Summary
Feel like foresight is best left to economists and business strategists? Think again. Fight your imposter syndrome to harness the power of futures-thinking in your design organization to imagine and pursue preferable futures in how you work, what you produce and even in your personal life. You do not have to stop the world to look, think and act – make the futures mindset a natural habit and make small actions today turn into a better world tomorrow.
Key Insights
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The COVID-19 pandemic exposed a global unpreparedness for crises, leading to massive economic and social disruptions like the closure of 10 million small businesses in the US during 2020.
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Despite current challenges, long-term global progress in vaccination, literacy, nutrition, and environmental protection shows hopeful trends that should inform futures thinking.
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Futures thinking involves systematic steps: observing changes (signals), synthesizing insights, imagining scenarios, estimating potential outcomes, and selecting preferable futures to guide action.
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Foresight is a collaborative team activity that benefits from diverse perspectives, enhancing innovation and reducing unintended negative consequences of design decisions.
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Design leaders are uniquely positioned to integrate human-centric values, equity, and ethics into futures planning, influencing both organizations and broader society.
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Technology, including AI, has great potential for good when designed with fairness, transparency, and in partnership with humans; otherwise, it risks reinforcing harm or inequality.
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Social media and digital platforms can lead to unintended consequences such as misinformation and misuse, underscoring the importance of ethical foresight in design.
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Organizations must develop cultures of futures literacy that embrace change, nurture creativity, and foster honest discussions about potential impacts and trade-offs.
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Engaging citizens beyond traditional expertise in design and innovation processes leads to more inclusive, ethical, and socially responsible futures.
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Planning across short, medium, and long-term horizons with an awareness of uncertainty helps organizations prepare for a range of possible futures and better navigate volatility.
Notable Quotes
"We’re living in a case study of a pandemic, and not one country was prepared for it—this is cemented truth."
"In 1800, 44% of children died before their fifth birthday; today, that number is just 4%—that’s dramatic progress."
"Futures thinking is a team sport—more ideas and perspectives lead to richer, more useful foresight."
"AI works best in partnership with humans, not instead of humans, especially when trained on fair and complete data."
"Design leaders have the unique role of advocating for human-centricity and equity in future innovation."
"We have to imagine all scenarios—from best case to worst case—to avoid unintended negative outcomes."
"The future can be scary to think about, but it shouldn’t be; there’s hope found in understanding where we’ve come from."
"We need broad engagement of citizens in futures conversations—beyond just design research—to make values-based decisions."
"The more you embrace change and the power of the pivot, the better you can navigate uncertain futures."
"We’re building bridges for those who come after us; our work isn’t just for now, but for the future generations."
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