Masaki Iwabuchi

About Masaki Iwabuchi

Masaki Iwabuchi is a New York-based Design Strategist and Futurist specialized in navigating \"Wicked Problems\" through the intersection of Strategic Foresight and Systemic Design. He proposes his unique \'Strategic Transgression through Design\' framework—reclaiming radical imagination for non-designers in complex socio-technical systems.With over 20 years of experience, Masaki currently leads future scenario development at JPMorgan Chase, where he translates complex socio-technical shifts into actionable strategic visions for the financial sector. His unique methodology combines rigorous engineering logic with the provocative power of Speculative Design, enabling organizations to move beyond incremental improvements toward transformative 2050 visions.Key Expertise & Global Impact:Strategic Leadership: Bridging the gap between long-term foresight and near-term product strategy within global-scale regulated industries.Academic Authority: Serving as an Adjunct Associate Professor at Tohoku University, shaping the next generation of strategic design curricula and contributing to peer-reviewed research on future-making.Thought Leadership: Author of Social Dreaming through Design (2021). Masaki’s work has been recognized by the Core77 Design Awards and he serves as a global jury member for prestigious awards including Good Living 2050 (Canada) and Indigo Design Awards (Netherlands).Multidisciplinary Education: Holding dual Master’s degrees from Parsons School of Design (MFA) and The University of Tokyo (MA), he seamlessly integrates design, technology, and social science.Masaki is committed to challenging entrenched Cartesian belief systems and provoking new worldviews that inspire resilient, alternative futures. He is a frequent speaker and advisor for organizations seeking to navigate the uncertainties of the 21st century.

Experience

1. Lead Strategic Design Futurist

   JPMorganChase

   Aug 2021 — Present · NY, US

   Under the Design & Strategy team, my initiative is to envision mid-term futures of finance and society through Design. I visualize possible humane futures with tangible design artifacts rather than focusing on immediate solutions for specific users. I bridge between abstract slogans for futures and concrete business strategies using emerging Design theories such as Speculative Design and Transition Design. As a Strategic Design Futurist, I use Design as a critical tool for mediating different departments and creating serendipitous products, services, businesses, and visions towards humans.

Education

• Parsons School of Design - The New School

  Master of Fine Arts - MFA, Design and Technology

  2018 — 2020

• The University of Tokyo

  Master, Interdisciplinary Information Studies

  2007 — 2009

• The University of Tokyo

  Bachelor, Engineering (Information & Communication Engineering)

  2003 — 2007

Skills

• Interaction Design
• Photography
• Css3
• Photoshop
• Scrum
• Illustrator
• Consulting
• Html 5
• Maximo
• User Experience Design
• Indesign
• Physical Computing
• Concept Development
• Design Thinking
• Art Direction
• Design Engineering
• Business Transition
• Jquery
• Graphic Design
• Ibm Design