In 1974, the worthy Saturday Review, then in its 50th year, published several anniversary issues that took stock of how the century led to a grim present of Watergate scandals, impending thermonuclear war, a population boom that would soon outrun the planets food and tappable energy, and other world-threatening fumbles. To wrap up, however, the Review offered an atypically fantastical issue full of imaginative, sometimes loopy predictions and proposals for the world a half century into the future.More erudite than newspapers or news weeklies and more timely and readable than academic journals, the now defunct Review was a home for center-left commentary, reviews, and reports. The magazine mostly dived deep into culture and geopolitics, yet it worked to offer a bright side to a bleak world, too. One of the anniversary issues in 74 was devoted entirely to ways The World Can Get Its Confidence Back. The issues were shepherded by the Reviews longtime editor Norman Cousins, himself a prolific public intellectual and once the nations most famous optimist.Cousins was a kind of High Lama in our home. My mother, a high school counselor, cornered our family (or was it just me?) with snippets from his columns. In 1979, his bestseller, Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient, described how, following a terminal diagnosis, he successfully treated himself, in part, with madcap movie comedies and belly laughs. Anatomy still influences my mom for whom, at 97, joy remains a potent elixir. Cousinss optimism hit my mailbox recently, too. When an editor friend was clearing out his parents home, he found a copy of the prognosticative anniversary issue that his mom had saved.He sent it to me. Because I write about the future, he said, he wanted my thoughts on this past version of it. He knew Id bite.Famous futuristsCousins assembled a roster of world-famous mandarins, such as Andrei Sakharov, Neil Armstrong, Jacques Cousteau, Isaac Asimov, and Clare Boothe Luce (the only woman). Some of the problems they most hoped the world would engineer a way out ofespecially the scarcity of oil and overpopulationhave receded.Wisely or not, those concerns have been superseded by their seeming opposites. In rich countries.Today, hands wring over epidemics of obesity and the wreckage of too-abundant fossil fuels. Only two of the worlds big oil and gas companies, Saudi Aramco and Exxon, are more valuable than Novo Nordisk, the maker of weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy.Nations now panic over the worldwide slide in birth rates and their shrinking and aging populations. This trend, by the way, is one I once dissected at length in two future-focused booksChina, Inc. and Shock of Gray. I can be smug at how much I got right, but I am also aware of what my own futurism was blind to. I predicted that shrinking birth rates would grip the whole world, but I didnt foresee how many adultsin some countries nearly 40%would choose to have no children at all.I predicted correctly that Chinas one-child-per-family policy would push Chinese families to invest ever more in the education of their children in order to ready them for the global market. I didnt foresee that millions of college-educated but professionally frustrated young Chinese (the so-called rotten-tail kids) would prefer to remain unemployed for years instead of taking jobs they regard as beneath them. Or that theyd stay dependent on their parents, unmarried and childless. I certainly didnt foresee that in America, prosperity and low unemployment would dissuade young men from going to college, or that The Uneducateds would brandish their lack of degrees as a political virtue and then be puffed up as vanguards of Americas great-again rejuvenation.Future shockThe stuff I missed isnt nearly as wild as some of the wacko visions of the Reviews crew in 1974.Neil Armstrong foresaw whole enclaves of humans living in an ocean of methane goop under the survivable surface of Jupiter. Theyd work their day jobs, shop and party while they floated around in wetsuits, but only after surgery replaced the colonizers hearts and lungs with implantable oxygenators.Bizarrely, Armstrong, an aeronautical engineer, saw this as a rosy vision of 2024. I would like to experience it, though . . . as a Paul Verhoeven movie.Andrei Sakharov, father of the Soviet H-bomb and future (1975) Nobel Peace Prize winner, also dished out ideas on how to get people out of an industrial world that is overcrowded and inhospitable to human life and nature. Sakharov believed the world of 2024 would be divided into grim industrial zones and densely populated green belts where people would spend most of their time.But the Earths surface would not be enough for its 7 billion people in 2024 (he was short by 1 billion).Sakharov also foresaw vast cities in space that would be home to farms and factories. I guess that sounds like a utopian vision if the dystopia on surface Earth is so much worse. Especially if you were a Soviet dissident who already suffered it.More upsetting to me than the hellscapes described as escapes is that Sakharovs description of 1974 sounds so much like our moment today. In the present, he wrote, . . . the world is openly dividing into opposing groups of governments [and] all the dangers that threaten mankind increase by an incredible degree.What he saw as the dark fruit of Communism applies to a growing list of autarchic states today.The party and the state monopoly in all aspects of economic, political, ideological, and cultural life; the persistent burden of the uncovered bloody crimes of the recent past, the permanent suppression of non-conformist thought; the hypocritical, self-praising, dogmatic, and nationalistic ideology; the oppression in these societies . . . create a situation that is . . . dangerous for all mankind.Jupiter, here I come!Political conservative and LSD-tripper Clare Boothe Luce, who had been a playwright, congressional representative, ambassador to Italy, and wife of powerful men, wrote that the too-slow progress of women could be seen in the contours of their past. Luces essay features pictures of 18 other prominent women writers, artists, athletes, and intellectuals, including Joan Didion, Gloria Steinem, and Billie Jean King. Its doubtful that any of them would agree with Luces view that the very durability of the superior male-inferior female relationship is reasonably good proof that it has so far served the best interests of human society. Luce believed equality for women would come, but would take a century or more. Reaching somewhat reluctantly for my crystal ball, she wrote, I am sorry to say that the picture I see there is not one of the Woman sitting in the Oval Room of the White House in 2024. Perhaps the other diviners would have been as uncannily timely with their predictions had they dropped acid.Future FaithLately, Ive been trying to see the future by spending time at the building sites of data centers that are springing up around the country to capture the boom in artificial intelligence. One astounding prediction driving money and policy today is that the world will spend more than $1 trillion building out data infrastructure (Sam Altman, OpenAIs founder, predicts $7 trillion) for next-gen computing that could obviate human prediction and replace it with predictive models run by machines. Though no one knows where all that computing power will lead, the world is betting big on it nonetheless. The boom makes my imaginationsomething Ive been pretty proud offeel small, overwhelmed.Yet, like my mom, I can take some comfort in the optimism of Cousins, the editor. He noted that expert predictions routinely fall short because theylike the output of AIare based on the facts up to now.Cousins was moved less by the visions of the future extrapolated from current fact than by the emotional intelligence and hopeful visions of those who used their knowledge to break with the past.Paradoxically, he argued, predictions do not account enough for the optimism people project into the future. If enough people have faith that the human species is sufficiently intelligent and energetic to work on global problems together, he concluded, the pessimistic forecasts of the experts will lose their power to paralyze or intimidate. The biggest task of humanity in the next 50 years will be to prove the [pessimistic] experts wrong.My mom would agree.I cant predict whether Ill come around.

