Next Lab
We are a community of future-focused thinkers and creators who innovate to solve some of the world’s most complex problems with future tools, skills and mindsets.
Charged with creating what’s next, we bridge the gap between imagination and reality by exploring emerging technologies, identifying future-ready skills, and activating interdisciplinary collaboration.
Dan MunnerleyExecutive Director and Lead Design Architect
A hub of innovation at ASU
Next Lab is part of Enterprise Technology at ASU, which provides scalable, sustainable support for the ASU community. Our work is firmly rooted in core values; we welcome students of all backgrounds and pride ourselves on being a diverse and inclusive environment. Envisioning and building inclusive tech-driven futures with diverse learners, educators, industry and global society.
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Next Lab is at the intersection of imagination and innovation.
We envision futures that are more inclusive, equitable and accessible across the globe.
We accomplish this by empowering a community of future-focused thinkers and creators to imagine, build and play with technologies to positively shape society.
We build projects with the next technologies, develop the next skills that help our students secure jobs in the next careers. At the same time we help ASU develop the next curriculum.
Our projects are student led and partner funded and we follow an ethical and principled framework that focuses on the impact of our work on future generations.
Vision:
To cultivate future skills, technologies, and careers that will lead to positive social impact in Arizona and beyond.
We boldly imagine new curriculum and co-create equitable futures with diverse learners, educators, industry, technology and our global society.
Mission:
Exploring emerging technologies:
We relentlessly explore the frontiers of emerging technologies, unlocking their potential to transform the world.
Cultivating future-ready skills:
We empower individuals with future-ready mindsets and hard skills to thrive in an ever-evolving technological landscape.
Activating interdisciplinary collaboration:
We foster a culture of collaboration, bringing together diverse minds to innovate and solve complex challenges.
Building inclusive, tech-driven futures with innovation and collaboration
At Next Lab, we bring together a diverse community of learners, educators, industry leaders and global partners to tackle the world’s most complex challenges using cutting-edge tools, skills and mindsets. Our team of Studio Associates, from undergraduates to PhD candidates, reflects the power of diverse perspectives. By partnering with local government, tech giants and ASU faculty, we create innovative solutions that shape a better, more inclusive future.
Themes
Game-Based Learning
Learner Agency, Intrinsic motivation, Flow design, Game Mechanics
Generative AI
Speech recognition, computer vision, natural language processing, GPTs, GANs
Spatial Computing
Learner Agency, Intrinsic motivation, Flow design, Game Mechanics
Web3
Learner Agency, Intrinsic motivation, Flow design, Game Mechanics
Futures Thinking
Signals, Readiness, Foresight/Insight, Patterns, Retro-Active
Responsible Innovation
Anticipation, Reflexivity, Inclusion, Responsiveness
Embodied Learning
Quantum cognition, Complementarity and superposition
Learner Agency
Heutagogy, self-efficacy, meta-cognition, reflection, p2p, self-determined
Our Values
At Next Lab, we believe that our values are the driving force behind our vision.
Our commitment to innovation, collaboration, and community engagement shapes what we do and how we do it. By placing our values at the forefront, we ensure that every project we undertake, every partnership we form, and every solution we create is grounded in principles that foster growth, inclusivity and positive impact.
Inclusive excellence:
We envision futures that are more inclusive, equitable and accessible across the globe.
Agentic learners:
Our learners are agentic and self-determined architects of their education.
Community focused:
We are elevated by social networks and technologies that nurture a robust community.
Curiosity and play:
Focused on the cultivation of imagination, curiosity, and play.
Learner as creator:
Built by diverse learners as creators, makers, producers and inventors.
Transdisciplinary collaboration:
We are driven by transdisciplinary collaboration and exploration.
Principled innovation:
Anchored by a steadfast commitment to ethical, sustainable and principled innovation.
7th Generation Principle:
Guided by the 7th Generation principle, building sustainable futures for generations to come.
Guilds
Our guilds are communities of learners exploring and upskilling in future-ready subjects. This model is open to the public and has attracted 300+ members.
Technical Artistry, Modeling, Animation, Concept
Use industry-standard software, including Blender, Maya, and Unity, to transform Next Lab products into explorable, immersive environments that are skillfully and beautifully designed.
Cloud Infrastructure
Cloud infrastructure architects and engineers enable multiplayer modes by focusing on cloud-based rendering, database management, and efficient loading of Unity addressables.
Game Engine
The Game Engine Guild codes and develops immersive products using Unity and Unreal software, creating functional features and graphic aesthetics that solidify each experience’s immersive nature.
Artificial Intelligence
The AI Guild plays a critical role in advancing AI to empower self-directed learners. By promoting open-source, free, and transparent AI, the Guild ensures learners have access to adaptable tools that drive both innovation and trust.
Marketing + Digital Storytelling
Works with all teams and guilds to effectively convey our values, share our story through captivating digital materials, and enrich our community through celebrations and up-skilling events.
Quality Assurance + User Testing (QA)
Provide feedback and identify bugs for projects by running routine testing sessions throughout the development process to ensure product quality and meet user demands and expectations.
User Interface + User Experience (UI/UX)
The User Interface/User Experience (UI/UX) guild focuses on building interfaces that improve the user experience through intentional and beautiful design strategies for sleek, fun, and immersive engagement.
Project Management
The Guild of Project Managers at Next Lab drives agile, impactful projects by coordinating teams, mentoring talent, and ensuring strategic alignment. They advance initiatives from ideas to solutions, fostering collaboration and quality delivery across Next Lab’s complex challenges.
Partner Network
Next Lab is part of:
