The Futures Pixel is a kind of mindfulness token to hold in your hands to centre you, something that by its tangible nature prompts you to pause in the haste and tune into your values, assumptions, and biases—as you design—to help you create kinder and more mindful experiences for users and the environment.

Simply fill in the template, print it out, and fold it into a cube (no adhesive needed) to keep near you to stay mindful of your values, assumptions and biases.

The top of the pixel holds the key message — ”Stay centred” around your values.

Three of the sides hold your values, your assumptions of your project or challenge’s theme, and audience lenses to consider to help you address your own biases toward the spectrum of human experience.

The graphic on the fourth side is a reminder to think about the cyclical nature of life. For designers, this is specific to remembering the full life-cycle of the product or service you are designing. We don’t just produce an item with a lifecycle defined by human use-we release things into the world that impacts multiple ecosystems over the span of the time and distance of their entire lifecycle, from the sourcing of their various materials to their manufacturing, repair, life of use, and final breakdown.