As we were hit by COVID-19 pandemic a few months ago, we all went into emergency mode. Overnight, transitions to work-from-home and improvised alternative delivery channels popped up, and lo and behold – they work!
Even so, these past few weeks have clearly shown that this setup is not sustainable – economically for sure, but also emotionally. We all want to find some normalcy.
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However, reverting to past practices is simply irrelevant for several reasons: First, because lockdowns and social distancing will continue to be part of life on some level across many regions. Second, because the COVID-induced economic slowdown has forced major layoffs and has already created a new reality for 25% of the businesses, big and small, in many countries.
Third, because the forced working-from-home has, in many ways, also forced us to realize how irrational and wasteful the previous, "best" practices, such as flying for 18 hours just to catch a 2-hour business meeting, actually were.
So, the future will not be exactly as the past was. And the question is, are we inadvertently allowing it to be the result of others' interests and constraints, or are we actively designing it?
Designing the future is about deliberate intent. It is about being clear-minded and intentional about the outcome, intentional about the process, and intentional about who is involved.
Here are four perspectives of designing the future:
Certainly, one part of designing the future should be value-driven. Essentially, we should ask: what kind of future do we want? Whether designing your family routine, your community outreach, your company culture, or your public-sector support systems, it is about having a value system that drives your vision.
Obviously, depending on the realm you're dealing with, this can be driven by your philosophy and politics. But some key parameters might be how much good is done for how many people? How many will be left out? What kind of resources does it require? How different is it from now, and how difficult will it be to realize this change?
Fortunately, the global coronavirus pandemic is blurring the lines between business and impact, and showing the value of currencies other than the bottom line, such as motivation and connectedness – especially when businesses and organizations realize their role in communities and collaborate with the public sector.
This leads to the second and crucial consideration of designing the future: with whom are we planning this future? If I am moving my family, should I consult my kids? If I am moving my business, should I consult my employees? My customers? My suppliers? The way changes are designed has a proven effect on their success.
Our ability to expand our set of considerations to broader circles of inclusion will be essential for the sustainability of these solutions. Design, and more specifically, organizational design, applies methods such as co-creation, visualization, and, prototyping, to make change management more engaging and successful.
A third part of designing the future must account for the economy. We are looking at several years of recession. For many households, this might push them from the middle to the lower class. They will be rethinking spending on everything from rent to fashion.
For many businesses, this translates into seriously rethinking their offerings, business models, and communications. Trends that were already in work such as the gig economy and the sharing economy are expected to accelerate and take on a more functional and essential part in the lives of many who were laid off from traditional workplaces or are unable to invest capital in previously owned equipment such as cars and homes.
Designing the future does not mean dreaming non-realistically. In fact, design's result-driven DNA demands designing within constraints. Creativity within constraints means a balance between a deep understanding of new service lifecycle, cash flow and working capital, and continuous ambition to do good.
A final aspect of designing the future is designing for uncertainty, which can translate to preparing ourselves in such a way that future waves of COVID-19 (or any other force majeure) won't catch us completely off guard.
Consider this: assuming uncertainty of waves of COVID-19 might continue for several fiscal quarters compounded by economic uncertainty, we can design not one virtual sales and marketing solution but a set of sales and marketing solutions that are switchable without stress or sunk costs. Thus we need not find ourselves torn between an "all or nothing" dichotomy – and can be more resilient and sustainable.
Designing the future is about being intentional as to our values, relationships, economics and readiness. Although there is much to consider, designing the future need not be a long process. It does, however, require the right mindset, partners, and methodologies in the process.
Amid the hardship and loss this crisis has brought, and in the face of social distancing, we are also seeing examples of humanity at its best. More empathetic to our elders, more related to our neighbors, more considerate of our healthcare workers, more generous to those who need us, and, ultimately more sustainable despite the less material wealth.
This is proof that the future can be an intentionally better version of the present. Let's design it!
