The future is no longer a faraway place. It is here, unfolding in unpredictable waves. At Design Matters 25, we want to prompt deeply fascinating and meaningful conversations within the design community, sparked by four imagined futures tied to this year’s conference themes.
We’ve crafted four cinematic posters. Each poster representing an imagined future tied to this year’s themes. Why? Because the future feels uncertain, but uncertainty doesn’t have to paralyze us. It can energize us.
Inspired by the delightful brilliance of NASA’s Exoplanet Travel Bureau. We set out to provoke (not predict), to stir dialogue (not deliver answers). Our goal is to remind the design community that, yes, the world and our field are changing. But by acknowledging this, by talking about it openly, we arm ourselves to adapt, to learn, and maybe even to thrive.
The Prompt Process with Purpose
How did we crystalball these four futures? We turned to AI (speaking about being on-topic) as a co-conspirator, feeding it our four Design Matters 25 themes and asking: What futures do you see? We let the machine assimilate futuristic and thought-provoking scenarios. And from its predictions, we plucked the scenes that made us pause, laugh, or feel a flicker of discomfort.
To ground these ideas visually, we first crafted moodboards for each theme. Then we aligned the imagery, colors, and emotional cues before designing the final cinematic-style posters. Each poster is a snapshot designed to spark curiosity and deep reflection at the conference.
But why cinematic posters? Well, because our venue in Copenhagen this year is Cinemateket, of course.
Theme 1: Steps Forward
Description: We need to accept that the meaning of design has shifted. We now need to focus on redesigning our influence. Designers become responsible for acting as agents of change who craft compelling arguments that connect design to impact, value, and vision.
Key words: Future, Common Ground & Influence
Movie Poster: A robot gliding confidently ahead, while a human sprints behind, joystick flailing. Are we steering technology, or is it running away with us? In a world of relentless innovation, predictive design, and decentralized systems, the poster nudges us to ask, how can we shape our tools with intention instead of chasing after them breathlessly?
Theme 2: Design Rehab
Description: Our design community needs a sanctuary for self-awareness where we pause to reflect on our values, goals, and the “why” behind our work. By examining personal strengths, identifying burnout triggers, and rediscovering intrinsic motivation, designers can heal creative fatigue and rebuild purpose. This dialogue fosters creativity, improving society, and professional impact.
Key words: Design Therapy, Recharge & Community
Movie Poster: A human reclines on a therapist’s couch; the therapist, a robot, listens intently, pen poised. In this imagined future, AI isn’t just a productivity booster, it’s our creative caretaker, our burnout buffer. Can we let go of the myth of endless hustle? Could our most powerful design tool be the one that helps us slow down, reflect, and recover?
Theme 3: Steps Forward
Description: How to gear up for the design era of intelligence? This new era of design demands a well-stocked utility belt of skills, fresh processes, innovative approaches, and adaptability. We need to unlearn outdated practices, master emerging technologies, and arm ourselves with skills that are needed for the future.
Key words: New Era, Skills & Practical Tools
Movie Poster: A human wears a sleek neural headset, eyes closed, as the world around them reshapes itself in real time. Thought becomes craft; imagination becomes artifact. In this future, AI handles the execution while humans become master storytellers, dreamers, and provocateurs. But are we ready to shift from ‘making’ to ‘envisioning’? Can we wield these new tools without losing ourselves in the process?
Theme 4: Design in Democracy
Description: We must reflect on the legacy of design. By exploring how design disciplines have empowered individuals, strengthened communities, and driven societal progress, we can evaluate their impact on democracy. By looking back, we can draw inspiration that helps us move forward to create a better, more inclusive future.
Key words: Legacies, Democracy & Transformation
Movie Poster: A circle of people, designers, activists, neighbors, huddled together, hands busy, ideas flying. This poster whispers of a future where design isn’t solitary or siloed; it’s collective, cooperative, gloriously messy. How do we build democratic spaces where everyone’s voice shapes the work? What might it mean to design with people, not just for them?
Prompting Design Comunity Conversations for an Uncertain Tomorrow
These Four Futures aren’t crystal balls. They’re invitations. They challenge you to think, to talk, to imagine. Because when we confront uncertainty head-on, when we play with it, question it, even laugh at it, we loosen its grip on our creativity. We make space for resilience, for invention, for hope.
We invite you, dear designers, to join us at Design Matters 25, wander through these imagined worlds, and join the conversation. Because if we’re going to navigate the unknown, we might as well do it together, with wit, with curiosity, and with a touch of cinematic flair.
Let’s step boldly into the unknown. It is a lot less frightening (and a lot more fun) when we do it side by side.
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All four future mood boards were compiled by Adilice Sanches
All four future posters were designed and created by Sara Bertova
