Futures Studies

January 2023 - present

“The future is already here - it’s just not very evenly distributed” - William Gibson

This idea sits at the heart of foresight: making sense of today’s signals to better understand what may lie ahead.

Foresight begins with scanning signals, leading indicators of change that point to what might be emerging. From these, original drivers of change are developed and used to construct worlds that explore multiple possible futures. These worlds are then expressed through artifacts, tangible provocations that make abstract possibilities real. The process culminates each year in Future Creators – Horizon Shift, an annual report that shares insights and stories to inspire new ways of thinking about the future.

The NEXT Innovation Scholars program is 1 of 3 undergraduate institutions in the U.S. doing formal futures research.

Check out the reports below - best read with a mindset of “what could be"!

Horizon Shift - Volume 1 (2023)

The first annual report from the NEXT Innovation Scholars program released in December of 2023. Overly 200 timely media sources ranging from scholarly publications to pop culture hit pieces, interviewed SME’s, and invited crowd participation with various environmental assessment tools; this produced a myriad of data points to explore unpack and debate. The research found 3 macro forces, 10 future drivers, and 11 artifacts from the future.

Navigating Digital Realities - The Seamless Synthesis of Human Life and Technology

  • Inescapable Tech

  • Digital Physical Parity

  • Invisible Technology

Reshaping Social + Political Landscape - The Digital Revolution’s Impact on Community and Governance

  • You (Plural)

  • Life in the Multiverse

  • Find Your Tribe

  • Politics as Public Identity

Intersections + Redefinitions - The Nexus of Access, Environment, and Autonomy

  • Nothing Lasts Forever

  • Just do it! (Yourself)

  • Climate as a Decision Driver

Horizon Shift - Volume 2 (2024)

The second annual report from the NEXT Innovation Scholars program released in December of 2024. This year’s research was centered on 3 domains: healthcare & patient experience, educational systems and entertainment. The research produced 9 future drivers and 7 artifacts from the future.

Healthcare & Patient Experience

  • Dr. Me

  • Profit over Patient

  • A “Whole” New World

Educational Systems

  • Education as Ideological Expression

  • The Education Arms Race

  • The Enrollment Cliff

Entertainment

  • The Fifth Wall

  • When the AI Credits Roll

  • Artists are King Again

Acknowledgements

All work done with NEXT Innovation Scholars Program.
Credits for individual reports listed within.