Move over predictions: Five futurists share their 2025 provocations
Rather than chasing predictions and trends, Steph Clarke asked five clever futurist friends to instead share some provocations for 2025.
End-of-year predictions are just so… well, predictable. And while they are beautifully presented and are often quite interesting to read, we may need fewer trend reports adding to (often self-serving) noise on what’s happening next.
Because (spoiler alert) nobody actually knows what’s happening next (and anyone who tells you they do, may well be trying to relinquish you of your hard-earned cash).
In these strange times we find ourselves floating in, we’d all be better off spending more time observing what is happening now, why it’s happening, and imagining what might happen next, in order to make sense of where we are.
So rather than chasing predictions and trends, I’ve asked five of my clever futurist friends to instead share some provocations for 2025.
They’ve shared a selection of topics we can all consider about the world, our lives, and the organisations we’re part of today, in order to have some better conversations about tomorrow.
Time to change your mind: Futurist Simon Waller
Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Samuelson famously said, “When events change, I change my mind. What do you do?”.
Sadly, the media loves to label people who change their minds as untrustworthy, wishy-washy flip-floppers, even when new, relevant information comes to light. But regardless of whether you were right in the past, there is little value if you’re wrong in the present.
So in the comfort and safety of your own head, take a moment to reflect on the changes you’re observing around and what beliefs you might need to update.
And remember, changing your mind doesn’t have to be binary. There are countless shades of grey to explore between the extremes of black/white, yes/no, and in/out.
Futurists are sometimes criticised for avoiding firm predictions and holding their convictions lightly. However, in a world that’s dynamic and uncertain, this approach seems increasingly valid… at least for now.
Defiance of chrono-normativity: Foresight consultant Anika Nafis
The expressions of girlhood across both younger and older demographics reflect a broader trend of defying chrono-normativity — the societal expectation of a fixed life timeline. This intersects with trends like young retirees, older entrepreneurs, and late-career restarts.
Let’s pick one macro topic – declining birth rates, to highlight how this might unfold. Advances in reproductive technology now enable parenthood at almost any age, challenging traditional notions of timing. These new opportunities for older parenthood have the potential to also destigmatise early motherhood, something often frowned upon. We may be moving towards a world where becoming a parent at 17 or 47 is equally valid.
In this world, service designs must support diverse life stages — not just in workplaces, but also in high schools, universities, and care communities. This reimagining of milestones embraces flexibility, allowing lives to unfold in ways that reflect personal choices rather than rigid life timelines.
Considering climate as the norm: SOON Future Studies future director Tully Walter
In the not-too-distant future, climate change could reconfigure the way we live, eat and work. Alongside the devastating ecological impacts of a warming planet, in 2024 the effects on individuals, communities and businesses are quickly emerging, spurring a more urgent push for decarbonisation.
In terms of the threats of rising temperatures to life’s pleasures, experts are predicting more cancellations or rescheduling of sporting games due to extreme heat, while the bioavailability of foodie favourites such as coffee, cocoa, watermelon and mango may be at risk due to the loss of insect pollinators.
The business costs are also gaining pace, with studies finding that prolonged hot weather reduces workers’ productivity – even if their workplaces are air-conditioned. For businesses and leaders in the future, climate change will transcend from an environmental and social priority to an economic one.
It’s time to start considering these scenarios in more of our strategy, workforce planning, and brand conversations.
A reimagined Main Street experience: DISCO’s futures designer and consultant Katy Cooper
What if the future of our Main Streets shifted from selling goods for profit to re-giving value through curated experiences of reuse? Imagine an economy built on redistributing rather than selling, creating high-street boutiques focused on pre-loved, transformed materials — without the stigma or shame. This isn’t about scaling up second-hand stores but reimagining them as curated, sustainable hubs.
In 2025, what if we prioritised the relationship between customers and employees in meaningful recycling and repurchasing? Some clothing stores have already transitioned from charity shops to boutiques, while fast-fashion brands dabble in take-back schemes that offer little more than a fleeting warm fuzzy feeling.
What if brands created place-based experiences where customers and employees collaboratively engage in the craft of reuse, shifting focus from consumption to regeneration?
The standout brands would inspire sustainable connections, turning Main Streets into thriving centres of responsible exchange and creativity.
A generational power shift: Futurist Ben Hamer
You’d think that I’d be well and truly over politics and elections after 2024, but one of the things that I’m most excited for in the new year is the Australian federal election.
It has less to do with the dramatic election ads, childish bickering guised as intellectual policy debate, and even the sacred democracy sausage.
The reason why I’m looking forward to it is that it will be the first time in Australian history where millennials and gen Z will make up the majority of voters, replacing Baby Boomers as the most influential political constituency.
This means that both ends of the political spectrum will need to build policy platforms that appeal to the needs and values of younger voters. It also means that social media users and influencers will be more important in this election than in any we’ve seen in our lifetimes #fr.
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