This week I researched design fiction and design for the future, and what I found may be eye-opening for most of you, just as it was for me. 

My research purpose is closely tied to how I learn visually, which continues to shape my growth. Part of me also wonders about the future, even though I like to take everything one day at a time. However, visual design can hint at ideas of what’s to come in the future, and sports, which is my big field of interest, has lots of areas where the future is depicted by visual design. 

Pre-Research

To further explain what the aforementioned concepts have to do with visual design, let’s think about their definitions. Design fiction transforms abstract ideas into tangible experiences, prompting audiences to wonder whether those experiences are desirable. This means people can visually represent any ideas they come up with to spark interactive discussion. 

In sports, stadiums, athletic equipment, branding, and more offer many examples of effective design as they are all constantly evolving. 

The Findings

For sports stadiums, HOK created visuals for a “Rugby Stadium of Tomorrow,” which they developed with four professional rugby players. Their concept included things like fiber-optic fields that could become giant screens, among other new features. Below is a screenshot of what it looks like.

Based on this image, the “Rugby Stadium of Tomorrow” does a nice job of visualizing a possible future in which the playing field itself becomes an interactive, communicative digital service. Rather than simply describing a stadium filled with new technology, HOK helps viewers imagine what the future could look like. 

Even sports apparel can help depict the potential future. Nike A.I.R. is a great example because it uses athletes, among others, to work with the brand to imagine future footwear.

The screenshot above shows a progression, as shown on the Nike page. A’ja Wilson, a professional athlete, is in this AI imagery, and you can see the illustrated shoe concept. The visuals flow well, and the design draws inspiration from Wilson’s desire to help her team. 

Although this type of image doesn’t exist in reality yet, Nike uses visual design to spark the imagination, which is a major purpose of design fiction. 

Post-Research

Based on my research, I understand how design fiction relates to visual design, and I’m now curious about it, especially in sports media. One thing I’m curious about is who will be the future sports broadcasters after the current ones retire. I’m talking about play-by-play announcers like Jim Nantz, Kevin Burkhardt, and many more. I can’t name future sports broadcasters, but I can imagine seeing visuals of people I haven’t seen before with headsets. 

Also, what about future players for teams I follow, like the New York Mets and New York Jets? I think I have a better chance of realistically seeing that because of the minor leagues, practice squads, and annual drafts. 

Overall, the point is that designers aren’t necessarily predicting for tomorrow. Instead, they’re helping society decide what the future holds.