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Warm Vanilla Sugar

Grow, Memory, Event, Serenity

It’s 2029, and our “Full Bloom Experience” has turned into Warm Vanilla Sugar. It is a progressive society with a GROWTH outlook. The flowers now float, and have turned into vanilla flowers that impart a sweet vanilla scent as people sit underneath. The warm scent of vanilla, the green surroundings, and the calm lake work together to create a SERENE place to be. Scent is a strongly correlated to MEMORY, and the scent of the decadent vanilla bean cake to commemorate this birthday EVENT is a reminder of the ghosts of his younger self.

Transform, Identity, Festival, Anxiety

In 2028, the Earth’s climate has changed rapidly. The ocean has receded and rain has become almost nonexistent. The Redondo Beach Pier had to be moved several times as the ocean receded. Society has developed a new appreciation for water as it is in high demand. Thankfully, skilled inventors have developed a simple household machine that desalinates ocean water. The pier becomes the town’s distribution point for water rations. People anxiously wait in line to receive their water rations, hoping they will not run out before they get their rations. As they approach, they get their identity cards ready for inspection. Something starts falling from the sky, someone yells “it’s raining!”. Schools close so that everyone can celebrate this auspicious event. A large festival is held on the pier to celebrate the day!

Transform, Justice, Corporation, Outrage

Welcome to the year 2028; the last of the environmental protections in United States were abolished by congress in 2027. One year later, we look at the small town of Apex, NC for a glimpse into the past. We launch the Historic Adventures app and select the year 2018 from a list of dates. The app dutifully renders the scene, presenting us with the wondrous site of foliage, long since stripped from the land.

Foliage may be gone, but an egregious set of artifacts are almost as pervasive. Advertising now runs rampant in the town. Consumer protection laws do little to stop the mega corporation that has risen from the ashes of a charred earth.

With a renewed desire for justice, the group of citizens stand behind the viewscreen of the Historic Adventures app. They march on Congress tomorrow; anger fuels their drive and commitment for reform. It’s too late for Apex, but the planet can still be saved.

Arc: Collapse, Terrain: Religion, Object: Device, Mood: Embarrassment

It is the year 2050. Only 30 years since the Santa Ana RiverFront rocketed to became a tourist destination and local hangout for telling the tales of water. Much as changed. The sea rise from climate change has truly brought the ocean and river back together, but instead of fresh water rushing to the sea, the sea now rushes up the river.

The world economy has collapsed. In 2022 the power grid went down in a massive hacking attack. Against this backdrop of fear and confusion, religion in America fell its disarray, unable to fight off the encroaching paranoia and hysteria brought on by global geopolitical unrest and massive environmental change.

Now, young atheists, once happily described as “hipsters” and “millennials” find themselves worshiping their technology gods for their survival. In the desolation of the Santa Ana River, they live in tents, homelessness no longer a “problem” but the norm. They band together, modern day cargo cultists, fashioning steampunk devices they hope will bring fresh water back into the world, to push the sea back into itself, so that humans may live and watch Netflix again.

But they are like Adam and Eve. They know that switches and knobs are no sooner to bring them a miracle than a button or a drop-down list. And they are embarrassed.

[Image attribution to be added]

People have mastered the ability to walk on water as the polar ice has completely melted. Women clothing contributes to the green effort, incorporating plants and flowers. The paparazzi has evolved into flying robot-drones. The campaign is a holographic yellow booth. This is to maintain the continuity and familiarity of design with a ten-year campaign. The interaction continues to be connecting people with children with cancer, as this continues to be a serious social problem.

Transform, Climate, Gift, Serenity

The CAMP in 2028 is still the same retail mall. Climate change affects the weather in Orange County drastically, and today is much warmer than usual. There are few shoppers and the mall is quiet.

Some shops have changed or been added since 10 years prior. There are a few virtual reality cafes where people can come have coffee video dates with their loved ones across the world. Mobile phones have become obsolete as most people realized their addiction to their devices is unhealthy and have switched to AR glasses, a new tech that is still a bit clunky.

