Welcome to Year 2049! 🔮

Your weekly guide to the disruptive innovations shaping our future.

The future is overwhelming

We live at an important time in the history book of humanity. So much is changing around us, for better or worse. Just think of how much has changed since you were a kid and you’ll start to feel old (shoutout to the Sony Walkman). Now imagine how much more is going to change in the coming decades.

The future is overwhelming to think about when we’re constantly bombarded with news, bold predictions, and lots of hype around things we don’t understand well enough. I feel overwhelmed by it too.

My goal is simple: I want to make the future less scary for all of us.

Comics to keep you informed

This is not just another newsletter sharing news in the traditional way. As a visual learner and someone who loves stories, I’m sharing news through comics.

Regardless of our age, comics ranging from New Yorker cartoons to graphic novels speak to us. They tell stories that we can relate to, laugh or cry at, and even make us question our own ways of being. They’re powerful at communicating context and visualizing the applications and challenges of our discoveries and inventions.

Every comic is meant to communicate the possibilities of the future. My goal isn’t to paint an unrealistic utopia or a terrifying dystopia. I want to create a shared understanding of the problems we’re facing and the solutions to address them.

The Designer’s perspective

I love good design.

For me, design is about solving problems within a set of constraints. This requires being curious, sensible, and pragmatic. Although my day job involves designing digital products and experiences, I think all of us are designers.

We all design the future with our decisions, no matter how small.

We design the future through the companies we invest our time and money in, technologies we accept or reject, the products we buy, the way we treat others, the way we educate, the information we share... you get the point.

You design the future every day. Never underestimate your impact on it.

Meet Vic and Tori

Every story needs a hero. Lucky for us, we have two.

Through the eyes of Vic and Tori, you’ll explore and learn about the discoveries and inventions that are shaping our future.

Vic wears his heart on his sleeve and can’t keep up with the ever-changing world around him. His reactions make us pause and question our so-called “progress” and remind us of how crazy the world can be.

Tori is the voice of reason we all need: her calmness and knowledge of the world are reassuring and make us less scared of the unknown. She’s also the super-smart friend you want by your side at all times.

Every comic will be based on a real story, discovery, or invention from today that could change our future.

What you should expect

I’m looking to spark your curiosity and get you interested in stories that span all industries and aspects of life.

Expect:

• A comic and its backstory every Friday: each comic will be based on a real event, discovery, or invention

• Easy and understandable explanations for complex topics: I’m not a fan of using jargon or fluffy words to sound smart. I love explaining complex things in an easy and understandable way.

• Variety of topics: I’m covering topics across all industries including tech, science, climate, and anything in between. Email me at fawzi@year2049.com to recommend a topic!

• A pragmatic take on the story: I’ll share the latest on each topic, research and data to help you better understand the problem being solved, and any risks or challenges that we need to know about.

• My honest opinion: I’m interested in having interesting conversations with you by sharing my thoughts and getting you to share yours in the comments. This will help both of us understand different perspectives and re-evaluate our own knowledge and beliefs.

Join us on the adventure

If you’ve read everything so far, thank you. You’re awesome.

I hope you’ll join us on the journey to learn more about our life in the near future. Together, we can become more informed and understand how we can create the future we want, and not one that’s predicted or imposed on us.

Much love,

Fawzi