This presentation was given at the 2014 World Future Society conference in Orlando, Florida. We are in an age of rapid change and complexity, but communication is a constant thread throughout the history of humanity. How will emerging trends and patterns impact communication in the future, and how will communication guide the development of technology, business and society?

1. The Future Is About People
Nicole Baker, Associate – Kedge, LLC.
Orlando, Florida
July 12, 2014
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2. Common Images of the Future
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3. How will a new landscape
influence our interactions with the
world, our collaboration with one
another and our intrapersonal
development?
The Future
Is About People…
People Are About
Communication
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4. Communication is a constant for humans.
It spans the past, present and future.
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5. We are in the midst
of a rapidly moving and changing landscape.
We must follow the thread of
communication through our emerging futures.
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6. Emerging TrendsCommunication
The Communication Feedback Loop
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7. @KedgeTweets

8. Trends Shaping the Future of Communication
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9. 1 Intentional Evolution
Today’s trends are converging to suggest a movement
toward an “intentional” form of human development
instead of simply letting our collective path unfold
through accidental or even biological means. This is
being largely driven through trends surrounding
human/technology integration, the pervasive “Internet
of Things” and the empowerment of crowds, radically
altering our traditional models and redefining
what it means to be “human.”
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10. Dreamscaping
Do dreams contain the seeds of
life-changing innovations and solutions to global problems?
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11. Neuro-Science
The Internet was a way
to connect computers,
and now it can be the
way to connect brains.
The next step is having a
more equitable two-way
conversation directly
between the two brains.
In 30 to 40 years,
researchers believe
neuro-collaboration will
be completely plausible.
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12. An increased interaction of inanimate and
biological matter, reframes our view of the world.
Internet of Everything
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13. We are in the midst of a transformation into a new
economy (fueled by the Maker or DIY Movement)
where value is derived through participation and
the driving force is innovation. People no longer
seek cookie-cutter products, experiences or
careers, they desire input in the creative process,
and “access to assets” trumps ownership.
2The Creator Economy
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14. Sex Curren$y
Radical Monetary Systems to Engineer Behavior
45% of Japanese women aged 16-24 are not interested in or
despise sexual contact. More than 25% of men feel the same way.
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15. [Image
courtesy
of
mixed
media
visual
ar5st
Mike
Falcon,
"Park
and
23Red”]
Hyperlocal
Virtual Mirror City
Inhabitants can
collaborate on subject
matter around like-
passions from anywhere
on the globe, while also
stimulating and testing
real-world ideas and
solutions before
physical production.
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16. Open-source talent
sharing will soon become so
common that work is shared,
collaboration is instantaneous,
and “cloud” employees work
for multiple enterprises
simultaneously.
Boundaries between internal
and external networks will
begin to blur, as organizations
embrace the wisdom of the
crowds to execute strategy.
People Cloud
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17. Humans are organic – living, breathing, and often
messy, and we thrive in environments filled with
purpose, deep meaning, creativity, and connection.
Greater distrust is rising around failed quantitative-
heavy measurements, producing a more human-
centric and passion-oriented landscape within society,
business and design and driving the development of
more holistic images of the future.
3Generative Mindsets
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18. The City as Incubator
Cities are where the
pressures of migration,
globalization, economic
development, social inequality,
environmental pollution, and
climate change are most
directly felt. Yet, they are also
the engines of the world
economy and centers of
innovation where many
solutions to global problems
are being piloted.
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19. Long Now Language
A more human-centric, life-giving, future-focused
discourse is emerging with the ability to further connect humanity.
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20. Conservation Communication
Biomimicry – mimicking life
and nature – is used as a design principle to
understand how natural environments work and
living organisms create and solve challenges of
industrial age design. These designs are fostering a
movement toward swarming and hiving in humanity.
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21. Fueled by a desire to fulfill multiple purposes in
one lifetime, Gen Y now expects the ability to live
diverse and blended realities and do not
distinguish between physical as “real” and virtual
as “fake.” The convergence of these worlds adds to
this blurred reality, resulting in what many see as a
co-evolution of humanity and technology.
4 Blurred Reality
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22. Multiple Identities
Our age of increasing complexity and exponential technology is
giving rise to individuals who expect the ability to live multiple,
concurrent lives. Emerging generations are demanding that their
worlds become seamlessly integrated, enabling their adaptation to
the rapidly merging landscapes of education, life, work, and play.
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23. Redefining the
Family Unit
Demographic
changes coupled
with technological
advancements will
transform the
definition of family.
As individuals become more
comfortable with integrating technology into every
aspect of their lives and these tools better mimic human
behaviors, it is likely our families of the future will include
non-carbon based life forms.
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24. What if the exponentially accelerating changes in
technology, social innovation and organizational
practices lead to postdisciplinarity where boundaries
fail to serve humanity in our quest to learn and grow?
Postdisciplinary World
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25. We must fashion your communication and interactions
around them in order to thrive in the changing,
complex and accelerating landscape of the 21st century.
Whether applying these trends to
organizations, consumers, work, life, or social circles…
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26. Kedge is a global foresight, innovation and
strategic design firm.
We help our clients:
• Uncover emerging trends and issues that will
impact their business.
• Discover unseen opportunities for strategic
development and advantage.
• Thrive in a world of complex ideas and practices.
Contact Information:
Nicole Baker, Associate
Nicole@kedgefutures.com
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www.kedgefutures.com