As self-driving cars have become the norm, parking has not been as large of an issue. People can reprogram their car to drive back home if they can’t find parking. Reprogramming can be a pain because the technology has not caught up to accommodate for this yet, and calling the car back over to pick up the person is another issue so there is still a need for parking lots and for the CAMP counselors (though they expect not for long with the way self-driving car technology is progressing rapidly).

The counselors have become well-known in the community and have been putting on community events and activities for shoppers for the past 9 years since the program was implemented. Their most recent was a going-away party for one of their fellow counselors who they all loved and were sad to see leave. Many people from the community showed up to see Jerry go. He has become great friends with some of the regular shoppers and together, they made a virtual scrapbook of their AR selfies for him to take and remember them by.

Arc: Transform, Terrain: Genetics, Object: Machine, Mood: Shock

In 2020 Happy Habitat continues to protect the national wildlife refuge at Don Edwards San Francisco Bay.

Scientists have used advanced technology and innovative machines to edit genes. Many animals lost their lives as a result of severe damages caused by alteration of their genes.

This evolution had adverse effects on wildlife species by all means. The transformation of human life into a machinelike lifestyle is shocking. Massive experiment and research buildings have replaced the green spaces. A lot of animals life were destroyed as the result of the genetic experiments with the goal of enhancing human’s life. However, by ruining natural recourses, wildlife, and parks more and more people are getting depressed living an artificial life. The Happy Habitat project continues to support kids and families by creating natural spaces for people to interact with green environments while protecting the wildlife and nature of the refuge.

Team 15: Discipline, Journalism, Clothing, Shock

 

In year 2029, the community garden at the Great Park in Orange County is still a place where locals enjoy visiting. The depletion of cotton farming and other natural resources due to global drought has made plastic apparels latest fashion trend in Orange County.  This is apparent when you see people visiting the garden.  A highly regarded and protected community garden hangs vertically in plexiglass greenhouse.  The garden is cultivated with exceptionally controlled water and sunlight environment to minimize production of waste. Fruits and vegetables are produced from the community garden even now.  However, they go through rigorous food processing to omit bacteria growth.  For this reason, scientists discovered a way to genetically modify fruits and vegetables into a small jellybean form.  As a result, price of produce has increased significantly in the past decade.  People don’t seem to mind higher price points after XOXO news published an article arguing that there are superior health benefits to eating fruits and vegetables in a jellybean form.

Welcome to UCI’s campus in 2028.  It is clear to see that campus has changed a bit – nearly all surfaces of campus buildings are covered in screens that mimic the look and feel of industrial material, but are actually screens showing posters created by students.  Students at UCI now have the power to create and express themselves on nearly any surface in campus, and their work and words are now an incredibly prominent feature on campus.  The use of posters has grown to cover even more of campus than ever before, with posters denoting anything from job listings to “missed connections” to goofy inside jokes between clubs.   From the advances in technology, these posters can be quite decadent – featuring animations, realistic metallic shimmers and shine, and opulently covering what used to be plain and boring surfaces.  Communication and interaction amongst students is at an all time high and all one has to do to be a part of it is simply look around.

We’ve controlled population growth. There are far fewer people than there are resources. Nature is no longer under pressure. Everyone has enough and more. LA is now a city of abundance and decadence. Automation has freed everyone from all kinds of serious work and stress. People pursue what we would have called ‘trivial,’ back in 2018 (and we were pretty lazy and vapid then).

In this wider context, it’s not just the humans that have become spoiled and indulgent. Pets have too! Now, almost anything can happen at a pet’s whim or fancy. Our LA River Garden, which was inaugurated in late 2018, has evolved into a chic “LA River Dog Retreat.”

The garden no longer grows fresh produce. It is now purely an ornamental garden where dogs can relieve stress and find happiness. Dog owners can book this space by the hour, by appointment only. Humans and cats are strictly forbidden from entering the garden and prohibited from disturbing them in any way. Dogs are free to roam and play, destroy all kinds of exotic plants, pee and poop anywhere they like, and mate to their heart’s content. When a dog runs along the river and jumps into it, it’s considered auspicious. It is their way of blessing the pristine blue waters of LA River.

Reflection:

Always design with the long-term in mind. What looks like a solution today, might become a constraint tomorrow. Even worse, it might be deemed ugly and irrelevant in the near future. [Car designers call this the “How will this age?” test. The Honda CrossTour 2009 is an example of a car whose design did not age well, while the original Mini’s design (1970) is still going strong.]

