“
So about future scenarios, the idea that “oh its so utopian or something like ”, all we do is we create a dystopia by creating path dependency by saying we can’t do it. Changes were never made based on evidence. There was always an idea and then it came into play. I am looking very much at the collaborative power. So your design goes out and creates fractals among other things.
“
“
Karen O’Brien
Professor of Human Geography and Adaptations Researcher - Department of Sociology and Human Geography
Hanne Cecilie Geirbo
Researcher - Research Group for Design of Information Systems
* Pukka: stable, strong, certain in Hindi kutcha: raw, temporary, makeshift in Hindi
SCALES OF SPACE AND TIME
GLOCAL WHERE?
SYSTEM INTERACTIONS
REACTION/
DIFFUSION HYPEROBJECTS
MACRO/MICRO SYSTEMS
EVOLVING SYSTEMS INDIVIDUAL
THRIVING LONG TERM
LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY
DISPOSABLE ECONOMY
MONOLITHS
EPHEMERAL STRUCTURES
ECOLOGY
NATURAL CYCLES ECOSYSTEMS BIOMIMETIC &
BIOLOGICAL SYNERGY OF
SYSTEMS CIRCULAR INTERVENTION
MICROBIOME
INTERVENTIONNON
DYING BEES SELF HEALING TECHNOLOGY
AI HARDWARE/SOFTWARE
INTERNET NANOTECH
BIOTECH FUSION ENERGY
ENCRYPTION
3D PRINTING
& DIGITAL FABRICATION
GENE EDITING
&
CRISPR
“ETERNAL LIFE”
LEGACY INDUSTRIES/CODE
ENERGY SYSTEMS:
RENEWABLE/
FOSSIL DRIVEN
SMART GRID & IOT BLOCKCHAIN
OPEN SOURCE MATERIAL ECOLOGY
VR/AR/MR
DIY/MAKER MOVEMENT
SOCIAL MEDIA
&
SURVEILLANCE MYCO-TECHNOLOGY
DIGITAL AS PHYSICAL
CARBON SEQUESTRATION
CCS
SOLAR DIGITAL PRIVACY
MASS PRODUCTION/
CONSUMPTION WIRELESS ENERGY FROM SPACE CIRCULAR DESIGN
GEO-ENGINEERING
ECONOMY ANTI-TRUST
FINANCIALISATION BUSINESS
AS USUAL
OLIGARCHY
QUALITY OF LIFE
FREEDOM CREATIVITY
EXPRESSION NATURE OF THOUGHT
MUTUALITY
OPEN MIND
LEARNING BELIEFS AND BIASES
PHYSIOLOGY
SIX DEGREES
INDIVIDUAL AGENCY MEANING
CLIMATE CHANGE
CLIMATE MIGRATIONS 6TH MASS EXTINCTION
SEA LEVEL RISE
HABITAT & ECOSYSTEM DESTRUCTION DISEASE
& SUPERBUGS
DISEASE
& SUPERBUGS
DESERTIFICATION
POVERTY & HUNGER
FOOD SCARCITY ECOLOGY VS ECONOMY
ADAPTION VS MITIGATION
EXTREME WEATHER WATER
POTABILITY
CARBON CAPTURE RENEWABLE
ENERGY SYSTEMS
LANDSCAPE CHANGES PARIS ACCORD
NEXT ICE AGE
NEXT ICE AGE FOSSIL FUELS
DISPROPORTIONAT E RESPONSIBILITY
CARBON TAX AGRICULTURAL
LEACHING OF SOIL
AGRICULTURAL COLLAPSE
AWARENESS & ACTION COMMODIFIED
ECOLOGY
RESILIENCE (SHORT AND LONG SUSTAINABILITY TERM)
SYSTEMIC RISKS GLOBAL WARMING
GLOBAL DIMMING INDUSTRIALISATIO
DE-N
ANTHROPOCENE
CLASS DIVIDE
DECENTRALISATION
SOCIAL DISCOURSE ASSEMBLIES
INDOCTRINATION
RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
CONSTITUTION
LAW AND ORDER SOCIAL ORGANISATION
KNOWLEDGE
SOCIETY
FUTURE identify the possible agents of change, their interplay and
relevance in creating the texture of the future, whatever it may be.
As an exercise, it gave me insights into the bigger role, the various themes of engagement the future could provide for. For the sake of clarity, I categorised these future themes into the following 7 broad categories:
1. technology, 2. ecology, 3. economy, 4. Society
5. Impacts and influences on a human level (Individual) 6. Climate Change
7. How it all plays out in the Scale of Space and Time
These themes, influenced by the values of the designer, bring forth a picture of the future and subsequently point to the nature of agency within the interaction of these drivers. This analysis, already shows divergence in the nature of future studies that were to be embarked from here on out. I found, this early on in the project, a healthy point cloud of themes had emerged from the analysis. When dealing with the uncertain future, it made sense to let loose the ideas, that may seem absurd from a business as usual perspective. In that regard, having made this analysis showed how these drivers reflect the values of the design team, therefore a larger team might build this into a far richer list of drivers.
See Appendix 3 for full scale chart
SCALES OF SPACE AND TIME
GLOCAL WHERE?
SYSTEM INTERACTIONS
REACTION/
DIFFUSION HYPEROBJECTS
MACRO/MICRO SYSTEMS
EVOLVING SYSTEMS INDIVIDUAL
THRIVING LONG TERM
LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY
DISPOSABLE ECONOMY
MONOLITHS
EPHEMERAL STRUCTURES
ECOLOGY
NATURAL CYCLES ECOSYSTEMS BIOMIMETIC &
BIOLOGICAL SYNERGY OF
SYSTEMS CIRCULAR INTERVENTION
MICROBIOME
INTERVENTIONNON
DYING BEES SELF HEALING TECHNOLOGY
AI HARDWARE/SOFTWARE
INTERNET NANOTECH
BIOTECH FUSION ENERGY
ENCRYPTION
3D PRINTING
& DIGITAL FABRICATION
GENE EDITING
&
CRISPR
“ETERNAL LIFE”
LEGACY INDUSTRIES/CODE
ENERGY SYSTEMS:
RENEWABLE/
FOSSIL DRIVEN
SMART GRID & IOT BLOCKCHAIN
OPEN SOURCE MATERIAL ECOLOGY
VR/AR/MR
DIY/MAKER MOVEMENT
SOCIAL MEDIA
&
SURVEILLANCE MYCO-TECHNOLOGY
DIGITAL AS PHYSICAL
CARBON SEQUESTRATION
CCS
SOLAR DIGITAL PRIVACY
MASS PRODUCTION/
CONSUMPTION WIRELESS ENERGY FROM SPACE CIRCULAR DESIGN
GEO-ENGINEERING
ECONOMY ANTI-TRUST
INDUSTRIALISATION
GROWTH / DE-GROWTH DEREGULATION
GLOBAL HAPPINESS INDEX
DIRTY WARS
CAPITAL AND PROFITS LABOUR
“FREE MARKET”
DEMONETISE
JOBS AND WAGES
DECENTRALISATIO N
GLOBALISATION
FINANCIALISATION
“TOO BIG TO FAIL”
DEATH AND TAXATION DETERMINISM
INVESTOR CONFIDENCE
VILLAGE ECONOMY
STANDARD OF LIVING
BUSINESS AS USUAL CRYPTOCURRENCY
MONOPOLY EQUAL/UNEQUAL EXCHANGE
OF VALUE
OLIGARCHY
COTTAGE INDUSTRY
RISK AVERSION
AUTOMATION
DEBT
REVENUE
CIRCULAR ECONOMY
QUALITY OF LIFE
