Design in 2040 is a research project (2023-25) led by Professor Lucy Kimbell exploring futures for professional design through anticipatory research.
The first phase of the project involved desk research and workshops, resulting in a draft set of three scenarios for UK professional design in 2040. These were then interpreted in a practice-led project in which six UAL graduates created studio stories from each of these futures, and associated artefacts from three fictional London design studios in the future. These were experienced by 60 people who visited a pop-up installation at Central Saint Martins in May 2024. Some of these outputs were also shown in the group exhbition "Observatory" at Central Saint Martins open in September-October 2024 as part of London Design Festival. This repository includes posters and a leaflet from this event.
Three short films by Adam Razvi with audio design by Anna Z Papadimitriou capture aspects of these creative explorations of how London design studios might be organised in 2040. They are available online along with a video reording of a panel discussion event organised at CSM in October 2024 - here on youtube
Brief summary of the three 2040 scenarios
In the first 2040 scenario, design studios operate as “surveillance synthesisers”. Design capabilties are widely available across organisations in business, government and the public sector, locked in to structures and processes that routinely track, analyse and respond to data about changes in behaviours, bodies, environments and ecologies.
In the second, a small super-league of star designers operate as “technoscientfic experience crafters”, creatng experiences that are luxurious, personalised and original, in contrast to mid-market, public or bootleg producers.
In the third 2040 scenario, as “regeneration agents”, designers are recognised as having expertise in bringing people together, surfacing trade-offs and solving local problems locally.
The current phase of the research is thematic analysis of 25 futures reports and interviews with c.18 people from across the design ecoystem, workshops to validate findings and finalisation of the scenarios and analysis in book form.
Project delivered by the Policy Futures Studio at Central Saint Martins
Team
Project lead/scenarios Lucy Kimbell
Creative producer for pop-up installations at CSM Liam Green
Studio designers
Derk Ringers and Isseya Thierry
Ellen Cahill and Daniel Ivan Jimenez Prieto
Liz Ebengo and Bhairavi Yogasivam
Films Adam Razvi
Audio Anna Z Papadimitriou
