The Futureproof Series.
Postcards
From the Future.
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Futureproof Series
Postcards From the Future
As part of designbivouac’s Futureproof Series, this collection offers a set of visual explorations and concise narratives designed to spark conversation, challenge assumptions, and inspire strategic thinking about what lies ahead.
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.”
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Methodology
Futurecasting is a creative process where designers explore various social, cultural, economic, political, and ecological factors to envision potential futures. Rather than predicting the future with certainty, futurecasting focuses on imagining possible and preferable scenarios that inform long-term strategies. It helps businesses understand the forces shaping the future, anticipate changes, and create proactive strategies. Preferable futures align technology with human needs while ensuring sustainability from a planetary perspective.
“The best way to predict the future is to design it.”
Frameworks
The Futureproof: Postcards From the Future series draws on frameworks, such as Joseph Voros’s Futures Cone and backcasting, to guide its exploration. By working backward from a desirable future state to our current reality, backcasting helps identify the necessary conditions to achieve a preferred vision. The aim is to encourage thoughtful consideration of our shared future and inspire active participation in shaping it.
Visual and Narrative Approach
The series' visual approach integrates AI tools into the creative process, blending visuals with written narratives that evolve organically as each postcard from the future takes form. The series is designed to inspire deeper reflection on the necessary actions to make our collective preferred future a reality.
Futureproof: ThinLane Autonomous People Movers
Our visit to Austin last weekend was great. There was so much to do, and it was easy to get around. The ThinLane electric people movers can accommodate up to four people in the bike lanes that run all over the city. We downloaded the app and used them all weekend to get around town.
Future Narrative
Our visit to Austin last weekend was great. There was so much to do, and it was easy to get around. The autonomous ThinLane electric people movers can accommodate up to four people in the bike lanes that run all over the city. We downloaded the app and used it throughout the weekend to navigate around town. The city has established a micromobility strategy and policies. A few repurposed parking spaces in front of downtown businesses now serve as ThinLane loading and unloading zones. This keeps bicyclists happy as the ThinLane vehicles either keep pace or are out of the way. There are fewer cars downtown, and the streets seem smoother, too.
Technology
Autonomous, narrow, electric vehicles provide easy-on/easy-off mobility utilizing dedicated bike lanes. Occupants are safely transported up to 20 miles per hour and use an app to set pick-up and drop-off locations and make payments.
Implications
Many areas within a city require moving people in core areas at consistent but lower speeds or shifting them along a loop. These narrow electric vehicles provide significant bandwidth to the overall mobility system and use existing infrastructure.
Cities' policymakers must collaborate with businesses to understand the optimal flow of pedestrian traffic in dense areas.
Policies that allow a diverse micro-mobility ecosystem to thrive have to be adopted.
How can utilization fees offset some or most infrastructure costs associated with micromobility solutions?
Futureproof is a series of occasional provocations illustrating possible future paths for technology and culture. Think postcards from the future.
Futureproof: Autonomous Undersea Resource Explorer
Thanks to the new fleet of autonomous undersea resource explorers, we’ve found ten times more lithium and other rare minerals for use in electric vehicles. We’ve analyzed far more ocean floor per week than we ever could using the old system.
Future Narrative
Thanks to our new fleet of autonomous undersea resource explorers, we’ve found ten times more lithium and other rare minerals for use in electric vehicles. We’ve analyzed far more of the ocean floor per week than we ever could using the old system. It is impressive how well the 20 units follow a detailed grid search pattern. At this rate, we will have paid for the entire system within two years and helped migrate away from fossil fuel-burning engines.
Technology
Autonomous grid-following technology is made possible by consumer-grade ultra-low frequency GPS broadcasting.
Solid aluminum fuel combines with filtered seawater to produce hydrogen for the system’s fuel cell.
Implications
New fuels can provide remote, autonomous systems with long-lasting power, ensuring reliable operation.
Largely unexplored seabeds are expected to yield more precious metals and minerals, which are needed to meet the demands of new industries in the coming decades.
Early Signals of Possibility
Learn more about aluminum as a possible fuel cell fuel via this MIT news article.
Wired article on the potential and dangers of deep-sea mining. www.wired.com/story/deep-sea-mining-electric-vehicle-battery/
Futureproof is a series of occasional provocations illustrating possible future paths for technology and culture. Think postcards from the future.