Adam Zeiner, Founding Board member of The Design Futures Initiative

I interpret it as putting futures literacy into practice as a working designer. By forcing myself to think over longer arcs of time than a fiscal quarter or year and more broadly beyond the at-times blinding confines of a feature, a product, or even a service. Futuring feels active and applied, much like design. Also ‘Systems.’ I don’t think one can think about or propose visions for alternative futures without also thinking systemically and understanding that we’re all operating within systems.

Azalea Martinez, Co-founder of LOAM Studio

In definition, the future is “what has yet to come.” Futuring, as a designer, artist, and human is an objective, the plan, and the process to achieve it. Through LOAM Studio I hope to influence clients and followers to design with impact in mind, to take moral responsibility and preserve nature, our source of inspiration.

Futuring is also educating our followers to understand the value of craftsmanship and incorporating humanity into your design with hopes to inspire others to explore their creative power.

Michael Harman, Creative Director at Harman Friday

To me, Futuring means leaving the world a better place than you found it. That means doing the best work you can in a meaningful way that makes a positive impact in the present as well as inspiring and passing on your craft to the next generation of creatives.

Atif Z. Qadir, Founder and CEO at REDIST

It means acknowledging that Americans are turning our planet into a ball of fire largely because of a small number of brutally corporate lobbyists and politicians who have been making irresponsible short-term decisions in their own interests. It’s about ending that oppression and listening to those most affected by change both here and abroad.

Emma Soley, the founder of Em.Swimwear

Futuring to me means that we can use the resources around us today to help better our future. I believe that this includes helping those around us to create a strong community that wants to help create a better world for future generations.

Cameron Primm, UX/UI Designer and previous winner of ADW’s Design-A-Thon

In the current climate, I see Futuring as taking action in the face of despair. There are plenty of reasons one might be pessimistic or defeatist, but if we can still imagine a future, we can also take the action needed to rectify the faults of the past and facilitate a more equitable and sustainable future. It’s only when we can no longer imagine that better world, and can no longer actively construct that better world, that we can no longer fight despair.

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