This episode of Imagine What’s Next features economist and future design expert Professor Saijo, an advocate of “future design” as a framework for research related to sustainability, including the decision-making that takes future generations into consideration. These ideals are being put into practice in workshops for local Japanese governments and other organizations, and have the potential to impact the world in a variety of positive ways. Professor Saijo completed his studies at the University of Minnesota’s Graduate School of Economics and is currently a professor at Osaka University’s Center for Environmental Innovation Design for Sustainability and a professor at Hitotsubashi University’s Institute of Economic Research. He is also the Program Director of the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature and a Research Director with the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research. Today he sits down with Daniel Forrester for a conversation about future design — its impact, possibilities, and the value that will come with a successful alignment of future design and the multi-generational thinking in Japan into other global cultures. Together Daniel and Yoshi consider the benefits of allowing the future to speak and make a case against the unintended consequences and blind spots that are too often associated with today’s short-term approach to design and planning.

Key Takeaways:

[1:09] Tatsuyoshi Saijo introduces future design and seven-generation planning.

[7:20] The impact of the intergenerational sustainability experiment.

[10:45] Surprising results from this experiment and what we need to do about them.

[15:10] Considerations regarding those who came before us and who will come after us.

[19:30] A definition and example of Yoshi’s high-impact workshops and use cases of future design.

[26:00] Distinguishing features of future thinkers and their level of influence on current plans.

[28:15] The implementation of future design plans in Japan.

[32:49] Activating the possibilities and incentives of future-ability.

[35:48] The importance of transferring the successful alignment of multi-generational thinking in Japan into other global cultures.

[41:37] The sense of urgency that Yoshi feels when educating others on the impact of future design.

[45:05] The role that bias can play and other potential negatives in future design.

[51:35] The quiet revolution of future design and Yoshi’s view of the world from his great-grandchildren’s point of view.

Daniel Forrester

Podfly Productions

Continue the Journey:

Tatsuyoshi Saijo

The Long View, by Richard Fisher 

Daniel Forrester’s new edX Course — Generating Vision: Long-Term Big Ideas That Motivate Employees and Stakeholders