Following Donald Trumps election victory, Reid Hoffmancofounder of LinkedIn, partner at Greylock, and a major donor to Vice President Kamala Harriss campaignis figuring out where business, tech, and his own energy go from here. Hoffman shares his reaction to the election and what the outcome means for Silicon Valley, the overall economy, and more. Despite being a vocal critic of Trump, Hoffman is committed to driving U.S. prosperity over the next four years, assuring were all in this boat together.This is an abridged transcript of an interview from Rapid Response, hosted by Robert Safian, former editor-in-chief of Fast Company. From the team behind the Masters of Scale podcast, Rapid Response features candid conversations with todays top business leaders navigating real-time challenges. Subscribe to Rapid Response wherever you get your podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.Over the past couple of years, youve not been shy about your wariness about Donald Trump as a presidential candidate. You put a lot of money behind that effort. You became a public figure in that opposition. Even on election day, you released a video on social media, urging people to reject Trump. The country has gone a different way. What have the past couple of days been like for you?Well obviously, its this weird place where youre basically hoping you were wrong. Because there were a number of folks I talked to who were like, Trumps rhetoric on the campaign trail is extreme because thats the way he gets his news and attention. It isnt really going to be the way hes going to govern. So it isnt going to be crony capitalism with tariff wars.It isnt going to be retribution to so-called enemies within. Thats just kind of his media campaigning, and its actually going to snap back to whats good for business.Obviously, I feared and still fear they were wrong, but now Im hoping they are right.Are you still focused on the political sphere, or are you just going to return to business? What are your next steps from here?Generally, my participation in politics has been a weird thing because Im more naturally a founder, builder, and investor. What Ive spent my entire life doing is trying to help what I think is the broader country on platforms for a stronger country, which got me engaged.Initially, Id find leaders in both parties to support. As it got more dire, the importance of truth-telling in discourse is fundamentally important to me.So I made the strongest efforts I could, and now its back to what Im more naturally suited for. My skill set naturally resolves to building companies, founding companies, investing in companies, and exploring what AI means for humanitys elevation.I have a book coming out in January called Super Agency, which discusses how AI can increase human agency and give us superpowersan optimistic take. Thats where the focus will be for a long time.Many Democrats, folks who supported Harris, are not particularly optimistic right now. You are trying, emphasizing optimism still?Well, its like I said: Im hoping I was wrong. You dont just sit back; you try to help. Im going to grow things in the American economy and make stuff work as strongly as possible.If I were to continue in politics, Id likely have a negative influence because it would be just oppositional. I think its best to add where I can contribute, which is on the business, technology, and investment sides.One of the things that struck me about the election results is it sort of shows that voters have this strong dissatisfaction about their financial situation, even though the economy hasnt actually been that bad, historically speaking. Inflation has certainly taken a bite, but the job market is strong. Why do you think so many Americans feel so dissatisfied?Most Americans dont realize the impact of the stimulus and COVID. They dont understand that when I get a free hamburger today, it costs me tomorrow. They dont have enough of a global perspective to realize that what [President Joe] Biden is doing has managed to keep inflation lower than in other developed countries. Theyve been better off because of it, but all they know is inflation is making it harder to pay bills. Of course, one should feel sympathetic to that.When someone tells them that Joe Biden messed up the economy, it feels that way because its harder to make the economics work in life. On the one hand, yes, thats true, and it feels that way, but its actually a result of all the COVID stimulus.A lot of the listeners on this show are business leaders themselves. Lots of businesses are excited about the prospect of a Trump administration. But is your advice now to sort of wait and see? Are there things that you think businesses should be looking at, should be thinking about moving on now?Probably the principle is planning on volatility. Its the combination of hope and fear. Planning for unevenness, like if tariffs happen, it would hurt the U.S. export industry and reduce prosperity. If its more grifter capitalism, benefiting certain industries at the expense of others, it wont elevate the whole platform.Prepare for multiple options rather than committing to one overly.Do you have any insight about what a Trump administration might mean for the future of AI?Not really. I suspect that the whole, like Were going to rescind the executive order on AI is probably similar to the Were going to throw out Obamacare, right?When actually, in fact, we dont have a better idea. So were just going to keep doing their idea. Because after a complete Trump term, there was no repeal of Obamacare. Its probably similar, but that obviously could be different depending on various folks being in the mix and what the conception of AI is.The one thing I would say Im hopeful for is that the belief in the enablement of the American AI industry across multiple companies is extremely important, and well see whether or not thats whats playing, or if there will be a crony capitalist at play.Has your experience changed your perspective on the role of business and tech leaders in politics and civic activity?This is a week of processing. I was putting maximum energy into articulating key things about the futures vision.Even with Trump winning, the country is very divided. How do you get to unity? Even winning the popular vote shows division, and its about finding how we achieve unity as an entire country.Tech is increasingly important in American society; therefore, tech leaders must engage in political discussions. We need better discourse, reflecting on social medias problems. I believe engaging in the political discussion as a society is crucial. I plan to speak up, especially when fear of political retaliation is present, to give a voice and shelter. I wont be silenced. Upon people in positions of influence, its crucial to make the boat work best we can and oppose division.Americas success lies in avoiding an attitude of making an administration unsuccessful. Its about maximizing the countrys success. Part of that involves focusing on creating the next generation of industry-transforming tech companies.Expect business leaders voices to prosper but avoid regulatory capture by large interests creating problems.It seems theres a notion that business leaders can impact the future more than political realms. Do you see a shift in that perspective?Business leaders are leaders, and must express opinions, especially against potential retaliation. Those with wealth and position should speak up because courage is easier for them. Understanding the adaptability of businesses to their environment is essential, and Democrats seeking opposition will notice a focus on business thriving, which benefits jobs.Optimists build the world. Amid adversity, ask how to build positively. Despite challenges, opportunities for positive building are always present.

