The library of possible futures

The discipline of Strategic Foresight or “futures” is naturally having a moment right now. I’ve always believed that the role of design is in helping make the future tangible, but designers probably don’t consider themselves purveyors of speculation.

This article talks about the history of speculative non-fiction, which is a genre of publication that tries to connect the dots between emergent trends to paint a picture of the near to medium future. Could designers and strategists think of themselves as speculative non-fiction writers?

“Perhaps this is the year when we’ll be able to see most clearly that we need an entirely new way of talking about the future if we are to shape it into something equitable and sustainable for all.”