In the past the future looked much brighter than it does today—and also more futuristic. Design played an essential role in speculating and defining “what’s next” through technologies and veneers. Our future was at once streamlined and primitive. There was a sense of wonder and wonderment that, curiously, does not exist today. The future is bland. This talk looks at the promise of the past through the fairs and expositions that sold optimism. It looks at the dystopias as well and how designers and design contributed to both.

About the Speaker

Steven Heller is the co-chair of MFA Designer as Author and co-founder of MFA Design Criticism, Interaction Design, and MPS Branding at SVA. His recent books are Born Modern: The Life and Design of Alvin Lustig (with Elaine Lustig Cohen) and Graphic: Sketchbooks of the World’s Great Graphic Designers (with MFAD co-chair Lita Talarico). His forthcoming book is Scripts(with Louise Fili).