Designing Sustainable Futures How to Imagine, Create, and Lead the Transition to a Better World

Foreword. Preface. Introduction. PART I: Anticipate Better Futures. Chapter 1: Experiencing Foresight. Chapter 2: Speculating Futures. Chapter 3: Generating Visions. PART II: Create Sustainable Experiences. Chapter 4: Building Worlds. Chapter 5: Shaping Systems. Chapter 6: Designing Fictions PART III: Lead the Transition. Chapter 7: Cultivating Collaboration. Chapter 8: Making Stories. Chapter 9: Mobilizing Leadership. Afterword: Designing Your Sustainable Future. Acknowledgements. Author and Faculty Profiles. Appendix I: Anticipating Futures with AI (Cheat Sheet). Appendix II: Futureback Leadership. Bibliography.

Biography

Vice‑Dean and Professor Joseph Press, PhD, is a futures architect at the Institute for the Future and currently the Vice‑Dean of NACAA – an intercultural design institute in Hangzhou, China, founded by the China Academy Of Art and L`Ecole De Design Nantes Atlantique (EDNA). Previously he was a futures architect at Institute For the Future and visiting professor at Politecnico di Milano, in both the Management and Design Schools. For over 25 years, he has advised organizations in imagining, designing, and implementing more sustainable practices. He holds a SMArchS in Architectural Design and PhD from MIT in Design Technology. At POLI.design, he co‑led the pilot program Designing Sustainable Futures and convened the creative community for the Designing with Emerging Technologies global seminar series. He has co‑authored books on digital transformation, futures of working and living, and social entrepreneurialism. Actively and continues to assists organizations in the transition to a better world.

Professor Manuela Celi holds a PhD in Design and is Associate Professor at Politecnico di Milano. Engaged in the Design PhD Board and Rectors’ delegate for talent development, she navigates diverse sectors by delving into the multifaceted realms of design‑related knowledge. Proficient in teaching product design, metadesign, and design futures, she leads the FUEL4Design.org research project, merging design with humanities and speculative inquiry. Prof. Celi’s insights, showcased in renowned journals like Futures and The Design Journal, manifest her fusion of anticipation with critical design, offering unusual perspectives for envisioning transformative futures.

'Designing Sustainable Futures' is an important work that successfully encapsulates the urgency and necessity of integrating sustainability into our socio-technical systems. The authors' showcase innovative approaches to tackle our planet's most pressing challenges. A must-read for anyone committed to the cause of a sustainable future.

Ani Dasgupta, CEO of the World Resources Institute (WRI)

 

"This book is a generous field guide to the important work of designing the future.  From how to build scenarios to how to foster collaboration, the importance of imagination and the rigor of spotting signals, it's an excellent guide for anyone who wants to create a better world while acknowledging equity and diversity of perspectives and disciplines."

Ramona Liberoff, Executive Director, PACE (Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy)

 

Design has become strategic, so it is our responsibility, our duty to take the lead at a time when companies must change by finding greater meaning. For designers, it is embodying an ethical leadership in order to prevail in all economic, social and political actions. This is the purpose of “Designing Sustainable Futures” - to open new frontiers for design towards the most ethical positions of all organizations.

Christian Guellerin, Honorary President of the international association Cumulus

 

In ‘Designing Sustainable Futures,’ the authors adeptly navigate the complexities of our times with foresight and systemic thinking at the forefront. This book embraces a much needed multidisciplinary approach that can integrate anticipatory and regenerative concepts into actionable strategies for sustainability. It's an essential resource for anyone committed to shaping futures that are not only imaginable but viable, equitable, and within our collective reach.

Shermon Cruz, UNESCO Chair on Anticipatory Governance and Regenerative Cities

 

This book is a profound call to action for designing belonging into the fabric of our future. It showcases how we can integrate diverse perspectives to imagine and co-create more sustainable futures, enabling us all to embody the changes we want. 'Designing Sustainable Futures' serves as an essential guide for anyone looking to contribute to a more inclusive, equitable, and resilient world.

Ibrahim Jackson, Chairman at Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF)