Future societies

From healthcare and social care to local public services and refugee support initiatives, much of STBY’s work has been devoted to supporting changes toward a more inclusive and healthy future society. Growing urban populations, changing lifestyle habits, climate change, ageing societies, people displaced by war, and social exploitation are all placing strains on ill-equipped regulations, infrastructure and support services for communities across the globe.

We have been a part of an increasing movement to explore and understand these issues in a more inclusive and open way, taking into account multiple perspectives and experiences. As many of these challenges are systemic, multiple stakeholders are needed to both understand the current state of affairs, and develop ideas and designs for the future. STBY’s work often forms a bridge between several stakeholders who are working together to make improvements.

Over the years, we have contributed to the language, tools and processes of design research and service design that are needed in the context of societal challenges. This has shaped a process in which we unpack problems and create solutions for social innovation, and involve many more hands and minds rather than those of just a concentrated few. In this way, the future of society is increasingly informed, owned and shaped by those who compose it.

Future Societies: Two Decades of Exploration

Stby has been supporting changes toward more healthy future societies for 20 years, across projects commissioned by clients, partners, and self-initiated work.

To mark this anniversary, we created a series of 6 posters, each of them expressing a specific role for design research that we learned about in tackling future societies challenges.