AoWS
The Atlas of Weak Signals is a tool we use in the design studio to explore emerging trends and opportunities for intervention in design.
Last updated
The Atlas of Weak Signals is a tool we use in the design studio to explore emerging trends and opportunities for intervention in design.
Last updated
Weak signals are small, subtle hints of significant change on the horizon, trends or behaviors that haven’t fully manifested yet but could shape our futures. These signals help us identify areas where design can intervene to influence the future in creative and sustainable ways. The Atlas organizes these signals across various categories like technology, culture, society, and the environment, allowing us to see connections and patterns that might inspire innovative solutions or new design spaces.
Useful information for playing the game
To dive deeper into the signals, we played a collaborative game as a class, using different cards that represent various weak signals. This exercise was meant to stimulate creative thinking and help us understand how different trends interact with each other, creating new design opportunities. Two of the first signals we explored were Reconfigure Your Body and Human-Machine Creative Collaboration, which led to a lot of conversation around the role of artificial intelligence (AI). Topics like AI bias were front and center, as we discussed how machines might augment or alter the way humans create, and the implications this could have for identity, agency, and bias in creativity.
We were then divided into smaller groups. My group of three picked two cards randomly: Pick Your Own Passport and Climate Consciousness. This combination sparked a really interesting discussion about the freedom and agency of choosing where we belong. On one hand, this idea challenges the traditional centralization of power in borders and citizenship, but on the other, it can lead to centralization in a different way, favoring places that have resources, climate stability, or other benefits. We also explored the concept of regenerative spaces, areas that could be revitalized after being left behind, and how nomadic fabrication could allow us to design more flexibly in response to environmental or social changes.
After the group play, I decided to dive into the signals that resonated most with my own interests. It was tough to narrow down the topics at first because they were all so relevant and interconnected. But in the end, I focused on four: Inter-species Collaboration, Circular Data Economy, Climate Conscience, and Reconfigure Your Body.
Through these signals, I gained a lot of insight. Inter-species Collaboration opened up the possibility of designing with other species in mind, moving from a human-centered design to one that embraces biodiversity. Circular Data Economy was fascinating as it explores the idea of a more sustainable approach to digital resources, rethinking how we collect, store, and reuse data. Climate Conscience tied into everything, forcing me to reconsider how each design decision impacts the environment, and how our designs can actively reduce harm. Finally, Reconfigure Your Body raised provocative questions about how we might alter our bodies and senses in the future, either through technology or biology, as a response to the challenges we face.
By combining these ideas with the environmental sensing and digital fabrication opportunities, I started to see exciting possibilities for my design space. What if we could create living materials that react to their environment, or spaces that are not only carbon-neutral but actively regenerative? These are the kinds of ideas I want to explore further as I continue my journey through my design space.
