What moved the world in 2017? And what can we expect from 2018?

2017 was quite a year. From the powerful social momentum of the #metoo movement, the creative explosion of new AR platforms, and the revolutionary potential of the blockchain, the last year seeded a flurry of ideas that continue to build.

In this series, we’ll capture what moved the world in 2017 and dare to ask what we might expect from 2018.

Stay tuned for an in-depth look at these topics in the coming weeks.

Designing new realities

2017 brought the tantalizing possibilities of mixed reality onto mainstream devices. The market saw a flurry of development kits launched from the likes of Apple, Google, Facebook and Snapchat, desperate to lure consumers and content creators alike. Now that mixed reality is firmly within the grasp of creatives and businesses, the question is: what’s worth making? Read more here.

Building cities with data

Against a backdrop of rising population, pollution and sea-levels, our megalopolises are increasingly intended not just for human habitation, but for a host of automated vehicles, delivery drones, supercomputers and micro-farms. This year, we ask what the cityscape of the future looks like and how it fits into our present.

Finding the cure to toxic businesses

In 2017, we saw a huge decline in trust of many big businesses as they repeatedly failed consumers, employees and investors in various ways. Will organizations and corporate structures be better designed and fitted to be transparent, trustworthy or at the very least, be upfront about what they’re doing behind closed curtains?

The Blockchain becomes about more than currency

Tired of hearing about Bitcoin’s phenomenal rise in price throughout 2017? The notoriously hard-to-explain digital currency is just the tip of the iceberg. The blockchain — the underlying principle that makes Bitcoin so exciting — has the potential to revolutionize how our health is recorded, how resources are shared and how nations are governed.

Frankenfood or the future of agriculture?

Corn with higher crop yields, apples that don’t brown, and a better-tasting tomato: these foods are ripe for gene-editing. 2017 saw the rise of ‘biological design’ taking on huge food production problems, with the potential of CRISPR alone — a cutting-edge gene modification tool — transforming the field at a scientifically exciting but ethically chilling rate. As we gain more control over the natural world, design becomes philosophy. Not what can we make: what should we make?

Duets With Machines

As machines get smarter and more capable, we explore the potential of working with algorithms. How can automation augment the key human qualities of empathy, creativity and intuition?

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