Tomorrow's Book: Artifacts in the Anthropocene

Abstract

The Anthropocene is our current epoch in which the Earth’s environment and residents are heavily impacted by human influence. While many people recognize the possible future effects of Anthropogenic change, such as rising temperatures, biodiversity loss, increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, and extensive waste, it can be difficult to imagine how the world might actually alter. Narratives allow us to weave diverse ideas together to relate to the experiences of others and grasp abstract information. Design can also act as a storyteller—speculative designers bring attention to present societal issues while designing artifacts for the future. What artifact could be better to tell stories than the book? It has been a notable part of many human histories, from stone tablets to the printed page. The book’s form often reflects the current technological and cultural points in many societies, so what forms will it take in the future? This thesis explores the creation of three books that address future Anthropogenic projections: extensive waste through a nature poetry anthology, biodiversity loss through a cookbook, and increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide through a field guide. These iterations use design as a storytelling tool to make these distant challenges more approachable and personal, communicating to readers how their futures, as well as the book’s, will need to adapt to the changing world.