Over the last day or so, I’ve read a metric sh!t ton of articles and posts/Tweets about varying futures, all of which will be (majorly) impacted by AI. Some of these posts/Tweets and essays have gone viral for the vivid pictures they paint.
Some of these pictures are dark, some rosie. And…they all feel like they’re making the rounds at exactly the right moment.
Not because they are sensational. Because they are plausible.
They take the same exponential curve of AI and project it forward just a few years. They ask what happens to jobs, to the economy, to power, to everyday life. And depending on the author, you end up in two very different versions of 2028.
If you care about your work, your relevance, or the kind of world you want to live in, you should must read them. Then you should must ask what role you intend to play in shaping what comes next.
— Justin Lokitz
Design Deep Dive
If You Don’t Design the Future, You’ll Get the Default
Yesterday, my wife sent me this X post (or…what we still call Tweets ;-), urging people to understand how AI actually works and what it can do today. Not the hype, the mechanics, the complexities, and…the promise.
In many respects, this post/Tweet felt timely, as many of us are beginning to see hints that SOMETHING BIG is lurking just ahead of us.
That something big may be scary or hopeful…or both.
On the heels of that post/Tweet, two well-researched essays about the future of the (US) economy and work have gone viral. Both take the point of view of prototypes or news from the future, wherein we’re looking backward from June 30th, 2028. And…both use AI’s exponential trajectory as the catalyst for SOMETHING BIG.
To get the most out of these, it’s best to read each essay fully and in the following sequence. No cheating. It’s a lot. But, honestly, this is incredibly important.
The first one outlines a dystopian path: economic contraction, widespread job displacement, and instability as automation outpaces institutions.
The second one, a rebuttal to the first, offers a more optimistic view: productivity gains, new industries, new forms of work, and a surge of entrepreneurship powered by human creativity alongside machines.
The key here is this: there is no single future waiting for us. There are MANY (x10) plausible futures and options. When we get there, reality will likely sit somewhere between these poles.
These essays represent a branch of design strategy called strategic foresight, which is a disciplined way of looking ahead to anticipate and shape the future, instead of just reacting to it when it arrives. Importantly, strategic foresight is NOT about prediction. It is about preparing and designing futures we wish to live in. It forces us to question assumptions before the environment does it for us.
In my mind, I cannot think of anyone more prepared for this moment than us…designers. We were trained for ambiguity. We know how to work in uncertainty. We use empathy, co-creation, prototyping, and validation to move from abstract possibility to tangible action. We test small before scaling big.
That toolkit (your toolkit) is critical now.
If the darker scenario begins to unfold, designers (you and I) can help shape reskilling systems, human-centered AI tools, and new economic models that reduce harm.
If the more optimistic scenario takes hold, designers (again…you and I) can ensure that productivity gains translate into shared value rather than concentrated power. We can help define how humans and AI collaborate, not just how they coexist.
In both cases, the work is design work writ large…like really large.
The real risk here is disengagement. Policy makers are writing rules. Technologists are shipping code. Investors are allocating capital. Those decisions compound. If you are not participating in shaping the future you want to live in, you will inherit one shaped by others.
That is the opportunity in front of all of us.
PLEASE read both essays in full. Reflect. Notice where you feel anxious or energized. Then ask:
If the darker scenario is even partially true, what skills do I need to build now?
If the more optimistic scenario is plausible, what opportunities am I ignoring?
What experiments can I run this year to stay adaptable either way?
This, my friends, is about agency, not fear.
The next few years will reshape roles, industries, and power structures. AI agents will not just assist; they will act. Workflows will compress. Teams will reorganize.
You can watch it happen…or you can design into it.
PLEASE share this Design Shift issue with colleagues, friends, and family. Start the conversation beyond your immediate circle. Read deeply. Think long-term. Design the future together.
Do not despair. Design what is next.
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What did you think of this week's issue?
No Post-It Note image this week as I am traveling…and forgot Post-Its (gasp). Suffice to say…all of the above is stuff I’ve been thinking about and would LOVE for you to consider, too. Carry on.