Anab Jain

Anab Jain (b. 1976, Ahmedabad, India) is a designer, filmmaker, futurist, and educator. She is the co-founder of Superflux,Superflux Website a research, design and futures practice known for its work in critical foresight, speculative design, and experiential futures. Since 2016, she has been a Professor of Design InvestigationsDesign Investigations, University of Applied Arts Vienna at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. 
==Early life and education==
Jain was born and raised in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, amidst the dynamic postcolonial growth of the country. She studied Communication Design and Filmmaking at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad and later moved to London with a DFiD Commonwealth Scholarship for Education where she gained a Master's degree in Interaction Design from the Royal College of Art.
==Career==
Before moving to London, Jain worked as a filmmaker, moving between Ahmedabad and Mumbai to direct and produce documentary films. Following her Master's from the Royal College of Art, Jain began a career in foresight working on machine intelligence at Microsoft Research in Cambridge.
In 2009, Jain co-founded Superflux with Jon Ardern. The research, design and futures practice focuses on creating speculative and experiential futures, working with clients such as Google AI, DeepMind, Omidyar Network, the Cabinet Office, IKEA, the United Nations Development Program, and the Government of the UAE. Superflux was awarded the Dezeen Design Studio of the Year Award in 2021.
Jain's work has earned her international acclaim. She has received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of the Arts London, the Award of Excellence from ICSID, the UNESCO Digital Arts Award, and the Grand Prix at the International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights in Geneva, among other accolades from Apple Inc. and the UK Government’s Innovation Department.
Her projects have been exhibited at renowned institutions including MoMA New York, V&A Museum, Science Gallery Dublin, National Museum of China, Vitra Design Museum, and Tate Modern.
==Superflux==
Superflux was one of the first design studios to pioneer the practices of speculative design, critical foresight, design fiction and experiential futures in business. In 2009, the thought that design could help imagine hypothetical worlds and consequently be a critical strategy for businesses was preposterous, but it was in this space of possibility that Superflux willed itself into existence. Early after its founding, the studio emerged as a challenging voice to the status quo. It gained critical acclaim for work that navigates the knotty interconnectedness of the technological, political and cultural landscape, often working directly with scientists, business leaders, policymakers, and more.
===Clients===
The studio has produced impactful futures work for clients like Google AI, Google AI Project via Superflux website Cabinet Office UK, Cabinet Office UK Speculating on the Future of Rail Anthemis, Anthemis website Suncorp, Suncorp Mitigation of Shock via Superflux website Sony, Sony Internet of Things Academy via Superflux website Samsung, Samsung Project Talos via Superflux website Gov. of UAE, Future Energy Lab via Superflux website Museum of the Future, Dubai, Superflux’s New Immersive Installation at Museum of the Future, Dubai IKEA, IKEA Ingka Group COP26 Exhibition the UNDP, UNDP Reality Check via Superflux website and DeepMind. DeepMind Project via Superflux website Parsing uncertainties, weak signals and wide ranging trends, Superflux works with clients to imagine and build future worlds. Alongside their client-focused work, the studio houses an internal research and experimentation lab to explore novel ideas, methodologies, and self-initiated art work.
===Early Work===
For their 2011 film Song of the Machine, Song of the Machine via Superflux website, the studio partnered with neuroscientists developing optogenetic retinal prostheses to explore how user interactions could be made more practical and meaningful in the coming years. The subsequent film considered the personal and emotional complexities that might arise once this technology leaves the lab to interface with our daily lives. "See the World in a New Light", The Guardian
With an ambition to foreground the unintended consequences of nascent technologies, early self-initiated projects included Drone Aviary,Drone Aviary project, Superflux website an investigation into drone technology's social, political and cultural potential as it entered civic space. This became a short film cautioning how increasingly sentient technologies could see the rise of a new kind of networked colonialism.
A pivot to more climate-focused work was born out of concerns Ardern and Jain shared about their then toddler and the future world he might inhabit. Not wanting to indulge in doomism, they started thinking-through-making, building food computers which led to the immersive installation Mitigation of Shock,Mitigation of Shock project, Superflux website a whole domestic apartment set 2050 set in the context of climate impacted food-insecurity. Since its first exhibition in 2017 at Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, the work has been translated to various scales and cultural contexts. By building an apartment that audiences could step into, touch and feel, the studio sought to make climate change less distant and formless but tangible and relatable. This was a turning point for the studio’s research into the power of embodied experience to impact future thinking.
===Current Work===
From 2018, the studio has integrated more-than-human perspectives into their work. Works like Refuge for Resurgence,Refuge for Resurgence project, Superflux website a multispecies banquet, and Invocation for Hope,Invocation for Hope project, Superflux website a resurgent forest born from the ashes of human destruction, de-centre the human to recognise our place in a larger ecology wherein we all play a part in mutual survival and care.
Recent work has shifted from cautionary tales to projects of active hope with work geared toward nurturing imagination and inspiring collective action. Continued points of interest and areas of expertise for the studio include the near-and-long-term future impact of disruptive and emergent technologies (including AI and Artificial General Intelligence), culture wars, more-than-human futures and the climate crisis.
Often guided by questions, the studio have asked “How would we breathe in a world where governments took no action to combat climate change?” (The Future Energy Lab,The Future Energy Lab Ministry of Energy, UAE, leading to an investment of AED 600 billion UAE Energy Plan for 2050 to achieve balance between energy production and consumption); “How do you live with an AI that questions wage slavery?” (Our Friends Electric,Our Friends Electric Mozilla Foundation); “How might new human-AI relations change the future of work?“ (Stark Choices, Varkey Foundation),Stark Choices and “If AI spoke for our rivers, what might they say?” (The Ecological Intelligence AgencyEcological Intelligence Agency via Superflux website, Policy Lab).
For its contribution to speculative and futures design with a committed social mission, Superflux received the Dezeen Design Studio of the Year Award in 2021."Dezeen Awards 2021", Dezeen
==Public Speaking==
Jain has delivered keynotes and talks at numerous international forums, including TED, Skoll World Forum, Human Rights Watch Ideas Festival, MIT Media Lab, MoMA’s design summit 'Knotty Objects', NEXT, LIFT, SIGGRAPH, Global Design Forum, EPIC, Design Engaged, and FutureEverything.
Notable talks and lectures include:
*“Rewilding Our Imaginations” at The Conference (Malmö, 2024)
*“Imagining What the Future Looks Like” at the Skoll World Forum (Oxford, 2019)"Imagining What the Future Looks Like", SkollWF 2019
*“Calling for More-Than-Human Politics” at the Tentacular Festival (Madrid, 2019)
*“More-Than-Human-Centred Design” at the IXDA Conference (Lyon, 2018)"More-Than-Human-Centred Design", Interaction Design Association where Anab presented to human-centred design practitioners what was then a novel concept of moving toward a more-than-human perspective, an idea which has since gained traction with designers, businesses and cultural organisations.
*“A Sneak Preview of the Future” at TED India (2018)"A Sneak Preview of the Future", TED India
* “Why we need to Imagine Different Futures” on the main stage at TED (Vancouver, 2017)"Why We Need to Imagine Different Futures, TED Main Stage
* “Design for the New Normal”, NEXT Conference (Berlin, 2012)"Design for the New Normal", Superflux
==Teaching==
Since 2016, Jain has been a Professor of Design InvestigationsDesign Investigations, University of Applied Arts Vienna at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. In this role, she is responsible for leading and shaping young people with an ecological and speculative design-led methodology.
==Awards and Recognition== 
*2022: Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) Award and Royal Society of Arts (RSA) Fellowship in Speculative DesignCurrent Royal Designers for Industry, RSA Website"RSA announces nine 2022 Royal Designers for Industry", Design Week
*2022: Honorary Doctorate at the University of the Arts LondonAnab Jain bio, UAL
*2021: Dezeen Design Studio of the Year Winner for her work at SuperfluxDezeen Awards 2021, Dezeen Website
*2020: Google Arts Artists + Machine Intelligence (AMI) AwardArtists + Machine Intelligence Research Awardees, Google Research
*2020: Horizon 2020 European Union Grant Winner for her Superflux project, CreaTures: Creative Practices for Transformational Futures project"EU Horizon 2020 Grant for Superflux and Partners", SuperfluxMessages in a Bottle: A CreaTures Experiment, CreaTures Website
*2014: Innovate UK Internet of Things Launchpad Winner"Winners of Internet of Things Launchpad Unveiled!", Tech City UK
*2013: Arts Council England Grants for the Arts Award Winner for the Superflux project Drone Aviary"Design Fiction: Superflux, 'Drone Aviary'", Wired