British designer Clare Waight Kellers move to Uniqlo, the Japanese mass market clothing brand, draws some stark contrasts. Coming most recently from Givenchy as its artistic director, her designs at the Maison were rarified gems. The luxury pieces exemplified craft, with sculptural gowns assembled from layers of fabric like curving peony petals; slouchy suiting made from patterns reminiscent of the strong shouldered-silhouettes Hubert de Givenchy himself was known for; wool with hand feel that could be sensed simply from its weighty undulations down the runway.As ready-to-wear and haute couture pieces, the price point of these Givenchy pieces would put them out of reach of just about anyone; beautiful and unattainable as museum pieces under glass, and far afield from your standard, flourescently lit mall or e-comm add to cart interaction. But there are similarities in Waight Kellers new styles for Uniqlo, even if those styles happen to be acrylic-cashmere knit blends.Threaded through Waight Kellers chic and boxy drop shoulder coats, pleated maxi skirts and crisp plaid shirt dresses, is an idea: taste cant be bought, but its always transferable. And Waight Keller is bringing that same edited eye of the luxury market, as she calls it, along with her expert background in knitwear, menswear, and fit to affordable, high-performance everyday clothes. The founding principle of Uniqlo is really great design and quality for all, says Waight Keller. I think the democracy of that is actually really powerful.Its also paying off at a time when the luxury market, by comparison, is experiencing notable churn. Uniqlo parent company Fast Retailing posted its third consecutive year of record profit in October, surpassing $20 billion in revenue for the first time. The companys chief executive, Tadashi Yanai, cited high-potential Western markets as a key part of its growth strategy. If we want to be truly the top global brand, we would not be able to claim that unless we can become number one in both of those regions, North America as well as Europe, said Yanai.[Photo: Courtesy of Clare Waight Keller forUniqlo]Waight Keller has a rich history across American and European houses including Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Gucci, and Chlo, prior to joining Givenchy in 2017. This background makes Waight Keller a key hire in Uniqlo realizing that goal.Here, Weight Keller discusses her vision for the company and how her luxury background helps her achieve it, what the future of fashion retail looks like, and the brands she sees at the forefront of the industry right now.You joined Uniqlo as creative director in September. Your first collection with the brand released in September 2023.What have you learned since joining Uniqlo, and how is the design process different than at the other end of the spectrum, haute couture?I learned so much already. The differences are quite significant, obviously. Whats less of a change is really the design process, [which] I approached in the same way. But obviously the further down the line you go, the faster the difference in approach. Its fascinating working within a Japanese country because they obviously have a very different way of doing things. And in a company that size, there are a lot of things to learn.But also just learning about how to operate in a Tokyo company environment. For me, if you move houses within Europe, you are in the same type of method, wherever you go. You make your adjustments based on the way you work, but generally the process is pretty much the same. Here, its on such a schedule and with so much information about consumers at your fingertips, you really feel youre much more on the pulse of whats happening globally.Haute couture collections are really centered around seasons and a particular capsule idea. This, by comparison, seems like it would require more of an ongoing, rolling understanding of whats appealing to consumers and deeper market research. Would you say thats the case?When youre working in luxury, youre very much projecting something. So where there is the runway show and youre projecting the point of view for the season, youre also projecting the brand and very much the signatures, the logo, the DNA, all of those things.Uniqlo is much more about an ethos. The ethos is about quality functionality, innovation, trustworthiness, in terms of people coming back again and again, knowing that the tech works. Its a very different approach, but they equally have their loyalties. Its really interesting, knowing the two different worlds, but also being able to learn a lot from both.What is your overall vision or strategy for Uniqlo?Im very much looking to grow the womens wear from not only amazing timeless basics and classics, which theyre known for, but also from a fashion perspective. Im going to be looking much more at proportions; looking at what could be the next silhouette for the next season or two, and trying to bring that level of sophistication to their core product.The other part for me is building on what they already have as a very strong DNA, which is their innovation. Im working very closely with their fabric mills on some of the most cutting-edge and scientific fabric developments that are coming out of Japan right now.[Photo: Courtesy of Clare Waight Keller forUniqlo]How does your luxury background inform your ability to do that?For me, you take with you the principles of fittingunderstanding proportion and shape from a fashion perspectivebut also its the edited eye. One of the things that you really look at when youre designing in luxury is, what is the look, what is the message of the season? Its quite interesting to navigate that when youre working on a global scale and to bring that same focus to something with such a broad reach.Could you talk a little bit more about that challenge of having an edited eye for a global scale? To me, it brings to mind such a unique micro and macro tension.Its true. Its almost perfectly captured in my own collaboration collection, which is made up of about 35 pieces. So imagine, only 35 pieces have to serve every woman who might come into a shop across the globe. That is a really finite number of items, and they all need to come together as a different look. So Im really trying, as Im building it, to think about how you can cross-pollinate if you like all the different elements, so that this sweater will work with that pant, that jean; this jacket will work with that top, that neckline. Its almost like a puzzle in a way. You have to maximize with the most minimum amount of items.But thats Uniqlos strength. Theyre probably looking at about 250 items launched every six months, whereas many brands that are at their scale are launching that per week. So, its really a different system entirely. Theyre much more about the perfect item and lots of color options or maybe fabric options, but not a lot of change, change, change.That makes me think a bit about mass market as a concept more generally. Youre coming from a world that is in a lot of ways quintessentially slow fashion; really, art. Consumers own these items for years and years and years. Can you talk a bit about that difference, and about how your background in slow fashion comes into play here?Thats what was so welcoming about starting to talk to Uniqlo because I did really want to try and understand the process and how they work. Obviously coming from something so rarified, I wanted to make sure I didnt lose my approach and skill that I use to make things, and decisions that really give longevity to pieces.What I found with Uniqlo is the concept of life wear, which is really that something should last for a good time, a good life span. This is certainly the case for me when Ive been shopping at Uniqlo over the last decade. I have things from Jill Sanderss first or second season that I still have today. Theyre still super quality in great condition, and quite timeless as well.The element of Uniqlo that I really appreciate is that they approach things from a timeless sensibility but bring the fashion aspect through color or the fit. Its sort of nuanced. Its not about suddenly doing an asymmetric neck or something thats got a big, huge shape on the side. Its really very much about what are those absolute core wardrobe items and then lets affect it.[Photo: Courtesy of Clare Waight Keller forUniqlo]You also mentioned sourcing. Does that come into play as well as far as choosing source materials and things like that?Yes, definitely. We are really starting to look towards trying to be as sustainability minded as possible. Thats something Im trying to drive through when Im working with the brand. About 25% of what they do currently does fall into that, but we want to work towards getting much further.The hard part is on their scale with quality, and what you find. Something thats not talked about a lot when speaking about sustainability is that a lot of blended, recycled fibers and fabrics are quite weak and dont last very long. We have to find something that really gives them strength, so they are as good as the virgin fiber.We really have extremely high quality standards, so thats being looked at on every level when we start looking at that approach. The idea ultimately is that you just dont buy it very oftenyou are keeping that cashmere for 10 years and it still looks great. And if you dont want it anymore, bring it back to Uniqlo. If you bring it back to us, we recycle it. Thats one of the things that were really trying to push as part of our program.How would you hope that Uniqlo would evolve under your tenure? Say in a year or two?For me, its really working towards bringing womens wear to a more fashion place, and also expanding on accessories. Thats still a really tiny part of what they do. Id love to see more of that coming into the collection and building more strength there, especially shoes and eyewear. Those are things that will be coming soon.[Photo: Courtesy of Clare Waight Keller forUniqlo]H&M has been collaborating with designers for years. Zac Posen recently joined Gap to a lot of buzz. In addition to your onboarding at Uniqlo, the company has released a collection with JW Anderson. What does the move of luxury and ready-to-wear designers into mass markets say about where the fashion industry is headed?Whats interesting about working with people like myself or Jonathan [Anderson] is that we really have a different approach. We come from a principle of design that could be considered extremely high luxury. Were bringing our knowledge and techniques to a bigger audience.The founding principle of Uniqlo is really great design and quality for all. I think the democracy of that is actually really powerful. Anybody could wear the product there and the product is designed with great quality in mind, but also beautiful design. Theres a real purity in the way they approach things. This idea that its for everyone, its not an elitist approach to fashion.What does consumer interest in this type of crossover say about the retail environment right now? Is there more appetite for, or more familiarity with, luxury designers?Its really changed in the last decade. I think a huge part of that is social media. Literally, you could talk to an 8-year-old and they would probably know the name of a luxury brand today. Certainly, in my era, that would never have happened. I would have no idea. Maybe Chanel. To think that today 10 Gen Alphas could name them is kind of astonishing.Thats also to do with what you see around us now. Theres digital billboards everywhere. Youre being bombarded, certainly. Theres celebrities, theres musicians, tennis stars; everybody is involved in fashion now. Theres obviously a kind of glamor thats very much attached to that, but it really shows that luxury has become a very, very big business.I was talking to Simon Doonan, who was the longtime creative director at Barneys, and he said fashion used to be for a core group of elevated consumers. Not many people were involved outside of it or interested even in covering it or participating in it. Social media seems to have revived it in some fashion.Definitely. It makes it feel more accessible. I think thats one of the reasonsIm just speculating herebut one of the reasons why prices have increased so much is to try to give it a more rarified feel through price, versus now the fact that you do see it everywhere. What appealed to you about the move from the designer market into the mass market with Uniqlo?Two reasons. One was working in Japan. I mean, what a unique opportunity to work in a country like that and work in Tokyo. Its one of my favorite cities in the world. I just thought Im never going to get an experience where I get to work literally in Tokyo. So every two months, I spend two weeks in Japan, and I love it. Honestly, Im always excited to get on the plane, and Ive always got a list of things that I want to do and see there. It still feels like the future. Tokyo really has got an amazing vibe to it.Secondly, the reachthat I could genuinely design products that could be on a global scale. I like the democracy of it. I think its really modern to be able to offer great design to so many people.[Photo: Courtesy of Clare Waight Keller forUniqlo]I noticed on your Instagram page that architecture seems to be a major point of creative inspiration for you. Why is that?One of the things I love doing when I travel is seeing the different cities, and having these unique and special buildings to go and see. Theres always a list wherever I go. When I was in Mexico City, I went to see Luis Barragn. Palm Springs recently had an open house of the really unique buildings from the 50s and 60s. I find theres something very interesting about them, because in a way, houses are quite democratic, too.Theyre places where anyone can live. They really need to work for people. So I find a real correlation, I suppose, with fashion in the sense that there is a practicality in a house in the same way that there is a practicality in fashion. But ultimately, if its beautifully designed, youre in awe. Its the same approach, which I quite enjoy studying and seeing.Do you have any favorite architects?Japan is definitely going up because Im seeing a lot over there. I mean, everything from the ancient, beautiful villages in Kyoto. The Gion area, which has all of those really amazing Geisha houses, and the construction, and the way theyre built with all the beautiful details, the simplicity.Theres also the obvious famous ones, like Tadao Ando, but also Hiroshi Sugimoto does beautiful things. Im discovering more and more every time I go.How would you describe your approach to fashion design as a craft?Its a balance between creativity and practicality. Ultimately, every piece of fashion that you create needs to be worn on a body, so there is a consideration for that. I also really have to understand, what am I bringing that is new? What am I bringing to this which will make someone buy it and fall in love with that piece? or say, Oh my God, thats going to make me look amazing and feel amazing.Fashion has an amazing, emotional impact on people. I mean, case in point, why do they take away all the clothes from people who go to prison and put them in the same thing, or the same uniform? Its to take away a personality, in a sense.By looking at fashion through that lens, you realize that fashion has a huge impact on how you read a person. The skill of a designer is to create a mood and a feeling that people feel they can embrace, create their own look with, or bring some of their personality to.What are some of your favorite brands to watch right now?Again, Ive seen some very interesting stuff in Asia. There are some menswear brands in Tokyo that I think are doing really interesting things, with quite beautiful approaches to fashion. Equally, there are amazing ones in Korea. Some of the coolest kinds of things are in Seoul at the moment. There are also a couple of brands in Shanghai.Across Asia, really, there are the most dynamic kinds of brands that are stepping outside the box and doing something different because theyre not part of the European scene. So they have to push the boundaries. [Via email, Waight Keller cited South Korean brand Ader Error and Japanese brand Visvim as two examples.]I also love Gentle Monster eyewear. Absolutely phenomenal. Their stores are incredible; so inspiring when youre in there. Theyre so cool. For me, those are the kind of things that are popping up and feeling super innovative and interesting.

Anyone following the rhetoric around artificial intelligence in recent years has heard one version or another of the claim that AI is inevitable. Common themes are that AI is already here, it is indispensable, and people who are bearish on it harm themselves.In the business world, AI advocates tell companies and workers that they will fall behind if they fail to integrate generative AI into their operations. In the sciences, AI advocates promise that AI will aid in curing hitherto intractable diseases.In higher education, AI promoters admonish teachers that students must learn how to use AI or risk becoming uncompetitive when the time comes to find a job.And, in national security, AIs champions say that either the nation invests heavily in AI weaponry, or it will be at a disadvantage vis--vis the Chinese and the Russians, who are already doing so.The argument across these different domains is essentially the same: The time for AI skepticism has come and gone. The technology will shape the future, whether you like it or not. You have the choice to learn how to use it or be left out of that future. Anyone trying to stand in the technologys way is as hopeless as the manual weavers who resisted the mechanical looms in the early 19th century.In the past few years, my colleagues and I at UMass Bostons Applied Ethics Center have been studying the ethical questions raised by the widespread adoption of AI, and I believe the inevitability argument is misleading.History and hindsightIn fact, this claim is the most recent version of a deterministic view of technological development. Its the belief that innovations are unstoppable once people start working on them. In other words, some genies dont go back in their bottles. The best you can do is harness them to your good purposes.This deterministic approach to tech has a long history. Its been applied to the influence of the printing press, as well as to the rise of automobiles and the infrastructure they require, among other developments.But I believe that when it comes to AI, the technological determinism argument is both exaggerated and oversimplified.AI in the field(s)Consider the contention that businesses cant afford to stay out of the AI game. In fact, the case has yet to be made that AI is delivering significant productivity gains to the firms that use it. A report in The Economist in July 2024 suggests that so far, the technology has had almost no economic impact.AIs role in higher education is also still very much an open question. Though universities have, in the past two years, invested heavily in AI-related initiatives, evidence suggests they may have jumped the gun.The technology can serve as an interesting pedagogical tool. For example, creating a Plato chatbot that lets students have a text conversation with a bot posing as Plato is a cool gimmick.But AI is already starting to displace some of the best tools teachers have for assessment and for developing critical thinking, such as writing assignments. The college essay is going the way of the dinosaurs as more teachers give up on the ability to tell whether their students are writing their papers themselves. Whats the cost-benefit argument for giving up on writing, an important and useful traditional skill?In the sciences and in medicine, the use of AI seems promising. Its role in understanding the structure of proteins, for example, will likely be significant for curing diseases. The technology is also transforming medical imaging and has been helpful in accelerating the drug discovery process.But the excitement can become exaggerated. AI-based predictions about which cases of COVID-19 would become severe have roundly failed, and doctors rely excessively on the technologys diagnostic ability, often against their own better clinical judgment. And so, even in this area, where the potential is great, AIs ultimate impact is unclear. In national security, the argument for investing in AI development is compelling. Since the stakes can be high, the argument that if the Chinese and the Russians are developing AI-driven autonomous weapons, the United States cant afford to fall behind, has real purchase.But a complete surrender to this form of reasoning, though tempting, is likely to lead the U.S. to overlook the disproportionate impact of these systems on nations that are too poor to participate in the AI arms race. The major powers could deploy the technology in conflicts in these nations. And, just as significantly, this argument de-emphasizes the possibility of collaborating with adversaries on limiting military AI systems, favoring arms race over arms control.One step at a timeSurveying the potential significance and risks of AI in these different domains merits some skepticism about the technology. I believe that AI should be adopted piecemeal and with a nuanced approach rather than subject to sweeping claims of inevitability. In developing this careful take, there are two things to keep in mind:First, companies and entrepreneurs working on artificial intelligence have an obvious interest in the technology being perceived as inevitable and necessary, since they make a living from its adoption. Its important to pay attention to who is making claims of inevitability, and why.Second, its worth taking a lesson from recent history. Over the past 15 years, smartphones and the social media apps that run on them came to be seen as a fact of lifea technology as transformative as it is inevitable. Then data started emerging about the mental health harms they cause teens, especially young girls. School districts across the U.S. started to ban phones to protect the attention spans and mental health of their students. And some people have reverted to using flip phones as a quality of life change to avoid smartphones.After a long experiment with the mental health of kids, facilitated by claims of technological determinism, Americans changed course. What seemed fixed turned out to be alterable. There is still time to avoid repeating the same mistake with artificial intelligence, which potentially could have larger consequences for society.Nir Eisikovits is a professor of philosophy and director of the Applied Ethics Center at UMass Boston.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 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A roof of dark patinated copper distinguishes this house in Wimbledon Village, London, designed by local architecture studio Jason Good Architecture.Jason Good Architecture drew on the leafy neighbourhood's combination of Arts and Crafts-style architecture and more modern houses for the two-bedroom dwelling, which replaces an existing 1980s cottage."We aimed to design a house that sits comfortably and sensitively within its context, without simply recreating the past," founder Jason Good told Dezeen.The house is wrapped in patinated copper"This acceptance of modernism in the area is partly due to the bold, rule-breaking house on the adjacent street to our site, designed by Richard and Su Rogers for Richard's parents in the 1960s," added Good."Their modernist glass house challenged the conservative architectural norms of the time, paving the way for contemporary designs like ours," he added.The L-shaped ground floor of the home is divided by a central entrance hall illuminated by two large, circular skylights, one of which extends upwards within a cylindrical form to give the building its distinctive "top hat".It is distinguished by its "top hat"Hugging a garden at the rear of the home, both the living room and main bedroom open onto a patio via large glass doors, while the kitchen overlooks a small walled garden created alongside the home's front driveway."The double-storey light and ventilation oculus, which we refer to as the 'top hat', not only shapes the external form of the building but also plays a key role in the internal layout by bringing natural light and ventilation into the heart of the home," said Good.The living room opens onto a patio via large glass doorsA black staircase illuminated by a double-height section of glass bricks leads to the first floor. Here, a TV room overlooks the entrance hall through a glazed circular opening and is flanked by a study and an additional bedroom.Each of these spaces takes advantage of the set-back nature of the front of the home, which allows for large windows overlooking the street. At the back of the home, the openings are minimised to prevent overlooking.Read: Erbar Mattes creates "expansive feel" for brick house in London"One of the key challenges was the proximity to neighbouring properties, which restricted windows on the rear first-floor elevation," said Good."This constraint became a creative opportunity to explore alternative ways of bringing light into the house while ensuring privacy," he continued."We introduced a combination of skylights, glass blocks, and carefully positioned horizontal windows, enriching the quality of light and reinforcing the spatial flow of the rooms."Glass blocks bring light into the houseBeneath the upper level of patinated copper, the ground floor of the home is finished in dark, handmade brick. This material palette was selected by Good for its "durability and sense of craftsmanship".Inside, stone floors and oak panelling are intended to create a "minimal and natural feel", with the bathrooms featuring walnut Japanese baths and full-height marble walls.Elsewhere in London, other recently completed homes include a residence with a slatted wooden floor by S2B Studio and a brick and concrete home in Crystal Palace by 31/44 Architects.The photography is by Jim Stephenson.The post Jason Good Architecture tops London home with patinated copper "top hat" appeared first on Dezeen.

We've gathered interior projects that feature tactile plywood panelling for our latest lookbook, from a Swedish summer house to a London micro apartment.Plywood, which is made from glued-together layers of thin wood veneers, is often used for structural applications but has also become popular as a choice for decorative wall panels.Using it throughout an interior creates a uniform feel, while the wood adds an organic touch.This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring gridded ceilings, colourful kitchens and moody bedrooms.Photo by Andy LiffnerTor summer house, Sweden, by Atelier Heyman HamiltonIt's all about wood and plywood in Tor, a holiday home in the Swedish archipelago. Architects Malin Heyman and James Hamilton worked with interior design studio Matsson Marnell on the plywood-clad interior.In the peaceful bedroom, plywood walls and ceilings are matched with custom-made wooden furniture and textiles in soft natural colours.Find our more about Tor Photo by Megan TaylorCurve Appeal, UK, by Nimtim ArchitectsLondon studioNimtim Architects created multifunctional partitions made from plywood joinery for the interior of this home in Southwark.Decorative arch-and-circle motifs and cutouts cover the partitions, which incorporate services and conceal structural elements and sliding doors.Find out more about Curve Appeal Photo by Tom RossNorthcote House, Australia, by LLDS ArchitectsPerhaps the most unusual plywood interior on this list, Northcote House in Melbourne features a sculptural plywood staircasethat leads to the home's lower levels.Swooping plywood panelling decorates the walls next to the staircase and forms a snug for resting or reading.Find out more about Northcote House Photo by Tom BirdLondon micro-apartment, UK, by Intervention ArchitectureBespoke plywood joinery is used to conceal furniture, including a fold-out bed, inside this 24-square-metre London flat that formerly functioned as servants' quarters."The brief here was to create joinery for lots of storage and to have it all hidden behind doors to make the apartment feel more spacious," Intervention Architecture founder Anna Parker told Dezeen.Find out more about the micro-apartment Photo by Markus LinderothTimjan Villa, Sweden, by Johan Sundberg ArkitekturTimjan Villa, a larch-clad extension in Lund, southern Sweden, is nestled within an apple orchard. Architect Johan Sundberg wanted to create a low-slung extension that wouldn't compete with the existing building.Inside, the walls have been lined with pale plywood, which contrasts with grey stone floors. Green plants decorate the space, which opens up to a garden.Find out more about Villa Timjan Photo by Scott NorsworthyUnfinished House, Canada, by Workshop Architecture IncIn the kitchen of this home designed by Toronto studio Workshop Architecture Inc, light-blue kitchen cabinets and tiles contrast against plywood panelling that has been left in its natural hue."The Douglas fir plywood and pine wood framing are left exposed on the interior for visual interest and for small storage shelves," the studio told Dezeen.Find out more about Unfinished House Photo by Edmund SumnerPocket House, UK, by Tikari WorksBuilt on a plot that previously held a garage, Tikari Works' Pocket House measures just 35 square metres. Plywood panelling decorates the pared-back bedroom, which has a matching bedframe and opens up onto a terrace.Tikari Works also used pale plywood to create a practical kitchen unit in the house, which was the studio's first completed project.Find out more about Pocket House Photo by Maxime BrouilletMB House, Canada, by Jean VervilleArchitect Jean Verville renovated this Montral home with a series of sculptural plywood blocks and panels that give the interior a warm colour and enveloping feel."The project has become the expression of an inhabitable wood sculpture," Verville told Dezeen.Find out more about MB House This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring gridded ceilings, colourful kitchens and moody bedrooms.The post Eight homes where plywood panelling creates warm interiors appeared first on Dezeen.

Warm adaptive lighting, acoustic panelling and woodblock columns cocoon Space Talk, a listening bar in London designed by local architecture practice EBBA and designer Charlotte Taylor.The hi-fi bar, set on St John's Street in the central neighbourhood of Clerkenwell, is divided into four distinct zones each featuring a different curation of sound and light to encourage visitors to transition through the space across an evening.Space Talk was designed to prioritise comfort and the experience of soundHaving previously collaborated on a retreat in the south of Spain, EBBA co-founder Benni Allen and Charlotte Taylor of 3D-design studio Maison de Sable worked together to create an atmosphere focused on the experience of listening.Guests enter Space Talk via an intimate dining area featuring walnut banquette seating, collectible furniture from design gallery Spazio Leone and neutral, acoustic wall panelling.Discreet acoustic panelling lines over half of the wall space of the barThe concealed panelling, created with acoustician Ethan Bourdeau, lines over half of the wall space and was designed to absorb and control sound. Stainless steel hooks for hanging artworks were integrated within the wall panel framing.Creating "a project dedicated to sound" that performs both visually and acoustically was a key focus from the outset of the project.A large curved steel bar features in the centre of the space"It's very much a project that came from the opportunities and challenges of making a beautiful space that can cater for sound perfectly," Benni Allen told Dezeen."Each element of the space has been considered with the intention of making enjoying the bar completely seamless."The bar is clad in walnut wood panellingA bespoke speaker system by London company Friendly Pressure was integrated throughout the space, including several units made in collaboration with designer Lewis Kemmenoe in his signature wood-patchwork style.Space Talk's second zone is defined by a large curved steel bar with walnut wood panelling, which Taylor said was designed to "draw you into the centre of the space".Read: EBBA references modernist architecture at WatchHouse coffee shopDark warm-toned wood envelops the third zone at the rear of the bar, with inbuilt seating and curved woodblock walls that "have a monolithic quality and give a sense of something crafted", according to Allen.The brief from Space Talk founder Ramzi Abouchalache and Fellow Feeling, the creative consultancy that developed the concept for the bar, was to create a space that evokes the feeling of being in a lounge.Design gallery Spazio Leone supplied vintage furniture and objects"We were seeking to strike the balance between something captivating with the familiar comfort of a domestic setting, somewhere you can sink into yet marvel in the view from that position of comfort," Allen said.Soft bespoke and vintage seating, a curation of books and records, and adaptive mood lighting all contribute to this comfortable, domestic feeling.A lounge-style space features at the rear of the bar"The core lighting is very much part of the fabric of the architecture, emulating a cocooning effect and bringing warmth to the space," Allen explained.An orange resin and woodblock DJ booth stands at the rear of the space in the bar's final zone, surrounded by a series of large oval lights."A large light in the ceiling, like a window to the sky, changes as it gets deeper into the night from a white into a deep red, reminiscent of a sunset", Allen said.An oval light surrounding the DJ booth mimics the colours of a sunsetA series of sculptural lampsinclude custom bathroom stall lamps and an outdoor lamp by Pablo Bolumar created using beeswax, which "carries warmth and materiality outside" according to Allen.Space Talks detailed lighting and sound systems create "a space that really needs to be felt, and we hope that people will go and discover the ideas and details that we developed", he said.Each bathroom stall features a custom light fittingSince its foundation in 2017, EBBA Architects has completed a number of interiors across the UK capital, from a metal-framed home extension in Camden to a coffee shop referencing modernist architecture.The studio also dabbles in furniture design with projects including a flat-pack recycled paper stool and a collection of sculptural solid oak seating for Bton Brut.The photography is by Ollie Tomlinson.The post EBBA and Charlotte Taylor design London listening bar "dedicated to sound" appeared first on Dezeen.

