What will the future hold for the digital world?

Every day, the status quo is challenged by a new headline, IPO, sound bite, digital start-up, or popular social movement. This continual and intriguing combination of change provides us with tantalizing peeks of what our next decade of experiences may entail. These “signals of change” provide us a glimpse into the factors that will drive tomorrow’s new experiences;

Creating the future…

The task over the next decade as the Anthropocene epoch progresses will be to redefine how we live through the lens of the environment. This will need rewiring many deeply ingrained behaviours and systems, shifting from a human-centred, customer-focused design to one that is more concerned with our environment as a whole. Believe again if you think we’ve been here before. The triple bottom line movement and the first sustainability wave were only the tip of the iceberg.

Putting humans at the centre of the design stage has resulted in experiences that are human-selfish. However, all environmental stakeholders must be considered in next-generation experiences. Consumers will want to be sure that their brand experiences are not only harmless, but also that they help to solve environmental problems. Form and function in visual design will shift toward more natural aesthetics, with screen-free experiences taking precedence whenever feasible.

Well-Being

What used to exist on the outside of society has now grown into a $4 trillion-a-year worldwide enterprise. As people’s lifestyles become more fluid and non-linear, companies’ potential to become well-being partners with their consumers by addressing their developing demands are multiplying. It’s become commonplace to presume that we’re all committed to improving our overall health in a variety of ways. 

Customers demand convenience by default, which means they’ll look for long-term well-being solutions in everything they do. Automation will put pressure on job security, but it will also provide opportunity for more healthy working habits. Just take a look at www.itauthorities.com for some ideas.

Creators

It’s time to move on from brilliant but boring experiences. That encompasses a new era of design skills that taps into the deep aspirations of a group of super-creators who are naturally anti-establishment like IT Authorities, who live in a world where their natural creativity is valued and rewarded by digital identities that respect and reward their DIY attitude. 

Look for artificial intelligence (AI) that can deliver enhanced aesthetic experiences that change dynamically based on the user’s mood or emotion. Our interaction with experiences will be based on a new relationship that recognizes users as producers and allows them to participate in the process. Consider it a supercharged version of the “choose-your-own-adventure” experience!

Multiplicity brings comfort.

Consumers are defying generational traditions by shifting away from rigid identity definitions and toward a more self-defined, flexible approach to identity. Teenagers, in particular, are leading the charge in shifting their perspectives on themselves, their activities, and the world, spawning new vocabulary and taxonomies in the process. 

Rising anxieties of loneliness and isolation might make consumers feel as if they’re losing the sense of self for which they’ve battled so hard as they strive to reinvent their identities. Consumers are shifting away from strict identity definitions. In its place, a movement toward more flexible, self-selected identities is gaining traction.