A better present by changing the future
By: Carlos De Santiago
On January 31st and February 1st, 2024, I had the opportunity to attend two very interesting talks at Design Matters Mexico 2024, and an idea that resonated strongly in my head was that our conception of the future shapes our actions in the present, and our current experiences. It's an endless cycle in which our expectations of tomorrow intertwine with today's realities, often giving rise to a dystopian vision of a world divided by technology, social inequality, and climate change.
However, amidst this vicious cycle, an opportunity arises to design exits toward a different future, how? By redefining the way we conceive and approach design and innovation.
First and foremost, it's crucial to recognize that creativity has fallen into a spiral that prioritizes efficiency, where the pursuit of quick solutions has overshadowed the exploration of new paths, leading us to “already known” solutions. A clear example is the Apple Vision Pro, which, while the technology, construction, and experience appear impressive at first glance, immediately makes us think of a virtual reality headset that aims to be sold as augmented reality. Something Google attempted many years ago with Google Glass and that Meta has pursued since the metaverse became popular a few years ago.
Another example of the design industry's “crisis” is the case of IDEO. A pioneering consultancy in “Design Thinking,” a design methodology that rapidly rose in large companies because it was based on understanding the problem by empathizing with people, and then creating solutions that truly add value and solve needs. Currently, IDEO has closed several offices in different parts of the world and reduced its collaborators in 2023 by 32%.
Does this mean the design industry is in decline?
No, but the methodology has been “tampered with” a bit Design Thinking and has been used as a (linear) recipe that begins to create the same kind of solution.
To break this cycle, we need to reintroduce chaos and uncertainty as a crucial piece of the creative process, allowing for divergent exploration and the search for solutions with genuine impact. I'm not saying we should eliminate structure and processes within creativity, only that we understand that creativity takes time to arrive at innovative solutions.
It's also time to take a more comprehensive approach to innovation, one that not only considers individual needs but also the collective and global impact of what we do. Only then can we create changes today that will help us envision a more harmonious future for the planet.
Design matters, and Design Matters Mexico 2024 has challenged us to imagine a different future, one in which this industry is a force for positive change. It's up to us to turn that vision into reality.