For our latest lookbook, we've selected eight homes with multi-purpose staircases that double up as seating, storage and in one case even a climbing wall.Integrating additional uses into staircases can make them characterful interior features rather than just functional structures.This can be especially favourable in smaller spaces where storage is a priority and additional seating might be required when hosting.In the eight examples below, we showcase homes that utilise their staircases in various ways, incorporating everything from a swing and a fireplace to a climbing wall.This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks including staircases in tactile materials and sculptural forms and homes that feature wooden staircases.Photo by Ricardo Oliveira AlvesRural House, Portugal, by HBG ArchitectsLisbon studio HBG Architects produced a staircase that doubles as a table, bench and fireplace as part of this conversion of an old community oven in east Portugal into a holiday home (top and above)."The brief was to transform an ancient community oven, owned by the client's family for decades, into a comfortable single-bedroom vacation house with space to gather the family when needed," the studio told Dezeen.Find out more about Rural House Photo by Shinkenchiku ShaHouse in Takatsuki, Japan, by Tato ArchitectsIn this Osaka house by Japanese studio Tato Architects, there is no staircase as such. Instead, various platforms follow a spiralled path across 16 different floor levels, doubling as floors, shelves and furniture throughout."Rather than using walls and different floor levels to clearly divide the space into various functions, everything loosely connects and disconnects from each other through stepped floors," said Tato Architects founder Yo Shimada.Find out more about House in Takatsuki Photo by Anna PositanoTuscan Villa, Italy, by Deferrari+ModestiInterior design studio Deferrari+Modesti took a playful approach when renovating this house in Italy, incorporating a staircase that doubles as a climbing wall.The feature was not suggested by the owner but by studio founders Javier Deferrari and Lavinia Modesti after observing the client's love for rock climbing. "It had to be a key element of the home," the duo said.Find out more about Tuscan Villa Photo by Lorenzo ZandriFarleigh Road, UK, by Paolo Cossu ArchitectsWhen remodelling this house in east London, local studio Paolo Cossu Architects worked closely with the client to create a staircase that "improved flow between the upper and lower ground floors".The staircase is reminiscent of bleachers with wooden blocks added to define a walking route along only one side, while the other side provides space to read, sit and socialise.Find out more about Farleigh Road Photo by Kenya ChibaKappa House, Japan, by Archipelago Architects StudioJapanese firm Archipelago Architects Studio built Kappa House in Kanagawa for a street performer, with playful staircase arrangements that variously serve as surfaces, seating or partitions.The staircases merge into the ceilings and floors of the house, as the studio aimed "to question the stereotype of the staircase, which normally serves as a fixed purpose of only moving up and down".Find out more about Kappa House Photo by ke E:son LindmanFagerstrm House, Sweden, by Claesson Koivisto RuneSituated just north of Stockholm in Sweden, this house designed by Claesson Koivisto Rune features a sweeping staircase with a built-in bookshelf.The house was built around an old oak tree, resulting in a curved layout that embraces the tree's natural form.Find out more about Fagerstrm House Photo by Marcela GrassiLoft in Poblenou, Spain, by NeuronaLabArchitecture studio NeuronaLab transformed a loft in Barcelona into a family home by introducing a mezzanine floor to house a separate bedroom.This can be reached via a baby-blue storage unit that integrates a small staircase alongside a wardrobe.Find out more about Loft in Poblenou Kenwood Lee House, UK, by Cousins & CousinsA swing hangs from the oak treads of this floating staircase in Kenwood Lee House, designed by British architecture studio Cousins & Cousins.The playful addition indulges in the spacious character of the house, with a landing that extends into a mezzanine on the first floor.Find out more about Kenwood Lee House This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring staircases in tactile materials and sculptural forms and homes that feature wooden staircases.The post Eight homes where staircases fulfil additional functions appeared first on Dezeen.

This week on Dezeen, Japanese studioKengo Kuma and Associates completed a Parisian interchange station wrapped in vertical woodenlouvres.Built as part of the Grand Paris Express transport system, Saint-Denis Pleyel Station has an angular form made up of wedge-shaped tiers wrapped in external ramps.It acts as an interchange between four metro lines and connects with an existing urban bridge, providing access to the existing RER D transport lines.RIBA announced a David Chipperfield-designed office as one of the shortlisted projects for its International PrizeIn other architecture news, theRoyal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) announced a three-strong shortlist for its biannual International Prize.The projects in the running to be named the world's best building by RIBA were an office in Germany by David Chipperfield, a museum in China by O-office Architects and a social housing project in Spain by Peris + Toral Arquitectes.Design Mumbai celebrated its inaugural editionFollowing the opening of the inaugural Design Mumbai fair, Dezeen spoke with co-founder Piyush Suri about the country's rapidly growing design industry.According to Suri, India's booming real estate and a fast-growing middle class are key components to the growth in the architecture and interior design market, which he thinks will further "triple in the next five years".Michelle Ogundehin argued for the "homesteading" lifestyle trendMichelle Ogundehin wrote about the adoption of the "homesteading" lifestyle among Gen Zs and millennials in the pursuit of a quieter life experience.Rather than this lifestyle switch being "a blissed-out opt-out", Ogundehin believes it could be an "empowering" alternative to fast-paced consumerism.The Nest exhibition was showcased at Designart TokyoWe highlighted six key projects at this year's Designart Tokyo, including the Nest exhibition of seating and chunky clothing made from woven rice straw.Also this week, we selected six eclectic innovations that were recently presented at Seoul Design 2024, ranging from an udder-shaped battery charging system to a line of cosmetics made from wine industry byproducts.A house with a sculptural roof caught readers' attention this weekPopular projects published on Dezeen this week included a home in Melbourne with a curved plywood roof, a concrete tower in China that doubles as a sundial and a minimalist apartment in Barcelona where a bookcase acts as a hidden door.Our latest lookbooks featured kitchens coated in bright colours and interiors where gridded ceilings provide structure and decoration.This week on DezeenThis week on Dezeenis our regular roundup of the week's top news stories.Subscribe to our newslettersto be sure you don't miss anything.The post This week we revealed Kengo Kuma's Saint-Denis Pleyel Station in Paris appeared first on Dezeen.

