Technology often gets discussed in terms of what it can do, but I am usually more interested in what happens when people have to use it in real settings. A new system may be technically impressive and still fail because it is difficult to understand, does not fit the existing workflow, or creates problems that were not considered during development.
I recently retired after 28 years in the U.S. Navy, with much of my experience centered on training, education, advising, curriculum, and organizational leadership. Those roles taught me that innovation is rarely only a technology issue. People need to understand why a change matters, how it affects their work, and whether the benefits are worth the effort required to adopt it. That practical perspective will shape how I approach this blog.
I created Practical Futures as part of my Futuring and Innovation course in the Doctor of Computer Science program at Colorado Technical University. The course examines how innovations develop, the forces that support or restrict change, and how organizations can prepare for emerging possibilities rather than simply reacting after those changes arrive.
This blog will explore developing technologies and future trends through a practical lens. Topics may include artificial intelligence, digital twins, smart homes, education, accessibility, autonomous systems, and the ways technology changes how people work and make decisions. I expect some ideas to be close to implementation, while others may still be several years away. Either way, I plan to consider what makes them useful, what could prevent adoption, and what their effects may be on the people expected to use them.
The goal is not to predict the future with certainty. It is to think more carefully about what may be coming and what responsible implementation could look like.
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