*2009: TED FellowshipAnab Jain bio, TED website
*2005: UNESCO Digital Arts Award"UNESCO Digital Arts Award 2005", Noema Lab 3rd prize for her project, Yellow Chair StoriesYellow Chair Stories project, Superflux website
*2005: Grand Prix at the International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights for the film Journeys,Journeys, a film by Vinayan Kodoth for which she was a producerFIFDH Awards
*2005: Michael Moore Award for Best Documentary for Journeys, for which she was a producer
*2005: Innovation Award at the Chicago Documentary Festival for Journeys, for which she was a producer
*2005: Royal College of Art Design for Our Future Selves Award Winner
==Exhibitions== 
*2022: "Our Time on Earth""Our Time on Earth", Barbican Centre, Refuge for Resurgence (The Barbican Centre, London)
* 2022: "Subject to Change""Subject to Change", Droog Gallery, Refuge for Resurgence and the Intersection (Droog Gallery, Amsterdam)
* 2021: "Biennale Architettura 2021 - How Will We Live Together?""Biennale Architettura 2021 - How Will We Live Together?", La Biennale di Venezia, Refuge For Resurgence (Venice Biennale) 
*2021: "Vienna Biennale for Change 2021 - Planet Love: Climate Care in the Digital Age""Vienna Biennale for Change 2021: Planet Love. Climate Care in the Digital Age", MAK, Invocation for Hope (Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna)
*2021: "Showing Styria: What Will Be - Towards a Plurality of Futures""Showing Styria What Will Be", Kunsthaus Graz, Mitigation of Shock (Kunsthaus Graz)
*2020: "What is Nature?", Mitigation of Shock (Museum Sinclair-House, Saarland)
*2019: "2219: Futures Imagined""2219: Futures Imagined", ArtScience Museum, Mitigation of Shock (ArtScience Museum, Singapore)
*2019: "Waging Peace""Waging Peace", Museum of Discovery, Trigger Warning (Museum Of Discovery, Adelaide)
*2018: "Home Futures""Home Futures", Design Museum, Our Friends Electric (Design Museum, London)
*2018: "The Future Starts Here""The Future Starts Here", V&A Museum, Everything Connects To Everything (V&A Museum, London)
*2017: "Hello, Robot. Design between Human and Machine""Hello, Robot. Design between Human and Machine", Vitra Design Museum, Drone Aviary and Uninvited Guests (Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein)
*2017: "After the End of the World""After the End of the World", Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, Mitigation of Shock (Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona)
*2015: "All This Belongs to You""All This Belongs to You", V&A Museum, Drone Aviary (V&A Museum, London)
*2015: "The Fab Mind""The Fab Mind", 21_21 Design Sight, Drone Aviary (21_21 Design Sight, Tokyo)
*2011: "Talk to Me""Talk to Me", MoMA, 5th Dimensional Camera (MoMA, New York City)
==Press and Interviews== 
*2024: “In Conversation with Anab Jain”“In Conversation with Anab Jain”, RSA Journal – RSA Journal
*2023: “Designing the future: how Superflux is demystifying speculative design”"Designing the future: how Superflux is demystifying speculative design", Design Week – Design Week
*2023: “Superflux - A Space of Possibilities”"Superflux - A Space of Possibilities", Nomad Magazine – Nomad Magazine
*2022: "Positive Thinking: A solution to climate change inaction?""Positive Thinking: A solution to climate change inaction?", BBC Radio 4 – Anab Jain in conversation with Sangita Myska, BBC Radio 4
*2022: “Design for a less uncertain future, in conversation with Anab Jain”“Design for a less uncertain future, in conversation with Anab Jain”, Salone Internazionale del Mobile – Salone Internazionale del Mobile
*2022: "Superflux Debuts 'The Library' at Dubai's Museum of the Future""Superflux Debuts 'The Library' at Dubai's Museum of the Future", STIRWorld – STIRWorld
*2021: “A Future in Flux” – Interview in Icon Magazine
*2021: "the Intersection Explores a Possible Future Where Modern Tech Hits Breaking Point"" the Intersection Explores a Possible Future Where Modern Tech Hits Breaking Point", Design Boom – DesignBoom
*2021: "Superflux: Making Climate Change 'Tangible, Relatable and Specific""Superflux: Making Climate Change 'Tangible, Relatable and Specific'", Wallpaper Magazine – Wallpaper Magazine
*2021: "Superflux Sets the Table for a More-than-Human Future at La Biennale di Venezia""Superflux Sets the Table for a More-than-Human Future at La Biennale di Venezia", MOLD – MOLD
*2021: "The Climate Issue as an Experience""The Climate Issue as an Experience", ORF' – ORF
