Atlas of Weak Signals

The first introduction to Weak Signals and what they are and how they can help create a design space for the future. In class we did various exercises to help us get the ideas flowing and an example of the one done in class can be found below. It was intriguing to hear the different perspectives from my class.

My Personal AoWS

Then I continued individually to narrow the design space in which I see opportunities in the future. After the initial class it was time for me to really look through all the cards and see what stood out for me. I ended up selecting the weak signals “Carbon Neutral Lifestyles” and “Human Machine Creative Collaborations”. I feel that these two together create an interesting space filled with opportunities to explore and experiment with.

My additions

Next to using the card game given I also did research into areas that I feel will become big in the future and based on this research I created three additional cards that I would add in the future. .

I added this card as I feel it is an intriguing tipping point. On the one hand the growth allows for customizable design yet the gathering of the data is also an issue for many in respect to privacy and control of this data.

Something close to my heart has always been community centred design. How can we as groups work together to create the environment we want in the future. And as the world keeps becoming more and more connected I see neighbourhoods hopefully coming back together to work and preserve the environment we live in.

Using waste as material instead of just reusing old products in a new way is something I feel will continue to grow in the future. I am very interested in seeing how we can continue with material development and focus on this to use within the world of locally produced and digital fabrication.

Multi-Scalar Design Space

From my personal AoWS and with the RtD toolkit created during Design Studio 01 the next phase was to bring it together and create the multi-scalar design space, an area in which I place interests, connections, resources, materials and frameworks related to myself and the environment I am now in. This will of course continue to shift and change as I go through this design path.

Creating My Design Space

From here on out I went back to my personal AoWS and started to tie everything together. From looking at the weak signals that intrigued me, the triggers I felt related and the resources that could help with this journey I created my more personal design space in which all aspects of my interests can be found, related and explored.

AoWS Reflection

The last days have been super interesting and I have had fun trying to figure out where I fit in the design areas of the future and what I have to offer within each area. Working to understand my own area but also getting to hear more from the others and their vision on the future. All the classes and exercises inspired me to delve further into the ecosystem but also made me realize that there are so many areas out there that I can explore and that I should be open throughout this experience as it could push me to surprising areas.

The card game that we played during class and at home was for me familiar, yet surprising. It gave a lot of options for the future but also forced you to consider connections that you might not have beforehand. I feel that even now my design space is different then what I would have thought at the beginning or if I were to have made it without the help of the AoWS game. For me this game allowed me to have insights into others perspectives of design and create connections to my interests with new and different areas of society.