 

Grow – It’s 2029 and the mixed systems of augmented reality and 3d AI holograms are the main technologies. The Northside Domain has enriched the customer experience with this system while shopping. As social data mining gets more and more sophisticated, retailers and marketers have figured out exactly what we want or need at any moment.

Health – This AI technology is capable of recording all the personal information, including personal medical data. The health, medical records and charts are shared securely to anyone who needs it. The broad umbrella of AI assists in improving the healthcare system.

Law – The national laws regulate the collection and use of personal data and information, particularly medial privacy. It should be protected by law and strict healthcare policies.

Embarrassment – However, there always will be some bugs and system errors even in the far future. The Artificial Intelligence can be penetrated too deeply into private personal data. While Steve was passing the pharmacy store at the mall, the hologram AI retailer automatically approached the system for secured health issues. He was embarrassed that his personal problems were shared publicly.

This is the Desert Ridge Mall in Phoenix, AZ. 10 years from now, the sunset watch tower will still be standing, but the surrounding parking lot will become the new setting for the wave of drone racing games. The community has grown and advanced greatly. Drones have become a regular sighting, and what was previously an activity of leisure is now taken to a whole new competitive level. Meanwhile, the locals of Phoenix detest drones and gather to protest during the races. Their rage is not to be underestimated as the number of protesters increase with each day. Alas, the tower remains and people still climb it everyday to watch the sunset. Advocates of the new drone races even use it to get a greater birds eye view of the races.

Continue reading “3.3 Speculations – Greg & Christina”

Arc: Grow

In 2029, San Franciscans are still tackling the homeless issue, but many people have taken to the skies in floating cities. Still street art is trying to build empathy amongst San Francisco residents in Hayes Valley, as this city was once in a worse state. The holographic art installation features imagery from the past shake people out of their own apathy towards homelessness.

Terrain: Memory

The art form will engrain itself in people’s memories, while also allowing viewers to select memories of what the old San Francisco was like. The homeless just want to be treated like human beings, and the powerful images are memories from the past showing what people actually think about homeless people. People viewing these memories will internalize these images in their own memories until they’re driven to do something about it.

Object: Event

The event is that now every time someone goes to eat at a high-end restaurant in Hayes Valley, they encounter these powerful images. It causes a stir. There are crowds gathered in front of it. People can’t help but look at what’s going on. Patricia’s Green in 2019 was underutilized as an open space. In 2029, Patricia’s Green has become a park with beautiful views of the cities in the sky that have changed the housing crisis. It is also center of social activism, especially for the homeless epidemic that’s affecting thousands in the city.

Mood: Serenity

In 2029, San Franciscans experience a serene moment. There’s hope that San Francisco will be the first city to eliminate homelessness.

Collapse, Governance, Logo, Outrage

Since this is in a future world of “collapse,” a terrain of “governance,” a focus object of a “logo,” and a mood of “outrage,” this collage represents the future “collapse” of the White House. The president is on the futurist swing on the white house courtyard instead of attending to his diplomatic duties. The White House is desecrated with the parody of a “Supreme”-esque logo that says “White House.” While the swings are a fun way to relax from work, it is being utilized 24/7 in this dystopian future. The public feels simultaneously outraged but remorseful as there is little ways to stop the president’s childish nature.

Sunshine News Report
December 10, 2029

Balboa Park Grand Opening!

The re-grand opening of Balboa Park will be this weekend. Admission will be 50% off for the first hundred people in line. This is quite a deal as tickets are $350 for children and $500 for adults.  This will be the Park’s fifth grand opening since it became privately owned by Sunshine Corporation. Sunshine Corporation also owns a chain of grocery stores, E-commorce retail stores, Disneyland and the air rights to most of San Diego.

The re-grand opening promises to be the cultural oasis of your dreams. Visitors are not required but encouraged to tour the park using AR glasses for the educational experience of a lifetime. The park is now open 24 hours a day seven days a week! Feeling anxious about lines? Don’t worry, Balboa Park now offers virtual lines while you visit other park attractions. Don’t believe the buzz? Visit the park for yourself!