OUR PREDICTIONS FOR NEXT YEAR

Here in The Procrastinator we have a lot of ideas, wishful thoughts and predictions for next year, who doesn't? It's that time of year after all, so we thought it could be fun to ask our contributors, friends, and potential procrastination partners for their predictions for 2014, and here's what they share with us.

Illustration: Victoria Fernández.

"I think that 2014 is going to be the gay year. Madrid will host the World Gay Pride, some Easter Europe contries are changing there constitutions to never allow egalitarian marriage. Russia, no comments. Germany approved undefined sex on child birth certificates. A lot of illustration agencies are inviting their artists to create pieces within that subject. There's also Barilla's CEO unfortunate comments, and the IKEA ads. So, as you can see the gay theme is everywhere, but not in the usual way but because the legitimation or destruction of their rights. I feel that it's a crucial moments when postures will be defined because we not talking about minorities anymore, we're talking about a new social structure."

Victoria Fernández.
Illustrator.
Madrid, Spain.

Image via Marie James.

"Dear Procrastinator, for me 2014 will be... craftivist! We'll win the war against social inequalities and global warming stitching strong political incentives inside lovely handkerchiefs we'll offer to our politicians and cooking delicious soups made with vegetables grown in community gardens. Yummy, we can change the world!"

Marie James.
Pink Pony.
London, UK.

Photo: Linda McCartney (Eastman) via Pian.

"2013 came and went as fast as thunder! For me at least. What do I think next year will bring along?
In terms of photography, things are shifting and they will continue to shift for 2014. The whole digital camera "everyone is a photographer" thing is cooling down thanks to smart phone cameras and instagram. People that are more into taking candid shots, selfies, cat shots, baby shots, and food shots are finally getting diluted, creating a gap between them and the those with the compulsion to create images with a camera as a medium of self expression. I think photos with strong content are gonna have a big comeback, and eye candy (macros, HDR, etc) photography is gonna drop next year.
Camera brands are starting to launch more and more models that resemble old school cameras, thankfully cause they are so pretty, so it seems like maybe the whole nostalgia thing will continue to blossom next year, even photoshop now carries default color correction named after types of film. Film is not dead after all I guess, although a lot of film are still closing production.
2014 is a year for small business, personal projects, local consumption, and connecting more with people in a human level."


Andreína Restrepo.
Photographer.
Brooklyn, US.

Cartoon by Mankoff via The New Yorker.

As for me, I think is going to be a very intense year, regulation-wise. Technology is making possible a lot of amazing stuff but society will have to rethink the changing concepts of anonymity, security and personal privacy, and the legal, cultural, social and psychological implications of having a drone delivering take-away on your doormat. The NSA is listening. Google Glass is recording. 1984 might be coming 30 years later to a CCTV city near you! 

In a less intense note: I believe the FIFA World Cup will stay in South America, but not in Brazil. Tourism activity in Uruguay will triple. Celebrity political activism Russell Brand style will definitely be a thing (a virus perhaps). Tweeting trousers will be the new Atkins diet. iPhone 7s will read your mind, iPhone 8s will scan your soul. Someone, somewhere in Hollywood will pitch a studio a remake of Bladerunner. And finally, winter, as Punxsutawney Phil will confirm on the 2nd of February is going to be extremely long.

Image via Creative Review.

Now to help you build your predictions is this next three weeks here are some articles that will inspire you:

Turning Points 2014 via The New York Times
Bringing the maker revolution to Africa one Raspberry Pi at a time via Fast Co. Labs.
Pantone's Color of the Year via Creative Review
5 Ways to feed 9 billion people without ruining the planet via Fast Co. Exist.
On Smarm via Gawker.
Mind reading, Cyborgs, and fusion. What Darpa wants young scientists to work on via Fast Co. Exist.
Future Fashion via i-D.
The Top 12 Art Cities of the Future via Fast Company.


Please share your predictions in the sharing comments, and thanks again for reading!