State of the World
Despite numerous warnings since the early 21st century, mankind has failed to reconsider their environmental impact. Since 2021, large corporations and businesses have used the politicians in their pockets to push blame towards the public, regardless of detriment caused. With rapid climate change eventually disrupting everyday life, a call has been made in recent years towards regulating climate change. Eventually, governments around the globe have decided to ban the electronic devices the public had taken for granted since the dawn of the 21st century.
In 2071, most supplementary electronic devices available to the public have been taken and dismantled. Entertainment and mediums limited, entertainment corporations and brands dependent on modern technology for revenue have entered a dark age of business. Prolific animators and directors have been reworked into writers and illustrators, yet they fail to deliver art outside their own realm of expertise.
In recognition that their staff fails to see the struggles of a young generation, nor are they able to produce quality work outside their preferred realms, these entertainment brands and corporations have begun desperately endorsing the works of any individual willing to create stories that appeal to the greater audience at large.
However, due to the global electronic recall, would-be writers and designers are smothered in the depressing state of their society, unable to see any value in entertainment. As even the young generation is unable to produce anything inspiring, expressive, or beyond surface level appeal and cynicism, the entertainment industry has recognized that they must first inspire a new age if they are society is to evolve beyond its current state.
With little meaning left in the lives of many, and depression and environmental decline at an all-time high, Libera, a global multi-media company with interest in restoring entertainment in a desolate age, was launched.
Libera’s aim is to rediscover the messages of our predecessors and adapt them for a new age. By doing so, Libera hopes to return joy to a young, impressionable generation by sparking major social change in a new generation. Once successful, they will aim to collaborate with the enthusiastic population to create awareness towards positive environmental and societal change.
Prototype Showcase
My finalised design was that of a mass-produced time capsule. During my design process, there were numerous factors I wished to consider during iteration.
Firstly, I wished to design an object that could reasonably exist in the specifics of my world. A large theme of my world is that of the global electronic ban. While it seems bizarre that removing a luxury would lead to such a large collapse in society, I undertook this theme under the context that this world would be led by generations who had been raised with these electronics. Many critique the young generations today ridiculing them as technology addicted and glued to their phones, and while their observations may be correct, older generations fail to provide solutions towards how digitally dependent our society has become on our machines. Whether they wish to socialize and communicate with friends or check the news about recent happenings all over the globe, the entire world outlook of our young generation has been determined by the internet. To assume that starkly removing such an important aspect of modern society would come without detriment is absurd.
In my scenario it is assumed that such a large-scale ban on electronics may have only happened in the last decade or so. While young generations struggle to find their place in a collapsing world, the “older” generation has, for the first time in the 21st century, been cut off from the internet, leaving most unsure as to how to even live.
Secondly, I did not wish to create a design that directly targeted climate change. While this element may not have been pointless in another direction, a large element of my world-building was that of the depressing state of life in this world. Even today, the populace’s daily routines contribute very little compared to the production and fabrication endeavoured by numerous industries. Very few believe they can do anything to combat it, and they may be right. Calling for change in personal routines in a world that couldn’t even begin to imagine the promises of a greener Earth seemed ultimately pointless, as no one could have any idea what a clean Earth would look like, nor would it change the environmental impact of the populace given the electronic ban. Drawing attention to the idea of global societal reform in which businesses are punished for their outrageous carbon emissions, seemed like the next logical step.
Reflection
Whilst the connection between my manifesto and speculative design may seem somewhat stretched, I believe aspiring young generations to become pillars in their fields is the underlying goal of both pieces, albeit with different results. One problem I realise when reflecting on my manifesto, is that it lacks a proper conclusion. I speak passionately on the topic, much to my own detriment, as I believe confronting the problems we face as a civilization, and as individuals, is necessary for growth both artistically and personally. Becoming more succinct in my dialogue is something I still aspire to achieve.
Finally, I believe the depressive state of my design speculative, despite the almost limitless possibilities, mirrors my own worldview too accurately. I find myself questioning whether my entire speculative design idea is a proposal for future generations to look towards, or simply a reflection of myself. A time capsule idea in of itself demonstrates a willingness to hold on to conservative, traditional values, rather than inspire generations to create their own. Assuming future generations hold no motivation may only be a mirror of myself currently, and my inability to envision a brighter future.
Murakami, Takashi (2000). THE SUPER FLAT MANIFESTO.
(This may seem crude to include, I feel a need to provide a content warning for Takashi Murakami’s work towards the Super Flat movement. As crude as they may be, I believe his intentions, as outlined in his manifesto, are extremely relevant to the world of developing art, even two decades later.)
