6th January 2017

Designing the future: Disegno’s Visions for 2017

- by Milly Burroughs

2016 was the kind of year people will reference in history books and popular culture for decades to come. Although we are reluctant to allow society’s various political and humanitarian indiscretions overshadow the plethora of amazing discoveries and breakthroughs achieved in the same 12 month period, it’s impossible (and unwise) to ignore the realities and ramifications of last year’s turbulent happenings.

It is however comforting to remind ourselves that difficult and painful situations can prove to be a catalyst for positive change. An interesting corner of Designer Maker User (the first permanent display at the new Design Museum) confronts us with the reality of design and conflict. In times of war some people make guns and tanks, but some people make life-saving advances in medical design. Apply this to 2016 and we can look at the pivotal questions left on people’s lips at the end of the year, rather than the bitter taste in their mouths. Design is many things, one of them is a constant quest to answer questions and inspire new ones, challenging our roles as users, makers and influencers in social narratives — that’s what I like to believe anyway.

Visions for 2017: Awe

Visions for 2017: Raw Edges

Design magazine Disegno champions and explores the inherent link between design and society and rounded off 2016 by asking 12 creative powerhouses to share their visions for 2017 in the form of a poster. The open brief sent to designers by Disegno gave them space to “speculate, snipe, critique, amuse or predict”.

Michael Marriott, Awe, Peter Marigold, De Allegri and Fogale, Luca Cipelletti, Muf Architecture, Ineke Hans, Räthel & Wolf and Konstantinos Trichas, Laureline Galliot, Special Projects, Liliana Ovalle and Raw Edges all addressed the brief and although the results vary wildly, there is an undeniable optimism and heart-warming faith in the power of holistic perspectives throughout.

Visions for 2017: Liliana Ovalle

Visions for 2017: Michael Marriott

While Räthel & Wolf and Trichas focus on the powerful beauty of collaboration and cooperation, and Raw Edges present a childish but beautiful perception of an “Earth with no borders”, Zetteler favourite Special Projects uses its poster to “convey the idea of an expanded and enduring sense of time, time that stretches across centuries and millennia”.

Visions of 2017: Special Projects

"Instead of focusing on short-term gains in 2017 we wanted to help people put time into perspective by encouraging them to disconnect from the here-and-now mentality; a long-term view that would help us feel excited about the future even in bleak or complicated times and encourage us to take decisions not only for ourselves but the generations that follow.” - Special Projects

Reiterating the relevance and profundity of our role on this planet, Laetitia De Allegri and Matteo Fogale (aka De Allegri and Fogale) produced two posters examining our behaviour towards and impact on the environment we rely on as a life-giving force.

Visions for 2017: De Allegri and Fogale

“Our message is to look for a better environment. It is a precious thing that it feels like we are losing. Nature is magical, beautiful and fundamental, so we should give it the credit it deserves and cherish it. It’s an expression of movement and constant change.” - De Allegri and Fogale

Visions for 2017: Laureline Galliot

While we despair for the selfish motives and manoeuvres of some figures in our world, what we can embrace here is the overwhelming positivity and belief that we, as a united global community, are stronger together and can overcome the obstacles we face. So thanks Disegno, we needed that.

Visions for 2017: Muf Architecture/Art

Visions for 2017: Peter Marigold

Explore all 12 designers on disegnodaily.com and read more about Visions for 2017 here.