Alchemy, magic and predicting the future in modern design

Around 65 percent of kids in school today will have jobs that don’t exist yet. And, the majority of jobs that do exist will be taken by robots. This scares most people. But it excites the new breed of designer who is armed and ready to adapt their methods and tools for any occasion.

Designers can do more than turn a problem into an opportunity. They can create jobs, transform plastic into food, give pixels wings, idiots brains and so much more.How do designers speculate on a future of multiple dimensions, diverse opportunities and mixed promises? And how can we use emerging design methods to predict what lies ahead? Deb will explain such sorcery on her quest to share the magic behind design.

Bio

Dr Deb Polson is an associate professor of design at the University of Auckland. She has been an academic and designer in the intersecting fields of data simulation and game design, collaborating with scientists and artists to invent new experiences, products and systems of interaction. Her work has attracted collaborations with diverse groups from Plant and Food NZ to Marvel Studios in Los Angeles.

Deb is now on a quest to build a new design school at the University of Auckland. This new school will expand on traditional practices and experiment with fictional futures. It will respond to emerging roles, technologies, voices and values and it will influence what is yet to come. All projects will adopt the United Nation’s goals for sustainable development and the World Economic Forum Technology Portfolios. Deb is a strong believer in the new designer who first builds diverse teams and then lets the magic happen.  

8:00pm @Vodka Room, 5 Rose Road, Auckland 1021

Also speaking at this location at 6:30pm is Mohamed Alansari.