IN SESSION: Another World is Possible

Why is our view of the future so dystopian?

Interactive polls informed us that 44% of the attendees do not feel very optimistic whereas 35% have a rather neutral view about the future.

Where is our ambition to create new institutions and a society that builds on the achievements of the past to create better futures?

Geoff Mulgan's new book 'Another World is Possible: How to Reignite Social and Political Imagination’ examines the history of future thinking, challenges our expectations and ambition and invites us to reignite our social and political imagination. Geoff spoke to Clive about his book and work across sustainability, social innovation and policy and the role of creativity and design in building imaginative futures.

Speakers

Geoff Mulgan

Sir Geoff Mulgan is Professor at University College London (UCL). Former CEO of Nesta and the Young Foundation, director of the UK Government's Strategy Unit and head of policy in UK Prime Minister's office, adviser to many leaders and governments around the world. Geoff recently wrote two books on imagination: ‘Another World is Possible: How to Reignite Social and Political Imagination’ (Hurst/Oxford University Press) published summer 2022 and ‘Prophets at a Tangent: how art shapes public imagination’ (Cambridge University Press) published in January 2023.

Clive Grinyer

Clive Grinyer is the Head of Service Design MA Programme at the Royal College of Art. Clive is an acknowledged expert in service design, design thinking and digital and technology innovation who has led award-winning design teams for companies around the globe. Clive started in design consultancy Ideo in London and San Francisco before co-founding design company Tangerine with Martin Darbyshire and future Apple design chief and RCA Chancellor Jony Ive. He went onto build and lead design teams for Orange, Samsung and Cisco and was Director of Service Design at Barclays. As Director for Design at the Design Council, he created the Design Demand programme taking design into over a thousand UK companies and as a consultant has worked with the Cabinet Office Policy Lab and at Nesta. Clive also leads the Service Design Masterclass at the Royal College of Art.