Vibewriter is a web app I created as part of my AI Designed Fictions Research Studio, where I make artifacts from the futures of AI I imagine, rather than the ones that are being built by the tech industry. Vibewriter is a writing tool that is more like kettle bells for the brain — a ludic exercise that amplifies the act of writing over the end goal of finishing an essay or synthesizing ideas. (That's more the province of Ghostwriter, which is a more robust, generative, collaborative writing muse.) Vibewriter is a writing exercise or ritual in the shape of a timed game that uses the kind of literary genres you used to find in the Dewey Decimal system card catalog or your local independent book shop: Detective, Romance, Sci-Fi, Fantasy— it's mean to that helps you write in different genres, like a Hardboiled Detective Novel, or a Romance Novel, or a Science Fiction Novel. It’s like a writing gym...

In this edition of Office Hours Side Projects, we explore innovative projects from our community members. From 3D printing advancements to AI-driven tools, the discussions are rich with insights and creativity. Presentations of Side Projects by Ben, Eduardo, and Sabrina spark engaging conversations about the future of design, technology, and leadership. Ben's 2.5D to 3D conversion project showcases the potential of AI in creative processes, while Eduardo's Toaster app offers a fresh take on note-taking and organization. Sabrina's leadership card game encourages innovative thinking and collaboration.

A conversation with Outgoing — Dell and Brett, the duo behind the studio called Outgoing, situated somewhere in Gowanus, Brooklyn. They are a design studio that creates objects and spaces that are both functional and beautiful, with a focus on sustainability and craftsmanship and the opinions of a particular feline that roams about their studio. Their work spans various mediums, including furniture, lighting, and installations. If you look at their work, you can sense that it is driven by a playful, collaborative, and generative approach to craft and making. Like most of these conversation I get to have, its a ranging discussion. You'll get some insights into their approach, the sorts of artifacts they create — including sculptures, furniture, and music.

“At the heart of the EFM is a mundane scenic event: watching TV.” Here's that paper by Paul Coulton, et.al. that describes how a fictional, AI-driven “smart media” experience was staged inside a mobile living room (a retrofitted tear-drop caravan), where participants engaged with what appeared to be an intelligent TV system that was configured to adapt in real time to their behavior. But actually, the entire experience was carefully orchestrated using the "Wizard of Oz" type setup. They did this to simulate an AI-driven environment and then observe how people react when the basic norms of familiar and mundane activities, like watching TV, are subtly disrupted.

Join me on June 28th at 3pm at the LA Design Festival for a hands-on introduction to futuring through Design Fiction. Sign up to attend here. In this compact workshop, you'll explore how to prototype possible futures using artifacts rather than predictions. We’ll step beyond traditional storytelling to create tangible glimpses into what could be—using props, products, and everyday ephemera from worlds just around the corner. Come and stretch your imagination with us as we explore the near future in a playful, practical way. We'll be working in small groups on guided, hands-on exercises designed to spark imagination and make futures feel real. Prizes from the Future for the most imaginative and creative futures will be awarded at the end of the workshop!

Another episode of Office Hours Side Projects Edition N°265, where we get together to share our interests, passions, current or past or even future side projects. This episode had sharings from three participants, Jordan, Guiliana, and Isabella. 👇🏽 Jordan discusses his vision for a speculative design studio aimed at aiding small businesses in San Francisco, sparking a rich discussion on practical applications and community engagement. Guiliana presents her 'Apple Puff' project, an exploration into future design and speculative thinking as it applies to consumer products, leading to insightful feedback on storytelling and conceptual depth. Isabella introduces her 'Lab for Radical Museum Futures' focusing on using design fiction to reimagine the future operations and missions of museums, which inspired thoughts on expanding the framework of future thinking in the cultural sector.

Presentations from Anushka Shinde, discussing the Design Science Lab's community project and the Artifact Scanner from Dré Labre. The session highlights the value of analog tools in fostering creativity and speculative design. Themes include community, speculative play, and the materiality of design fiction. The conversation serves as a showcase of ongoing design work and a meta-discussion on fostering imagination, critique, and creativity in shared spaces.

In this edition of Office Hours Side Projects Edition, we explore the intersection of AI, speculative storytelling, and embodied design. Sandro presents his work on composable documents that regenerate based on user interaction, while Rodney shares a poetic series of “911 call transcripts” from decommissioned cyborgs. Both talks invite us to rethink the tools we use and the stories we tell.

The problem with optimization? It can become an obsession. We can easily optimize to the point of failure — and not even realize it. We want things to be faster, smoother, more efficient. But in all that streamlining, we risk losing something essential — a very particular kind of Creativity.