted Rein to our site. I also did a quick hour long blitz through creating the case study for Adobe Live, if you want to see how I approached the process. Rein Wine is a non-alcoholic wine reimagined for a new generation. Bold, unapologetic, and design-forward, Rein breaks the mold of traditional wine culture with a fresh perspective—no buzz, just pure vibe. Crafted for those who crave experience over excess, Rein pairs the complexity of fine wine with the freedom of staying clear-headed. It’s not just what you drink—it’s what you stand for.

Design Week Milan is in full Swing

Humanrace by Pharrell and USM Modular Furniture

I’ve been obsessed with USM Modular furniture for a couple years now, and this collaboration between USM and Humanrace for the Capsule Plaza at Milan Design week is a wonderful activation and cool concept for a standalone bathroom installation.

Marathon puzzle ARG announcement is a creative flex

Bungie first announced their new Player vs Player extraction shooter game (a game type like Escape from Tarkov) on May 2023. Tomorrow (April 12th) we will get to see a gameplay reveal, and I am absolutely hyped. The art style for the game is absolutely gorgeous and YES, I am biased by the custom bitmapping symbols and neon everywhere. They built an incredible marketing campaign leading up to the announcement, inviting people to try to solve puzzles to unlock clues, more lore and world building. Throughout the entire experience we are overloaded with incredible creative systems, design language and easter eggs. This game’s design language is so incredibly dialed, and I love seeing how robust the system is across all the microsites and puzzles they built. Scrub through the video below to see some or all of the easter eggs and cool bits and bobs they built.

Art Market in 2024 Declined by 12%

According to the Art Market Report by Art Basel; Sales in the global art market declined by 12% in 2024 to an estimated $57.5 Billion. We will see what happens to the global art market, but expect that figure to increase in 2025 as interior design and art purchases get impacted by the global economy and tariffs.

Prada to Buy Versace

Lots of rumors and speculation is surrounding this deal as it is all unfolding, including Prada cutting Versace’s price by 200million after Trump Tariffs. We will see how the deal will all shake out. Currently the deal is valued at $1.4 Billion.

Seen at Design.Spaces LA

Last newsletter I mentioned a cool event called Design.Spaces happening at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. In case you missed it you can view some of their favorite images here. Going into the event I really wanted to check out the Stedelijk Chair by Sabine Marcelis in person. You typically can get this chair via BD Barcelona, but they created a special edition color (Lavender Frost) for Design Spaces. After seeing the chair in person, and sitting in it… I can confirm it’s pretty dang awesome. I love the minimalistic form, smooth simple lines, its ability to stack and the heavy duty sturdiness of the welded aluminum.

Let’s Build the Future Together

This is just the beginning. Expect more. Expect the unexpected. If you know any artists, sculptures, fashion designers or jewelers, who want to collaborate, send them our way!

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