Are We Leaving the Information Age? What the “Imagination Age” Means for Schools

For more than a century, schools have been structured around a central premise: information is valuable because it is scarce.

Access to knowledge once required institutions. Books were expensive. Expertise was centralized. Research took time and proximity to universities or libraries. Schools existed to organize and distribute information efficiently, and success was measured by how well students mastered it.

That model made sense in the Information Age.

It makes less sense now.

Over the past two decades, a growing number of business leaders, technologists, and economists have begun describing our moment as a transition into what some call the “Imagination Age.” The phrase has been around for years, but it is gaining renewed attention as artificial intelligence accelerates. The basic argument is straightforward: when information becomes abundant and machines can process it faster than humans, economic value shifts toward distinctly human capacities.

Writers like Charlie Magee introduced the term in the late 1990s, arguing that after the Industrial Age and the Information Age would come an era defined by creativity and imagination. More recently, voices in technology, consulting, and innovation sectors have echoed the idea. As automation handles analysis and retrieval, organizations are prioritizing design thinking, storytelling, creative problem-solving, and the ability to envision new possibilities. These are not peripheral skills. They are becoming competitive advantages.

The marketplace is paying attention.

Companies are investing heavily in experience design, brand narrative, and user-centered innovation. They are hiring individuals who can synthesize information rather than simply store it. They are looking for people who can operate in ambiguity, collaborate across disciplines, and build what does not yet exist. When automation reduces the advantage of information alone, imagination becomes a differentiator.

When the market shifts its definition of value, education cannot afford to ignore it.

If information is no longer scarce, then memorization alone cannot be the apex of schooling. Knowledge still matters deeply. Foundational understanding is essential. But knowing is no longer enough. Students must learn to use what they know to imagine, design, and contribute.

This is where schools need to look honestly at themselves.

Many of our structures still reflect Information Age assumptions. Subjects are isolated. Mastery is often equated with recall. Learning experiences are built around coverage rather than coherence. We have added devices and dashboards, but we have not always reconsidered the underlying design of learning itself.

If we are moving into an Imagination Age, then the work of schools must expand.

Imagination, in this context, does not mean fantasy. It means the capacity to envision alternatives, to connect ideas across disciplines, to frame new questions, and to design meaningful solutions. It is the ability to take knowledge and apply it creatively and responsibly. These capacities do not develop accidentally. They are cultivated through intentional experiences.

When I talk about story, space, experience, and people through Imagineering Education, I am talking about design. The physical environment communicates expectations about agency and collaboration. The problems we ask students to solve communicate whether their thinking is meant to replicate or to innovate. The stories a school tells about success communicate whether imagination is valued or sidelined. Culture becomes the hidden curriculum.

If the broader economy is beginning to reward imagination, then schools must cultivate it deliberately. This is not about chasing trends or reacting to headlines. It is about recognizing that students are entering a world where their advantage will not come from knowing what a machine can retrieve in seconds. Their advantage will come from what they can envision, build, and communicate with others.

Education has always adapted to the needs of its era. The Industrial Age produced factory-model schools. The Information Age produced standards-based accountability systems focused on measurable knowledge acquisition. If we are now stepping into an Imagination Age, the question is whether we will continue refining an outdated model or begin designing schools aligned with what the future requires.

If we believe that imagination is becoming central to how value is created beyond school, then we have a responsibility to reflect that reality within school. This does not require abandoning rigor or lowering expectations. It requires placing knowledge in service of vision and designing environments where students practice expansive thinking, meaningful collaboration, and purposeful creation.

For administrators and teachers who are wrestling with how to make that shift, the work begins with clarity about what we value and courage to rethink long-standing structures. It requires shaping culture intentionally rather than accidentally.

I am working with schools and districts that are ready to move from conversation to implementation. If your team is exploring how to cultivate imagination alongside rigor, how to design more immersive and purposeful learning environments, or how to align your school culture with the demands of the emerging Imagination Age, I would welcome the conversation. Connect with me here or reach out directly.

The future of education will not be built by default. It will be built by design. Let's design it together.