paul cocksedge imagines a social distancing blanket for a post-lockdown world

it’s not the first time a pandemic has locked down cities, but it might be new to some of us. history has shown us that even though many things will be affected, no plague or pandemic has destroyed completely a city and that humanity will find a way to restart its needs to live in urban clusters. as countries continue to find ways to safely reopen in the wake of COVID-19, creatives around the world are working on ideas to aid us in this step. this is the case of renowned british designer paul cocksedge who presents here comes the sun, a design-led social distancing solution for a post-lockdown world.

the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, and we will have to learn to live with the virus and adapt to our new reality which supposes long-term spacing. this inspired cocksedge to create here comes the sun, a proposal for our post-lockdown future. the project aims to help people to socialize safely and confidently once the restrictions have been eased. featuring a blanket, here comes the sun has been designed so that people are two meters away from each other, the required distance science has recommended for stopping contagion. the blanket is perfect for social occasions like picnics or sunbathing with friends and anyone can download the pattern for free, encouraging people to make, craft and cut it during lockdown.

‘lockdown has given rise to some amazing bursts of creativity, and I wanted to create something positive, that looks towards the future,’ comments paul cocksedge. ‘technology has been a huge help in recent weeks, allowing people to stay connected digitally. but there’s a real feeling of how desperate people are to get back out in the world and interact with each other in real life. post-lockdown, that socializing comes with uncertainty.’

‘as a designer that works with sizes and measurements on a daily basis, I sometimes find it hard to accurately interpret two meters – which is a common problem we’re all having at the moment,’ he continues. ‘it adds a level of worry to our future interactions. this blanket is a playful answer to that and works as a democratic piece of design that anyone can download and make.’

as a continuation and a second phase of the project, the studio is developing 3D furniture versions to roll out to urban developers.