GALLERY \\
Signals of Emerging Futures
Team: Cybrarians Of Vibrancy
Focal Question:
How might better futures emerge through building and supporting nontraditional centers of community and gathering spaces?
Notes: scan the horizons in search of signals (often called "weak signals" in foresight because they are early signs of trends that may grow stronger) of the emerging future(s).
Signals Gallery
Sharing knowledge and skills
Academic Makerspaces, open source servers, free community workshops, skill shares.
So what?
Sharing skills and knowledge takes elitist ideas and gives folks the ability to teach themselves and others to code, bake bread, garden, fix bikes, mend clothing, street medic, etc.
BREAKDOWN THE PAYWALL!
Community Fridges
Community fridges have popped up over the pandemic all over the country in Los Angeles, NYC, Albany, Oakland, and more cities
So what?
These fridges operate on a take what you need basis, no questions asked or need to give personal information. Anyone can donate, take, clean. Supporting the idea that we all in this together. These have also become space for sharing health information and pop up vaccination clinics
Communal Space for BIPOC Creatives
Examples:
Derrick Adams, The Last Resort Artist Retreat (TLRAR), (Baltimore, MD)
Theaster Gates, Black Artists Retreat, (Chicago, IL)
Titus Kaphar, NXTHVN (New Haven, CT)
Kehinde Wiley, Blackrock, (Dakar, Senegal)
So what?
Not attached to a corporate or government developer looking to spur economic development with artists.
Safe space for people who might not easily find that feeling of safety and acceptance in traditional creative spaces.
Positive use of derelict spaces helps surrounding community.
Immigrant & Refugee Welcome Events
Welcoming events to introduce locals to immigrant and refugee community members.
So what?
Welcome events build bridges between existing and new communities, actively eliminate xenophobic sentiments, and create shared identity and purpose in shared spaces.
Clusters
Basic Clustering Techniques
Each team-member introduces a signal (title, quick 'what' & 'so what') and others call out signals from the gallery that they deem similar; briefly discuss the reasoning that is behind the perceived similarities; name each cluster with a label that points to the developing 'story' of that grouping; move on to next team-member; repeat till entire gallery has been grouped
Team collectively but silently clusters signals for 5-10 min, then discusses how the clusters make sense; name each cluster with a label that points to the developing 'story' of that grouping
Use the output of your Week 2 activities (Big Shifts, Iceberg Model) as possible lenses to look at the signals gallery and form relevant groupings; name each cluster with a label that points to the developing 'story' of that grouping.
Cluster 1: Hackers
SIGNAL 1: Spaces to share knowledge and skills
Similar to:
Expansion of our ability to share and access knowledge, the original hacker ethos, is transforming the way communities gather to hack, reconsider, redefine and address the world's problems.
Cluster 2: Sharing
SIGNAL 2: Community Fridges
Similar to:
Communities are finding news ways to express generosity, kindness, and compassion.
Cluster 3:
Making Room For All
SIGNAL 3: Community Spaces for BIPOC Creatives
Similar:
Communities are recognizing that all people need safe space to explore and create.
Individuals are joining together to create their own spaces and not waiting for others (nonprofits, companies, etc.) to do so.
Creating a sense of ownership and power within communities.
Cluster 4: Welcome
SIGNAL 4: Immigrant and Refugee Welcome Events
Similar:
Many are becoming more accepting and embrace cross-cultural worldviews.
The culture polarity is not as universally pronounced as the media portrays.
Extrapolating
Diverse, non-traditional centers of community are engaged in challenging the status quo which prioritize creative, collaborative efforts over monetary gains. If their arc continues, what will rise and what may decline?
ASCENDS Model | RISE | FALL |
Abundance | Creativity, community, acceptance, individual expression, color, renewable resources, time | Siloism, purchased expression, petroleum reliance, 40-60 work week, hoarding |
Scarcity Addressed | Distribution of resources for all (shelter, food, clothing, education) | Hoarding of resources, extreme 1% |
Collisions | Consumerism lobbyist will collide with community values in an effort to maintain siloism and isolation | |
Exponentials | AI & automation will make technology accessible & allow for rapid shift. A free creative community can flourish with AI. As more people are free to create and express, inspiration with expand exponentially | Need for manual labor or deadlines, productivity goals |
Novelty Made Accessible | Combination of community, free time, and cycles of advanced technology will make everything more approachable. We see it now with the ease of access to computers and phones | |
Democratization | Design can be freed from the “experts”. More people can dabble and create their own way. | Fall of the expert class. The elites that know. |
Slowers/Stoppers | Friction can come from fear of losing control or current dominance from the few that have it. Fear of the messy and unknown. | |