With Tara Hanrahan
Working collectively (in our communities of practice) to explore the impacts and opportunities within the future of branding, through speculation.
Step 1: Orientate
Read through your assigned 2050 future scenario.
Discuss how your scenario might affect you as a branding designer.
Think about how your discipline is impacted and connected.
Consider what systems it is part of and linked to.
What will you do as a brand designer to be proactive,
enterprising and agile in this future?
How will you communicate, connect and story-tell in this world? How will you remain curious, confident and resilient amidst future challenges?
Step 2: Construct
Map out a day-in-the-life of a brand designer within your scenario – consider these
prompts: What, Who, Where, When, How, Why…
Step 3: Co-create & Share
Informed by your day-in-the-life narrative, co-create a speculative concept or artefact in your future world.
Visualise this as a social media post – you may show it as an image, message, advert, meme etc.
In a world where a new religion has emerged, people worship the forces of nature, such as water, wind, and rain. They teach their children the importance of respecting these resources, instilling values that emphasize careful usage. Strict rules govern the use of these natural resources, and everything is meticulously calculated.
In this society, listening to the sounds of nature is considered a form of devotion. Many species have already been lost, so hearing their sounds is regarded as a special privilege. Spotify has recognised this cultural shift and launched a new playlist featuring artists who incorporate animal and bird sounds into their music. This post is an artefact of this world in the future.
Reflections
This workshop prompted me to think about the future of branding and the design industry. We created an identity for a person working in this industry under an ethical scenario where laws are very strict. Brands are required to focus on customer relationship management (CRM), making ethical practices a rule rather than a choice. I initially felt that creativity and ethics are diiferent, making it challenging to integrate them. However, through our group discussions, I realized that in this future, this person has been conditioned to view creativity within the framework of being mindful of ethical considerations and resource usage. I now see that creativity and ethics are not separate; they can coexist. And now this is the lens through which I am currently viewing the industry.
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