Dezeen School Shows: we've selected eight design projects that have been featured on Dezeen School Shows by students in China - specifically Hong Kong.These undergraduate and postgraduate projects range from interior to fashion design, spanning various themes and concepts.Included in this roundup is a project exploring kitchen design, a publication commenting on attitudes towards reading and an investigation into how materials are affected by weather and climate.The selection of projects comes from students on jewellery design, architectureand design strategy courses, from institutions in China including Hong Kong Polytechnic University and My ArchiSchool.Tessellating Culinary Culture by Janice Lok Ying WongJanice Lok Ying Wong, an environment and interior design student, explores interiors of kitchens through a narrative that spans the varying culinary and cultural experiences that take place within them.Aspects of culinary processes such as technology and equipment were also studied in Wong's commentary of evolving kitchen design to investigate its future potential."Throughout the centuries, kitchen design has been influenced by social customs, traditional cooking methods, equipment and technology, demonstrating the impact of cultural heritage and culinary traditions in transforming interior layout and changing domestic lifestyles," said Wong."A narrative representation technique using different layers of information is developed into sequential stories that alternate between old and new understandings of what a kitchen space might be or become."Student: Janice Lok Ying WongSchool: Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityCourse: BA (Hons) in Environment and Interior DesignView the full school show Lotus Stadium Project: Designing a Floating City by Albus Oscar ChungIn this project, architecture student Albus Oscar Chung presents a design for a stadium that floats on water.Taking form that is reminiscent of flower petals, the stadium has an ability to self-balance, keeping it afloat amongst waves and winds.Chung described the stadium as a "mini city that will host events and festivals", and also details its additional use as a "backup facility" when floods hit."There were more and more floods happening everywhere," said Chung, stating that "[the stadium] will be useful for gathering and temporary stay."Student: Albus Oscar ChungSchool: My ArchiSchoolCourse: Architectural Design Programme 1.0View the full school show Unrestrained by Cowen YeungFashion student Cowen Yeung's collection Unrestrained sees an exploration into the punk culture of 1970s Britain.Taking inspiration from the Sex Pistols and the attitudes amongst young people at the time, the collection is reminiscent of punk styling whilst embodying modern elements."The Sex Pistols conveyed their negative outlook on the future through songs on stage. Since then, the popularity of underground music has begun to rise," said Yeung."Punk spirit has a primitive meaning: be yourself and bravely practice your own ideas in the moment."Student: Cowen YeungSchool: Hong Kong Design InstituteCourse: HD in Fashion DesignView the full school show Weighted Curvature: Screening the City's Natural Environment by Gong TianshuIn this project, architecture student Gong Tianshu aims presents a proposal for the articulation of buildings in Hong Kong to prevent their visual isolation in the city's skyline.Tianshu analysed the work of Spanish architect Miguel Fisac to arrive at a geometric prototype for the project and conducted various experiments to "investigate, produce and implement a casting procedure for creating a self-supporting modular facade.""This concrete facade was later adopted and applied to three key moments within the facade of the existing Jardine House which was supported by environmental analysis using computational software."Student: Gong TianshuSchool: University of Hong KongStudio: Weighted Curvature: Screening the City's Natural EnvironmentView the full school show Have a Call by Tsz Yu KwongTsz Yu Kwong's jewellery collection Have a Call observes the process of a phone call, identifying four stages involved of pressing, calling, picking up and hearing.The project intends to be reminiscent of the process, emphasising the emotions and sensations involved in such, with each piece serving as a nostalgic symbol."Each stage is depicted in a unique and creative way, showcasing the different emotions and interactions involved in a phone conversation", said Kwong, with the collection displaying clear reference to phone wires and buttons."This collection intends to evoke wearers' memories of communicating with a special someone."Student: Tsz Yu KwongSchool: Hong Kong Design InstituteCourse: Higher Diploma in Jewellery Design and TechnologyView the full school show Next Page of Reading by Tsui Tsz HoiNext Page of Reading by design strategy student Tsui Tsz Hoi investigates the attitudes of young adults in Hong Kong towards books and reading.Observing a "suffering" of the publishing industry amongst modern technological advancements, Hoi presents a report into the topic in the form of a printed publication.The publication is split into four sections: 'the value of books', 'discovering the past', 'defining the present' and 'anticipating possible futures'.The project aims to spark thought with "comprehensive studies on the development and possibilities of books from past to future", Hoi said, aiming to "forsee the next page of reading".Student: Tsui Tsz HoiSchool: Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityCourse: MDes Design StrategiesView the full school show The Beauty of Monster by Lai Ying Wong and Man Ling CheungThe Beauty of Monster by fashion students Lai Ying Wong and Man Ling Cheung responds to societal pressures on women to conform to modern beauty standards.The students designed a leather bodysuit to give the appearance of a human body, with details of bandages to represent cosmetic surgeries.The piece also features breast implants with "exaggerated proportions" to "express a sense of discordance", the students said, emphasising the "absurdity of modern beauty standards".Student: Lai Ying Wong and Man Ling CheungSchool: Hong Kong Design InstituteCourse: Higher Diploma in Fashion Image DesignView the full school show Weather(ing) by Hong Sum Ho AngusTaking a scientific approach to explore weather and climate impact on design, architecture student Hong Sum Ho Angus presents an investigation into material choices.Through analysing previous designs, Angus sought out to re-contextualise modern material and design decisions in light of evolving weather and climate conditions."Will [the weather and climate] influence how we use materials in the future when resources become scarce?" Angus said."In the process of weathering, how do we understand the potential of materials and to which degree should we control them?"Student: Hong Sum Ho AngusSchool: University of Hong KongCourse: Architecture Under the WeatherView the full school show Partnership contentThese projects are presented in school shows from institutions that partner with Dezeen. Find out more about Dezeen partnership contenthere.The post Eight design projects from institutions in China featured on Dezeen School Shows appeared first on Dezeen.