About this book

Designs for Different Futures records the concrete ideas and abstract dreams of designers, artists, academics, and scientists engaged in exploring how design might reframe our futures--socially, ethically, and aesthetically. Centered on ninety-nine innovative contemporary design objects, projects, and speculations, this handbook asks readers to contemplate our cultural attitudes toward technology, consumption, beauty, and the social and environmental challenges we face on both a local and global scale in futures near and far. Thought-provoking projects are explored through interpretive texts and interviews by the designers themselves and the core curatorial team. Interspersed with the… Read more

Designs for Different Futures records the concrete ideas and abstract dreams of designers, artists, academics, and scientists engaged in exploring how design might reframe our futures--socially, ethically, and aesthetically. Centered on ninety-nine innovative contemporary design objects, projects, and speculations, this handbook asks readers to contemplate our cultural attitudes toward technology, consumption, beauty, and the social and environmental challenges we face on both a local and global scale in futures near and far. Thought-provoking projects are explored through interpretive texts and interviews by the designers themselves and the core curatorial team. Interspersed with the project pages are newly commissioned texts by academics, scientists, designers, artists, curators, and futurists that explore wide-ranging issues, from historical visions of the future to the use of biological/living materials in products and production processes