Design Processes and Anticipation

Introducing the cultural and historical background of the relationship between design and anticipation is the aim of this chapter. It first provides an overview of the topic describing the various phases and connotations of this connection in design evolution. Then it discusses the creation of a culture of anticipation in contemporary European, and in particular Italian, design as it has been documented in historical surveys and other mediating channels such as exhibitions. In these works, the narration of the future-focused dimension of the project \u2013 in the form of utopias, fictions, visions, prototypes, and studies \u2013 represents one of the constant interpretations underlying design affirmation and development. In order to outline a complete overview, the third paragraph introduces the approaches of other industrialized countries such the Americas, where the activity of design reflects the contextual factors resulting from its historical origins, not simply from the productive point of view but also as the declaration of the specific identity of each nation. During the first half of the Twentieth century, the perception and planning of the future on the continent were constructed under the influence of the events which gave rise to a space incorporating design as a projectual discipline. The idea of territorial development through foreign references allowed for the evolution of diverse bases for distinct initiatives. This paragraph explains how, from that point in time to the present day, the practice of design in America has become legitimized, with a vision oriented toward the search for innovation opportunities and encompassing both the approach and management of environmental complexity and its accompanying variables. Finally, the last paragraph provides a specific focus into the contemporary debate on the relationship between design and anticipation and outlines a conclusive reflection about: how design processes become today relevant in organizations and develop into ideal spaces for multidisciplinary collaboration in fields with high degrees of uncertainty; how they allow the construction of innovational competencies within these organizations; and, finally, how the label advanced design (the design culture most oriented toward the future) appeared as an anticipatory activity