The next decade is no ordinary decade.

In the UK, we are experiencing a moment in which deep trends in climate, demographic, geopolitical and technological change could be driving a national transformation. The current stresses on systemic infrastructure, supply chains and funding may mean that the UK is experiencing compound crises in advance of those that will eventually hit other major economies. That presents both a need and an opportunity for a deep transition.

The UK 2040 project is led by Future Observatory, in partnership with Dark Matter Labs, and seeks to address the UK’s systemic challenges over the coming decade.

From the worsening impacts of climate breakdown to deepening social inequity, it’s clear that the UK faces a host of complex and interconnected challenges in the next fifteen years. These include the climate crisis, food and energy insecurity, inequality and injustice, exponential leaps in automation and AI, and an ageing demographic.

What’s less clear is how the speed and scale of these crises are shifting the landscape upon which innovation, research and design operate. Where are the credible visions of tomorrow?

A future vision for the country can no longer depend on predictable factors but must address the changing context and inherent volatility. As such the very method of envisioning a structural reimagining of the UK must be a collaborative, open and enquiry based process.

Future Observatory and Dark Matter Labs is delivering the UK 2040 project over three stages: stage one, thematic roundtables; stage two, regional design labs across the UK; stage three, a provocative publication identifying and questioning the design challenges of the next decade.

Future Observatory and Dark Matter Labs formulated five starting hypotheses for the UK 2040 project. These hypotheses outline both the need and pathway for developing new intersectional capacities in the UK to prepare for the green transition.

Hypothesis 01

We’re operating in an age of constraints.

The UK faces emerging constraints & context shifts that will change the landscape in which design and innovation function.

Hypothesis 02

These constraints are changing what future is possible.

The nature of innovation and design will evolve in response to climate breakdown, political volatility and demographic changes.

We believe these will manifest in six critical domains – land, things, home, work, flow and civics. Six themes for structuring how we systemically reimagine the UK in order to address this moment in history.

Future Observatory held six roundtables with industry experts to address these six themes at the Design Museum.

Hypothesis 03

The field of design needs to evolve to meet this moment

Dealing with the interconnected nature of the perma-crisis, as well as being able to break out of our current social and economic lock-in needs updated modes of design. These modes of operating are outlined below as foundational capacities.

Hypothesis 04

We need to multi-solve

The complexity of the challenges we face and immediacy of action required demand new modes of design that go beyond optimisation and incremental improvement towards synthesis and solving across multiple interconnected problems.

Hypothesis 05

Design has a pivotal role to play

Given the emerging landscape, our aim is to demonstrate how design methodologies play a critical role in defining alternative futures.