*2021: "Maybe for The Last Time: Vienna Biennale for Change 2021""Maybe for The Last Time: Vienna Biennale for Change 2021", Der Standard – Der Standard
*2021: "Superflux: the duo inspiring change at Venice Biennale through hypothetical worlds""Superflux: the duo inspiring change at Venice Biennale through hypothetical worlds", Financial Times – Financial Times
*2021: "Superflux imagines multi-species banquet for Venice Architecture Biennale""Superflux imagines multi-species banquet for Venice Architecture Biennale", Dezeen – Dezeen
*2020: "Apocalypse never: why climate catastrophe won’t make us change""Apocalypse never: why climate catastrophe won’t make us change", The Correspondent – The Correspondent
*2019: “On Critical Activism: An Interview with Anab Jain”"On Critical Activism: An Interview with Anab Jain", Journal of Future Studies – Journal Of Future Studies
*2016: “Superflux founder Anab Jain on using technology to turn the blind into super-seers”“Superflux founder Anab Jain on using technology to turn the blind into super-seers”, The Standard – The Standard
==Publications==
===Books===
*After Abundance: A Speculation on Climate Change in the Alps, ed. by Anab Jain and Thomas Geisler (Basel: Birkhauser, 2017) 
===Book Chapters===
*“Song of the Machine”, Beyond Design Ethnography, Anab Jain and Jon Ardern, ed. by Nicolas Nova (Berlin: Goofy Press, 2015) 
*“Dynamic Genetics vs. Mann”, Dread: The Dizziness of FreedomDread: The Dizziness of Freedom, Anab Jain, Jon Ardern and Tobias Revell, ed. by Juha van ’t Zelfde (Amsterdam: Valiz/Antennae Series, 2014)
===Selected Articles and Blogs===
*2023: “Radical Design for a World in Crisis”,“Radical Design for a World in Crisis”, Noema Magazine Noema Magazine
*2022: “To Doubt, To Question, To Say Enough”,"To Doubt, To Question, To Say Enough", Civic Square Civic Square
*2022: “A More-Than-Human Manifesto”, an essay by Anab Jain and Jon Ardern, RetroFuture Magazine
*2022: “In practice: Superflux on the Future Energy Lab”,"In practice: Superflux on the Future Energy Lab", Architectural Review an essay by Anab Jain and Hanna Sarsa, Architectural Review
*2020: “Experiments in Feral Futuring”,“Experiments in Feral Futuring”, Public Books an essay by Anab Jain and Alex Taylor, Public Books
*2020: “After Innovation, A Resurgence”,"After Innovation, A Resurgence", Gesprach Journal Gesprach Journal
*2019: “Mitigation of Shock: Post Occupancy Anthropology”,“Mitigation of Shock: Post Occupancy Anthropology”, The Business of Research an essay by Anab Jain, Jon Ardern, and Danielle Knight, The Business of Research
*2019: “Our Friends Electric: Reflections on Advocacy and Design Research for the Voice Enabled Internet”,“Our Friends Electric: Reflections on Advocacy and Design Research for the Voice Enabled Internet”, CHI '19: Proceedings of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems an essay by Jon Rogers, Loraine Clarke, Martin Skelly, Nick Taylor, Peter Thomas, Michelle Thorne, Solana Larsen, Katarzyna Odrozek, Julia Kloiber, Peter Bihr, Anab Jain, Jon Arden, and Max von Grafenstein, presented at the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems 2019 (CH'19)
*2019: “Calling for a More-than-Human Politics”,"Calling for a More-than-Human Politics", Superflux Blog edited transcript of a talk delivered at the Tentacular Festival
*2019: “Stop Shouting Future, Start Doing It”,“Stop Shouting Future, Start Doing It”, Medium Medium
*2018: “More than Human Centered Design”,“More than Human Centered Design”. Ding Magazine Issue 2 Ding Magazine (2018)
*2016: “Owning the Sky: An Invisible Architecture of Civilian Drones”,“Owning the Sky: An Invisible Architecture of Civilian Drones”, ARPA Journal Issue 4 an essay by Anab Jain and Jon Ardern, ARPA Journal
*2011: “Design Futurescaping”,"Design Futurescaping", Blowup: The Era of Objects an essay by Anab Jain, Jon Ardern and Justin Pickard, Blowup: The Era of Objects
*2010: “The Power of 8: Encouraging Collaborative DIY Futures”,“The Power of 8: Encouraging Collaborative DIY Futures”, Negotiating Futures - Design Fiction, Conference Proceedings Of The 6th Swiss Design Network Conference 2010 an essay by Chris Hand, Anab Jain, Tessy Britton, Graham Burnett, Darryl Chen, Christopher Collett, Sanjiv Sharma, Charlie Tims and Liam Young, Negotiating Futures - Design Fiction, Conference Proceedings Of The 6th Swiss Design Network Conference 2010
Category:1976 births
Category:People from Ahmedabad
Category:Designers
Category:Filmmakers
Category:Futurism
Category:Educators