Some exercises on what we can expect to see in the near future on a daily basis. Machines and science that either enhance or replace activities and products near and dear to us. New materials, wearables, AI, mashups between living organisms and nanotechnologies, drones, improved capabilities for formerly "dumb" and inanimate things...
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🤖 http://signsfromthenearfuture.tumblr.com
📕 http://bit.ly/ABookFromTheFuture
🔗 http://fb.com/signsfromthenearfuture
📰 https://elink.io/p/signs-from-the-near-future
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5. SIGNSFROMTHENEARFUTURE
I was inspired by many posts, articles and
news I’ve been reading lately, related with
innovation in science and technology…
MAY.8.2014
6. SIGNSFROMTHENEARFUTURE
I read stuff about 3D food printers, new
materials, mashups between living
organisms and nano technologies,
improved capabilities for formerly "dumb"
and inanimate things...
MAY.8.2014
8. SIGNSFROMTHENEARFUTURE
Before keep on writing, I decided to work
on the header for the post, instead of using
an exisisting image as I did before…
MAY.9.2014
9. SIGNSFROMTHENEARFUTURE
Since I’m a visual thinker, suddenly I started
to see the whole picture… Then I went for
the full total synthesis approach and
focused just on pictures.
MAY.9.2014
10. MAY.9.2014
Since we’ve already seen many pics of
those technologies -or at least how they’re
going to look like- I decided to approach
the topic by not to showing them but using
something we’re very acquainted to:
Signage.
SIGNSFROMTHENEARFUTURE
11. SIGNSFROMTHENEARFUTURE
MAY.9.2014
I chose to show these upcoming advances
coexisting with very ordinary places and
environments, with a kind of dystopian look
and feel given by the signaling and iconic
language, cause at the end of the day… the
future always is very similar to the present.
(It's 2014 already and cars are not flying on
a regular basis -yet- and the clothes we are
using are far from what the sci-fi movies
showed us many times).
21. SIGNSFROMTHENEARFUTURE
MAY.12.2014
After a few positive comments and
feedback on Twitter, it was time for some
one-to-one emails to friends and contacts
who might be interested in the project…
47. SIGNSFROMTHENEARFUTURE
"The images feature a range of different near-
future scenarios, such a street sign warning of
drones overhead, a butcher's counter advertising
synthetic, 3D-printed meat and a sign warning
that hyperloop travel exposes passengers to G-
forces..."
“...it's only a matter of time until our bathrooms
have signs that prohibit smart lenses, or
restaurants that have anti-vaping icons. This
project is certainly on to something."
“Fernando Barbella imagines a dystopian future,
where we’re being watched and warned at every
turn. Streets don’t just have yield signs and stop
signs; they have yellow warnings that drones are
watching.”
"Set in familiar settings like super highways and
public bathrooms, the photos reveal a slightly
twisted tomorrow that, at first glance, might
seem more mundane - even sinister, at times -
than your typical sci-fi theorizing."
“Scientists and major technology companies are
promising incredible changes that could shift
what the world looks like just years from now.
Designer Fernando Barbella is both entranced
by and concerned with what all of these changes
could mean, and he's created a series of images
that depict what a not-so-distant year might look
like with all of these advancements."
“Smart machines, synthetic biology, and other
sci-fi technology are slowly making their way into
our daily lives. Phrases like “Left lane free for
driverless cars” and “15% off on synthetic
burgers!” could be the new stop signs and
promotional offers of the world in which we live.”
"The future will appear, not in leaps and bounds,
but on a moving sidewalk, gliding onward just
smoothly enough that it doesn't shake you into
recognition. It's still going to take decades for
California to complete its futuristic high-speed
rail line, for example; when it arrives, it's still
going to look like a train."
“As humorous as these images are, Barbella tell
us he also wants viewers to "think about how far
—and how fast—we want to go in this kind of
technological race.”
“The future is simultaneously an exciting and
terrifying place. Hoverboards: exciting. Constant
Orwellian surveillance: terrifying. Progress is
inevitable. And so these signs, created by this
brilliant tumblr will undoubtedly be
commonplace sooner rather than later.”
REVIEWS
“An uncanny look at the near future: Fernando
Barbella gives us a prediction of what the near-
future might look like. The signage, at least.”
“Subtlety is a key part of the design, Barbella
says. The idea is not to trumpet the oddness of
the signs, but rather to emphasize their
"normalness" by placing them in very ordinary
settings.”
48. SIGNSFROMTHENEARFUTURE
"First things first, we're just going to come right
out and say it: The Signs From the Near Future
tumblr is a must! It features road signs, airport
signs, supermarket signs - you name it -
strategically altered to reflect the very possible
realities of the future, whether that be tomorrow,
2030 or beyond. Most importantly, though,
they're smart, well thought out and greatly
executed, making them super believable."
“As these advancements rapidly develop, the
graphics that supply messages to us - whether
commercial or cultural - begin to change,
realized in the public and urban landscape. From
drones to jetpacks, the gadgets are eerily
interpreted on parking, supermarket and airport
signs, demonstrating how these high-tech
devices will pervade our everyday life."
"The question is not if these signs will ever exist
but rather when they will be rolled out (we might
have to wait a while for the jet pack though).
Fernando Barbella’s signs are really exciting but
they are also a reminder that each innovation will
bring its fair share of new problems, especially
concerning privacy and ethics."
“Fernando Barbella has done what science
fiction writers have attempted to do for
generations by imagining a world not too
different from our own but where life is ever-so-
slightly different. It's not the people that have
changed but the signs around them as they go
about their daily lives.”
“Avec cette série de photomontages “Signs from
the near future“, l’artiste Fernando Barbella créé
une signalisation qui pourrait bien être réelle dans
quelques années. Les nouvelles technologies
comme des voitures volantes, hologrames,
drones, et puces electromagnétiques, devront
aussi se plier à un code de conduite collectif!”
REVIEWS
“The best part of Barbella’s work is that these
world-changing technologies are shown in the
most ordinary of settings. He’s managed to craft
a world of mundane cyberpunk and, in doing so,
has made it very easy for us to imagine ourselves
living in just such a world very soon.”
“A new blog, Signs From the Near Future,
humorously imagines an urban future in which
familiar scenes eerily reveal how smart
technology might alter the way we live. Some
changes seem to be positive innovations in
sustainability, others hint at an all-seeing, all-
knowing city that has perhaps become too
smart.”
“When you look at these photos, prepare to
have your whole concept of reality shattered.
The future is happening right now!”
“Aside from the addition of a whole lot more
screens, daily life for most people doesn't look
much different than it did 10 or 15 years ago. But
if scientists and eager startups are to be
believed, the next few decades will be busting at
the seams with dramatic, sci-fi inspired
innovations. Fernando Barbella explores what
signage will look like when we have to absorb all
of these innovations into human culture.”
51. SIGNSFROMTHENEARFUTURE
LEARNINGS&TIPS
Neither formalities nor press releases: all the mails sent to friends and contacts as
well as those sent to journalists and editors, were written in a colloquial and close
tone and manner.
Short stories travel faster: both the mails sent proactively and the mails answering
questions about the project were short and straight to the point.
No social begging: nor a single tweet asking for RT’s was sent.
Quick movements and fast reactions: most of requests for stories on media were
answered in less than 8-10 hours.
Content is king: real engage with people comes when you give them something to
talk about (they’ll love it, or they’ll hate it, worst of cases, they’ll ignore it); it’s not a
question of promising rewards, prizes and that kind of stuff.
J: be thankful with those supporting your idea and be nice with those criticizing it.