Climate Evolution Optimists
“What a beautiful thing!”
-
Chris Clarke
Deputy Creative Director
The Guardian
UK / 2020
C.E.O’s* *Climate Evolution Optimists
The outcome of a year long design post within the Graphic Design Department at The University of the West of England.
Each year, final year students work collaboratively to generate content, edit and design a collective publication (@future.ceos) around a theme they decide is important. This year, students worked closely with designer Lauren Davies (@designedecologie) and with Senior Lecturer and Designer Marco Ugolini.
Opening Statement
We live in a world that is characterised by
growing uncertainty and complexity. The
scarcity of resources, biodiversity loss, global
pandemics and climate change threaten
future generations and will require global
collaboration in order to effect urgent action
over the coming decade. At the same time,
changing demographics, digital technology
and urbanisation will impact economies,
businesses and communities, radically
affecting all aspects of daily life. The future,
therefore, will be determined by our ability
to address today’s social and environmental
challenges in order to meet the needs of nearly
ten billion people.
Although there is no way to know what the world will look like in 30 years, there are tools and practices that can allow us to explore the possibilities of what our future could look like beyond 2050.
Discussing plausible future conditions helps us to challenge existing bias and assumptions about what is possible, engaging our curiosity and imagination. Many designers are beginning to take on the role of building and sharing such future scenarios. This practice tends to be framed as Speculative Design and allows for the co-creation of visions of a future worth working towards. We cannot predict the future, but our ability to imagine possible futures can help guide the solutions we create and the decisions we make today, so that we can shape a better world.
Play and creativity are just one approach to predicting such future scenarios. In the context of the climate crisis, it is clear now more than ever that we need a different approach to the current narrative, one that is accessible, localised and engaging. One that moves away from alarmist, 24/7 global news cycles.
Although there is no way to know what the world will look like in 30 years, there are tools and practices that can allow us to explore the possibilities of what our future could look like beyond 2050.
Discussing plausible future conditions helps us to challenge existing bias and assumptions about what is possible, engaging our curiosity and imagination. Many designers are beginning to take on the role of building and sharing such future scenarios. This practice tends to be framed as Speculative Design and allows for the co-creation of visions of a future worth working towards. We cannot predict the future, but our ability to imagine possible futures can help guide the solutions we create and the decisions we make today, so that we can shape a better world.
Play and creativity are just one approach to predicting such future scenarios. In the context of the climate crisis, it is clear now more than ever that we need a different approach to the current narrative, one that is accessible, localised and engaging. One that moves away from alarmist, 24/7 global news cycles.
The Future C.E.O.s, or Climate Evolution
Optimists - creatively and inclusively explore
climate futures in 2050, using methods
of speculative, critical and participatory
design. These explorations are an accessible,
playful entry or re-entry point to the climate
conversation. Speculating on daily life in
Bristol, 2050, through the lens of current
climate projections, the C.E.O.s seek to engage
those groups disenfranchised by current
media platforms, to think differently and to
engage in community focused conversations,
debates and action around climate issues.
The design process is contextualised in the year 2050 due to this period being represented by many respected current climate models. Any parents reading should understand that the futures set out in this publication might be a reality for their children, the C.E.O.s of the future, thus facilitating an emotional and intellectual connection to this near-future world. Locating these speculations within the Global North, in the western civilised city of Bristol, the C.E.O.s hope to use their privilege and position to engage those demographics who have the ability to minimise climate change, by consuming less. Speaking out to the very demographic who may assume that climate issues will not affect them in this wealthy, technological society.
The C.E.O.s want you to know that the future is fiction. It is a new normal that we design collaboratively, limited only by our assumptions and the collective lengths of our imagination. If playful and creative practices such as Speculative Design are placed at the forefront of design education, into public realms for debate or to even inform government policy, we can start to challenge our existing assumptions and begin to design our preferable collective future.
The design process is contextualised in the year 2050 due to this period being represented by many respected current climate models. Any parents reading should understand that the futures set out in this publication might be a reality for their children, the C.E.O.s of the future, thus facilitating an emotional and intellectual connection to this near-future world. Locating these speculations within the Global North, in the western civilised city of Bristol, the C.E.O.s hope to use their privilege and position to engage those demographics who have the ability to minimise climate change, by consuming less. Speaking out to the very demographic who may assume that climate issues will not affect them in this wealthy, technological society.
The C.E.O.s want you to know that the future is fiction. It is a new normal that we design collaboratively, limited only by our assumptions and the collective lengths of our imagination. If playful and creative practices such as Speculative Design are placed at the forefront of design education, into public realms for debate or to even inform government policy, we can start to challenge our existing assumptions and begin to design our preferable collective future.
“The process we went through meant navigating teamwork, sharing and listening to ideas, collaborating on a large scale and (most importantly for the students), experiencing a project from the outset, until the moment you are holding it in your hand.
We began with a few zine and making workshops, based around the theme of Solastalgia, climate-based media narratives and speculative climate-focused future scenarios. This stemmed from a report evidencing that the @arnolfiniarts gallery (the building in which the Graphic Design studios sit), could be 50cm underwater by the year 2050.
By speculating on potential climate futures here in Bristol, we sought to engage those groups disenfranchised by current 24/7 media cycles, to think differently and engage in community focused conversations, debates and action around climate issues.”
- Lauren Davies
Publication Director
Press / Features
Creative Boom Feature: Class of 2020
And that's not what you'd expect it stands for: CEOs, in this case, means 'Climate Evolution Optimists'. Here lies a hint of the theme for this year's BA Graphic Design graduate show at the University of the West of England.
Live now – Visit the show
Lecture in Progress: Taking it to the streets of London, workshops & immersive digital spaces
Even in the absence of a physical degree show, the graduating students at UWE were determined to go out with a bang. This year’s showcase from the Graphic Design BA produced an online end-of-year publication to celebrate their design skills, as part of a long-standing project called CEOs (Climate Evolution Optimists).
Design Week’s favourite projects from graduate season so farThe Class of 2020 has had an unprecedented end to their university careers but the work from this year’s grad shows impresses all the same – here’s our favourites so far.
Each year, final-year graphic design students at UWE are tasked with working collaboratively to generate content for, edit and design a publication around a theme they feel is important. This year’s theme devised by the students was climate change. Work began on the publication in the form of zine workshops based around the theme of “Solastalgia” (emotional or existential distress caused by environmental change). Throughout the project, the members of the surrounding Bristol community were involved, with the aim of engaging people who felt disenfranchised by the 24/7 media cycle and help them re-enter conversations, debates and action around climate crisis.
Featured: The Anti-Library
Data for the digits. Worldweaving / post-fiction / xenodesign / speculative futures / altered realities.
Design Team
Lauren Davies
Director
Emilia Bermejo-Ford
Visual Identity & Content Adviser
Sam Boik
Events management & Ethnographer
Rachel Bonner
Editorial & Layout Designer
Marta Celio
Editorial & Layout Designer
Sienna Chapman
Visual Identity & Photography
Sally Mosley
Digital Designer
Daniel Schenck
Editorial & Layout Designer
Leah Williams
Producer & Social Media Manager
Produced by:
Final year students.
BA (Hons) Graphic Design
University of the West of England 2020
Published by Typenowhere.
Typenowhere is the publishing wing of the BA (Hons) Graphic Design course at the University of the West of England, Bristol, UK.
Typefaces: Kepler Std Basic Sans
Printed by: Taylor Brothers
C.E.Os: Climate Evolution Optimists
www.futureceos.co.uk
www.typenowhere.com
@future.ceos
ISBN 978-0-9576217-7-0
Copyright © Typenowhere