FREEDOM CREATIVITY
EXPRESSION NATURE OF THOUGHT
MUTUALITY
OPEN MIND
LEARNING BELIEFS AND BIASES
PHYSIOLOGY
SIX DEGREES
INDIVIDUAL AGENCY MEANING
CLIMATE CHANGE
CLIMATE MIGRATIONS 6TH MASS EXTINCTION
SEA LEVEL RISE
HABITAT &
ECOSYSTEM DESTRUCTION DISEASE
& SUPERBUGS
DISEASE
& SUPERBUGS
DESERTIFICATION
POVERTY & HUNGER
FOOD SCARCITY ECOLOGY VS ECONOMY
ADAPTION VS MITIGATION
EXTREME WEATHER WATER
POTABILITY
CARBON CAPTURE RENEWABLE
ENERGY SYSTEMS
LANDSCAPE CHANGES PARIS ACCORD
NEXT ICE AGE
NEXT ICE AGE FOSSIL FUELS
DISPROPORTIONAT E RESPONSIBILITY
CARBON TAX AGRICULTURAL
LEACHING OF SOIL
AGRICULTURAL COLLAPSE
AWARENESS & ACTION COMMODIFIED
ECOLOGY
RESILIENCE (SHORT AND LONG SUSTAINABILITY TERM)
SYSTEMIC RISKS GLOBAL WARMING
GLOBAL DIMMING INDUSTRIALISATIO
DE-N
ANTHROPOCENE
EQUALITY
CLASS DIVIDE
MUTUAL RESPECT
DECENTRALISATION
COMMUNAL SPIRITUALITY
MUTUAL AID
INDOCTRINATION
RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FREEDOM OF
SPEECH AND EXPRESSION EDUCATION
CONSTITUTION
LAW AND ORDER SOCIAL ORGANISATION
ATOMISATION CULTURE
LIBERTY VS
“LIBERALISM”
SOCIAL DISCRIMINATION
KNOWLEDGE SOCIAL
STRATIFICATION
CONSERVATISM COMMUNITY
COLLECTIVE IDENTITY LANGUAGE
COLLABORATION
HIERARCHY AND DOMINATION
COEXISTENCE
HARMONY AND PEACE
SOCIETY
FUTURE
Figure 12: Analysing Drivers of the Future
Figure 13: Mapping the Symptoms of a hopeful future
VIRTUAL REALITY CENTRALISED
SYSTEMS ENERGY
ALWAYS ON INDUSTRIAL ECONOMY “STANDARD OF
LIVING”
GLOBALISATION OF MARKETS AND
ECONOMY HABITAT DESTRUCTION COMMODIFIED
ECOLOGY CITIES AND MEGA
CITIES OLIGOPOLY
INDIVIDUALISM AND ATOMISATION OF
SOCIETY ELECTRIC CARS AND MOBILITY
SOLUTION-AIR, WATER, OCEANS, FORESTS
ECOLOGY VS
ECONOMY CONSUMER
CULTURE
POVERTY AND INEQUALITY
SOCIAL MEDIA AND COLLAPSING SOCIAL DISCOURSE
INTERNET AND SOCIETY
SERVICE AND INFORMATION ECONOMY
PREDICTION:
DETERMINISM OF RISK
“FILTER BUBBLES”
AND “FEEDBACK LOOPS”
DEBT:
3X GLOBAL GDP “START UP”
CULTURE
“SHANZHAI" AND CHINESE MANUFACTURING
AUTOMATION
& AI BIG DATA AND
CLOUD COMPUTING
CELEBRITY WORSHIP VISUAL CULTURE SURVEILLANCE STATE
DISCRIMINATION AND INEQUALITY
WALL STREET
“MIDDLE CLASS VALUES”
“FIRST WORLD”/
“THIRD WORLD” REFUGEE
“CRISIS” NANOTECH AND GEOENGINEERING OCEAN
ACIDIFICATION PLASTIC
OCEAN GYRES
PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE
CARBON
CAPTURE RENEWABLE ENERGY SOLAR: THIN FILM, PEROVSKITE
DYSTOPIAN VISIONS OR NO VISIONS FOR THE FUTURE
BLOCKCHAIN AND CRYPTOCURRENCY
AGRICULTURAL COLLAPSE BANKRUPT
IDEOLOGICAL BATTLES
BIOTECH 3D PRINTING 6TH MASS
EXTINCTION
“SUPERBUGS”
ANTIBACTERIAL RESISTANCE FREE TIME?
