Meet the Experts : Adam Steel

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Meet The Experts
In the next instalment of our Meet the Experts blog series, we’re chatting with Adam Steel, our strategic foresight editor and go-to for the future of... well, anything.

: How would you describe your role and area of expertise at The Future Laboratory? 

As Strategic Foresight Editor, I lead the team that creates bespoke content for clients, offering thought-leadership, disruptive thinking and providing brands with a futures point of view on various topics and trends.

Expertise-wise, my favourite briefs tend to involve the workplace, cities or supply chains – my guilty pleasure.

: As a futurist, what does your typical day look like?

Variety is the best part of the job – one day we’ll be exploring the future of retail, the next the future of cake.

Doing so means having heads down in desk research, finding inspiration on LS:N Global, interviewing experts and brainstorming portmanteaux. And there’s also a significant amount of writing involved too.

Published by:

19 May 2022

Author: Adam Steel

Image: The Future Laboratory

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: What is your favourite way to unwind? 

A really hot bath or a walk around the block.

: Your go-to working snack and after-work tipple? 

There is no food I won’t consume, but my go-to snack is a trusty apple or anything savoury, although a packet of coconut mushrooms can put paid to that. On the drinks front, it’s usually a no-frills lager or a tequila and tonic come summer.

: What was your Plan B career? 

Plan B was to put my history degree to use as a museum curator – very much the opposite of exploring the future.

: What trend are you most excited about for the year ahead? 

2022 is all about The Betterverse! I’m very intrigued to see whether brands harness its immersive potential and facilitate positive change, and how the metaverse’s impact on human experience will play out more generally.

‘I’m very intrigued to see whether brands harness The Betterverse's immersive potential and facilitate positive change.’
Adam Steel, strategic foresight editor, The Future Laboratory
 

Want to learn more about life at The Lab?

Here at The Future Laboratory, our team are constantly striving for betterment in all areas, particularly for people and the planet. By holding ourselves and each other to account in a compassionate way, we have built a culture that allows each of us to do our best work.

Learn more about our commitments, both as individuals and as a community at The Future Laboratory with our Cultural Charter.


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