Kellie Walters

CMF Designer, Garmin

Kellie is a Color, Materials, and Finishes (CMF) Designer at Garmin and previously at Newell Brands, with professional experience spanning consumer electronics and home goods. She is a published researcher on trend forecasting, CMF directions, and future aesthetics after artificial general intelligence and society head toward artificial superintelligence. Kellie is focused on the direct impact that social, political, and economic events have on future aesthetics as they relate to AI integration in both CMF Design and research disciplines.

Design for Utopian Futures

Main Stage

Track 4

Thurs - Sept. 23

2:00 am EDT

Trend Forecasting for 2035 looks bleak as we face a climate crisis and integration of artificial general intelligence. Many artists, pop-sci-fi, and pop-discourse on these topics often lead to dystopian and apocalyptic visions of our future. In order to rapidly innovate for the future, we must forecast for hope alongside criticism and speculation, giving an inspirational goal post for cross-functional teams to work towards. This presentation shows a glimpse of a scenario-building exercise for 2035 that creates an aesthetic narrative for a utopian future and product application of future aesthetics in consumer electronics and home goods.