FOR WHOM? MAKER
MOVEMENT “BRAVE
NEW WORLD”
“1984”
GRASSROOTS MOVEMENTS
PLANNED DEGROWTH, GLOBAL JUSTICE
DE-INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION:
3D PRINTING, GROWN PRODUCTS
BASIC INCOME (UBI) FINLAND, INDIA, CANADA
CIRCULAR DESIGN AND CIRCULAR
ECONOMY
DEBT CANCELLATION:
“THIRD WORLD”/
GLOBAL SOUTH PERMACULTURE &
ORGANIC, ZERO FARMING
LOW/ZERO ENERGY DEVICES, PASSIVE PRODUCTS.
ENERGY PRODUCING
TEXTILES
COOPERATIVE SOCIAL PRODUCTION
BLOCKCHAIN AND
CRYPTOCURRENCY BIO-PRINTING WEAPONISED ECOLOGY
WORKFORCE GLOBALISATION SLIME MOULD
EXPERIMENTS RENEWABLES AND SMART GRID CROWDFUNDING
CCS TECH, CARBON
CAPTURE BITCOIN MINING BIOREMEDIATION, MYCOREMEDIATION
SYMBIOTIC
SYSTEMS OPEN
INFORMATION “QUALITY OF LIFE” CLOSED ENERGY LOOPS
DECENTRALISED, DEVOLVED POWER STRUCTURES
“GROWN” BATTERIES AND
COMPUTERS DEMONETISED
COMMONS RESTORED
ECOLOGY
“BLOCKCHAIN” ENERGY GRID “EARTH
STEWARDSHIP”
LIVING TECH, ORGANIC INTELLIGENT MACHINES
MATTER REPLICATOR “SOCIAL NIRVANA”
QUANTUM AI THRIVE
PEPTIDE SOLAR CELLS/ SEMICONDUCTORS
“NO MINING OR EXTRACTION REQUIRED”
HYPERLOCAL ENERGY SYSTEMS
EMBEDDED
ENERGY DARK MATTER DATA
PROCESSORS MYCELIUM ENERGY DRIVES
WIRELESS ENERGY FROM SPACE STAR TREK
“REALITY” NANO FUSION
INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM
INNER PEACE & PSYCHOLOGICAL INTEGRITY
HYPER-INDIVIDUAL ENERGY
EVOLUTIONARY ENERGY SYSTEMS: ADAPTIVE, RESPONSIVE REGENERATIVE PRODUCTS AND MATERIALS
“JUST ADD WATER TO MAKE” EPHEMERAL
INFRASTRUCTURE
LIBERTY, JUSTICE, EQUALITY FAMILY AND
SOCIETY
NO NATIONS, NO BORDERS
ECOLOGY OF DISCIPLINES GLOCAL
“FLOATING SOCIETIES” EMPATHY AND
COOPERATION
SYNERGETIC SYSTEMS MICROBIOME
TREATMENT
AMBIENT ENERGY TELEPORTATION
FROM SPACE CITY IN THE SKY OPEN SOURCE
SOCIETY CO2 REDUCTION
/DEFICIENCY INTERSTELLAR CRUISE TO ALPHA
CENTAURI CHANGING
NOMADIC
SETTLEMENTS WAR IS OBSOLETE
“THE AWKWARD SOCIETY”
TRANSCENDENTAL HYPOTHESIS THE MATRIX/ VIRTUAL REALITY
INTERPLANETARY VIRTUAL AVATARS
DECENTRALISED PRODUCTION
MYCOTECHNOLOGY, ECOVATIVE, MYCOWORKS
BLOCKCHAIN GOVERNANCE AND OPEN NETWORKS
GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY
FA R F UTU R E H O R I Z O N 2 : T R A N S I T I O N S
H O R I Z O N 1 : T H E Z E I TG E I ST H O R I Z O N 3 : H O PE F U L F UTU R E S
N OW
RELEVANCESymptoms of the Zeitgeist
Ti m e