Earlier this week, Fast Company published predictions for The Most Important Design Jobs of the Future. Designers from iconic organizations identified 18 jobs that will develop in the years to come. Among them, there are at least four that require the presence of artistic perspectives and skills: Conductor, Cybernetic Director, Fusionist and Interventionist. All of these roles require the ability to cultivate cross-disciplinary understanding, bridge seemingly disparate forces, communicate the complex with simplicity and perceive all that is essential – in the culture, not just in the marketplace.
Artists* retain a wholeness of perspective that eludes those in most other disciplines. Designers and architects work in similarly holistic ways, but there is a remove at which much of their work holds humanity. Though function is always a priority, feeling is not necessarily so.
Artists’ exploration of emotion, of universal, fundamental feelings will protect us – by asserting the primacy of humanity and the world around us – as technological advancement hurtles forward. Without nature there is nothing.
Many emergent creative people, especially those who identify as artists, limit themselves by crafting professional identities that are tethered exclusively to their crafts. But it’s through embracing their full selves that the spectrum of their talents can be revealed. This will have not only positive implications for the creation of art, but the business community as well.
The future is always unknown, but we can work toward ensuring one that is beautiful and sustainable. Conductors, Cybernetic Directors, Fusionists and Interventionists, who are also artists, will help us to get there.
*Our definition of "artist" is liberal and includes visual artists, filmmakers, performing artists, literary artists, multimedia artists, digital artists, artisans, craftspeople and many more.