Speculative Thinking and Design
I read somewhere that reflective writing is not a time for confession, but I should clarify that I am not optimistic about the future of work. I personally believe that many of the problems in the world and the challenges that individuals face in the workplace could be solved if the powerful decision-makers in the world wanted to, but I don’t think they’re going to make the changes to make it happen. I don’t have the courage to go into the wood like Thoreau’s Walden, but I wonder what it would be like to design our work in the forest of the future.
Therefore, I decided to design this future of work project in a particularly utopian way for everyone, as much as my team members would allow. Perhaps I’m just dreaming for myself about a future where there are no restrictions or sacrifices for everyone to enjoy happiness and fulfilment through the work they do, but I believe that.
Work is everywhere in our lives. Working at a company to earn money, working to fulfil personal goals, volunteering to help others, and many other tasks that may be visible or invisible at home are all examples of work.
All of these make and tell us who we are. For me, work was, at first, an opportunity. It was a new experience and even fun when I didn’t associate earning money with labour. I didn’t realize that participating in economic life was a sad thing to have to exchange for the only resource I have: time.
As time passed, the job demanded more knowledge and experience from me, and I had to juggle educating myself to keep working. There were some expenses that I had to pay, but in a way, I felt it was worth it because it was less than the cost of getting the degree I needed to get a job. The learning was meaningful, but I did not choose it; It was forced to do because my job demanded it. I had to juggle a hectic daily routine with less time to see friends and family. I started to feel sick.
I couldn’t stop working because it was fun and rewarding, and I believed that everything would be fine if I tried harder and found a more efficient way. But I now realize that when companies hold efficient time management seminars for their employees, it’s not about helping them to work efficiently; it’s about instilling the idea that if you’re not getting things done, you’re not efficient.
The problem with this efficiency is that we don’t all have the same abilities. The abilities I’m talking about are the circumstances and opportunities randomly given to each individual. Someone may have been born into poverty, had to do a lot of housework as a child, and may even have to care for family members. In general, a person’s resources are time and health, and it is easy to find people who lack both.
Despite my ambivalence about my work, I refuse to give up on a better future. Because I have faith in our humanity and our power for good. I’m hoping that by redesigning the future of work, I can also change the way I think about work to be more positive so I can find a better version of work.