/ THE FUTUREPROOF SERIES
Postcards
From the Future.
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/ FUTUREPROOF SERIES / POSTCARDS FROM THE FUTURE
As part of Designbivouac’s Futureproof Series, Postcards from the Future is a curated collection of visual explorations and concise narratives crafted to spark dialogue, challenge assumptions, and inspire bold, forward-looking strategy.
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.”
“The best way to predict the future is to design it.”
/ SEARCH FUTUREPROOF ENTRIES
/ METHODOLOGY
Futurecasting is a creative, strategic practice that explores social, cultural, economic, political, and ecological forces to imagine possible—and preferable—futures. Rather than predicting what will happen, it reveals what could happen and what should happen to inform long-term direction.
By understanding the forces shaping change, organizations can anticipate disruption and act proactively. Preferable futures align technological progress with human needs while advancing sustainability at a planetary scale.
/ FRAMEWORKS
The Futureproof: Postcards from the Future series uses frameworks like Joseph Voros’s Futures Cone and backcasting to guide exploration. By working backward from a preferred future, backcasting identifies the steps needed to realize that vision. The series encourages reflection on our shared future and inspires active participation in shaping it.
/ VISUAL AND NARRATIVE APPROACH
The series uses AI-driven visuals and narratives that evolve organically, turning each “postcard from the future” into a thought-provoking reflection. Designed to inspire action, it encourages audiences to consider the steps needed to shape our collective preferred future.
Futureproof: Space Elevator Lifts Humanity
Last week, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the opening of Span One of the Space Elevator complex. Over the last decade, the price of going into space has dropped dramatically, and critical environmental research and space tourism have reached new heights.
Futureproof: Bastion Facial Filter Glasses
These Bastion glasses are excellent. I bought them a couple of months ago because my eyes were getting tired, and the city’s poor air quality was starting to impact my health. They filter for UV, shift tint according to lighting conditions, and protect against the possibility of incidental overlapping LIDAR from all of the self-driving vehicles that I pass on my walking commute. They also provide filtered air close to my nose, which has helped my breathing considerably.
Futureproof: Lunar Mining
The race to secure more helium-3 (He-3) is on! The isotope of helium is rare on Earth due to our shielding atmosphere, but it is plentiful in the lunar soil. He-3 is advancing quantum computing, powering fusion energy facilities, and making the production of in-space propellants possible.
Futureproof: Westie Rescue Team Members
Hi. I’m Buster. Since our translator-enhanced training took place, I now relate to my trainers at an entirely new level. It feels so good to have an even richer bond with them. I am proud they believe in me enough to let me go into dangerous places to help save their friends.
Futureproof: Progenitor Community on Mars
It’s been almost two years since our trusty spacecraft Progenitor gently touched down in Columbia Hills for the last time. After making five trans-terran trips, we completed all conversion activities in record time, transforming our spacecraft into a high-rise habitat.
Futureproof: Nanomobility Repairbots
I purchased a new computer last year with Nanobot protection. Yesterday, I heard some faint ticking inside my machine. I turned on the internal monitor, and sure enough, the Nanobots were busy checking connections and cleaning up.
Futureproof: Autonomous Grocery Module
These autonomous grocery modules always feature the week's best deals. Some keep items cool, while others keep pre-prepared meals warm. I’ve seen them used for special events like concerts, conferences, and pop-up stores. The slide-down side panels keep things in place and at temperature while in transit.
Futureproof: Clearview Highrise Windows
With declining air quality, the cost of cleaning highrise windows has skyrocketed. The Clearview highrise cleaning system seamlessly integrates into most architectural layouts. Our building maintenance costs have dropped significantly, and our views have never been so clear.
Futureproof: Next-Gen Jalopies
Improving the performance of that first car has been a time-honored tradition amongst auto enthusiasts. What does the future hold for weekend garage projects as we move into the new era of electric-powered automobility? Will the focus be on power, efficiency, torque, range extension, or perhaps all of the above? And with the right to repair access disputed by some electric vehicle manufacturers, will this even be possible? What does safe electric vehicle modification look like in the 21st century?
Futureproof: Ghost Recon & Rescue
Now that fusion power can be supplied via compact and lightweight equipment, new forms of mobility are popping up everywhere. Various defense forces are exploring how H.O.V.E.R. (Human Operated Vertical Equipment for Reconnaissance) technologies can help protect infantry as they conduct nearly silent patrols at extended ranges with a full equipment loadout. First responders use similar H.O.V.E.R. (Human Operated Vertical Equipment for Rescue) systems in search and rescue operations.
Futureproof: Engineered Forests of the Future
I suppose they have a beauty of their own, but it has taken a while to get used to them. These square-column trees were introduced in Scandinavia about a decade ago to maximize sustainable forest material output. Their shape has been bioengineered to maximize transport efficiency to mills and reduce the milling needed to produce lumber products.
Futureproof: Solar Fields Future Technician
It's hard to believe I’ve been doing this job for six years. Thankfully, these new maintenance backpacks hold and power everything we need during a panel field service shift. My pack's nearly silent compressor cools the air that flows throughout my cooling jacket and chills the plates in my heat-exchanging wrist cuffs.
Futureproof: Sea Level Rise and eVTOLs Reshape Coastal Cities
When they started modifying the city’s coastline in 2021 to accommodate rising sea levels, I knew it was just the beginning. The continued rise of the seas redefined our streets, and the rise of EVTOL travel has reshaped the roofscape of our metropolis.
Futureproof: 21st Century Balconies
Well, here it is, right on time. Many debated the merits of allowing aerial delivery by drones within city limits years ago, but now it is commonplace. Breakthroughs in drone safety and making them much quieter were key to growing acceptance. Now, units with balconies in New York command a premium over those without them due to the convenience of balcony delivery.
