Why The Future Will Look Nothing Like Science Fiction Movies

Nick Foster, former Head of Design at Google X, has claimed that science fiction has overly colonized technology futures. Foster, who has been a designer and futurist for over two decades, is due to speak at the TNW Conference in Amsterdam, set to take place on June 15th-16th. While he admitted that science fiction is natural to imagine, he said that companies should focus more on practical, relatable futures instead of escapist science fiction fantasies. When discussing his job to actually design for the future, he pointed out that if a company only tells a fantasy and produces attractive renderings of futuristic vehicles, it essentially becomes the work of marketing rather than new product development. His advice to companies is to be pluralistic and to always ask rigorous questions.