Designing the Future, Today: How Certified Design Futurists Turn Change into Opportunity
Growing up, I carried a Smurf lunch box to school – a simple metal box that held things that mattered to me. Today, I call my Jeep Wrangler my “Lunch Box.” It’s a metal box that brings me joy because of what’s inside: conversations, radio programs, podcasts, moments of reflection between meetings.
There’s something profoundly human about the way we assign names and personalities to the objects in our lives. When something carries meaning for us, it becomes a companion, part of our story. That’s how we view Interiors at HKS.
At its best, interior design isn’t about finishes or furniture – it’s about creating emotional resonance with space. When people feel understood, grounded, inspired or enriched by a place, it becomes integral to their identity, not just a backdrop.
People seek environments that reflect who they are, how they feel and what they value. Our role as interior designers is to make that connection, ensuring spaces don’t just function, but that they also matter. To create spaces that are engaging and enduring, we must go beyond meeting people’s immediate needs and gain insights into the world they live in now, potential changes and the forces shaping their future.
For instance, how can we account for demographic shifts to ensure learning environments are inclusive and inviting, creating spaces where everyone truly belongs? As treatment protocols evolve, how can we design health facilities that deliver exceptional experiences while fostering lasting patient connections?
Thinking through these sorts of questions inspired me to become a Certified Design Futurist. The Certified Design Futurist (CDF) program offered by the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) aims to help design professionals clarify how people, clients, businesses and users will act and behave and how spatial and product use will change over the next five, 10, 15 or even 20 years. The program focuses on strategic foresight, a rigorous, systematic, evidence-based approach for developing plausible scenarios to inform long-term planning and ensure resilience in the face of unforeseen disruption.
“IIDA has always focused on supporting the growth of the entire built environment industry. That means helping professionals build new skill sets, such as strategic foresight, that expand what the industry already does naturally: create the future,” said Mark Bryan, IIDA’s Chief Research and Strategy Officer and Futurist-in-Residence.
“The Certified Design Futurist program equips designers and allied professionals with shared foresight tools to make clearer decisions about what to create, invest in and manage in an increasingly uncertain world, so the spaces, products and systems they deliver can adapt and continue creating value over time.”
“The Certified Design Futurist program equips designers and allied professionals with shared foresight tools to make clearer decisions about what to create, invest in and manage in an increasingly uncertain world, so the spaces, products and systems they deliver can adapt and continue creating value over time.”
Ready for What’s Ahead
I recently completed the 10-week CDF certification course, as did my HKS colleagues Michelle Martin and Larissa Fedaroff. During the course, we gained hands-on experience in incorporating strategic foresight into the design process. Integrating foresight strategies into each phase of a project – from general marketing analysis and pre-design activities through post-occupancy evaluation – ensures future scenarios and insights are regularly reviewed and considered in the design. The idea is to use foresight to stay flexible and ready for what’s ahead.
One of the most powerful aspects of the course is learning to identify “signals” — early indicators of societal or environmental change that precede trends. Where trends reveal what has already taken root, signals whisper what’s to come.
By identifying and mapping signals, we can then explore practical application in design. For example, in examining forces that the CDF program identifies as primary drivers of global change – spanning shifts in government, wealth distribution, geopolitics, education, demographics, infrastructure, environmental factors, health, the economy, media and technology – I observed the growing prevalence of patent applications for sensors and wearable technologies, along with the widespread influence of social media. Pairing this signal with a focus on the entertainment industry and the value of fan loyalty and connection led me to investigate the potential for personalizing consumer experiences. At sports venues, for example, personalization could include playing guests’ favorite music as they arrive at their suite, or offering customized options, such as a signature cocktail and branded team merchandise. This idea, in turn, guided me to examine how we might strike a balance between creating personalized experiences and safeguarding individuals’ data privacy.
Lasting Value
As a CDF, I see immense value in integrating strategic foresight into the design process. Clients don’t just need present-day solutions; they need environments that are adaptable to changes in consumer behavior over decades. Future forecasting leads to solutions that remain relevant and effective. For example, a hospital might feature a fitness center or cooking classes designed to support patients’ health and well-being. Transforming traditional spaces into multipurpose community hubs is the kind of innovation fostered by the CDF approach.
Clients are increasingly asking big-picture questions, such as “What is the future of the entertainment industry?” or “How will people define wellness a decade from now?” This is where CDFs can provide tangible value, using data-driven insights to guide thoughtful design decisions. One of my biggest takeaways to date is an awareness of the interconnectedness of signals across industries. For instance, innovations in education might influence design strategies in hospitality and health. By embracing this methodology, we can shine a light on where seemingly unrelated fields have shared goals, such as cultivating belonging and inspiration, and create spaces that remain functional and meaningful to people for years to come.
Partnering with a design futurist ensures clients can thrive in a rapidly changing world, positioning their spaces and experiences at the forefront of their industries. Whether in health, hospitality, education or elsewhere, working with a CDF elevates design into a more impactful, forward-thinking endeavor – an opportunity that clients can’t afford to overlook.
