Futurability in design
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Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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School of Arts, Design and Architecture |
Master's thesis
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Author
Date
2024
Department
Major/Subject
Mcode
Degree programme
Master's Programme in International Design Business Management
Language
en
Pages
96 + 28
Series
Abstract
We are biased towards self-interests and current circumstances in our decision-making. This ‘presentism’ leads to focus on what is urgent instead of important. As a result, long-term issues such as climate change are often neglected and not dealt with preventatively or effectively. This is also evident in the design process, which focuses on the wishes and needs of current customers to create a new tomorrow. More holistic and future-orientated approaches are required to foster change towards a sustainable society. A promising way to stimulate long-term thinking is by including a future-generation perspective in the design process. Therefore, this thesis investigated what can be learned from the emerging field of future generations thinking that will benefit the design field. The literature review established a base layer for intergenerational thinking, drawing on theories from law, politics, psychology and philosophy. The practice of future generations thinking was further explored through expert interviews. After that, the key insights were used as input for a focus group, in which design professionals discussed and evaluated the relevance of a future generation perspective to design. This thesis presents a foundation for applying future generations thinking in design by answering when, why, and how future generations can be included. Additionally, two main promises of future generations thinking in the design process are identified: more sustainable decision-making and increased accessibility of future thinking. Because the connection between the two fields is relatively under-explored, this thesis presents preliminary insights, and more research should be conducted to establish the practice further.Description
Supervisor
Steinberg, MarcoThesis advisor
Steinberg, MarcoKeywords
future generations, long-term thinking, intergenerational justice, sustainability, transition design, empathy
