This discussion explores the concept of Design Fiction as a methodology for creating tangible and evocative prototypes of possible near futures to understand the consequences of decision-making. Julian Bleecker, who coined the term with Bruce Sterling, elaborates on his interdisciplinary approach combining engineering, design, and speculative storytelling. The conversation gets into into the origins and practices of Design Fiction, its application in corporate settings, and its importance in nurturing imaginative thinking. Highlighting the value of imagination as a crucial skill, Bleecker emphasizes the need to encourage students and professionals alike to envision and create innovative futures through material culture, thereby making abstract futures concrete.

”Twenty years ago, here at South By Southwest, I was on a panel where the term “design fiction” was made public. Before Julian Bleecker invented and deployed that term, there were many things going on that resembled “design fiction.” But nobody knew “how to do design fiction.” The ideas and approaches were diffuse, they weren’t crystallised.” — Bruce Sterling

A photo of Nicolas Nova with Maywa Denki I took at SxSW 2012.

Episode 095 of the podcast is up! A coffee table conversation with futures guy, author, creative leader, and all-around good guy Phil Balagtas. We discuss his new book “Making Futures Work” and the challenges and triumphs of writing an all-encompassing book on futures practice, exploring the evolution of speculative design and the importance of imagination as a critical element in futures work.

There are curious opportunities for using Design Fiction in branding and marketing contexts to help companies explore possible futures through speculative storytelling and prototype-driven narratives. Unlike traditional advertising, which focuses on present-day products, Design Fiction immerses audiences in “what if” scenarios that engage, challenge, and open up conversations. Brands leveraging this approach can disrupt industry norms, refine long-term strategies, and align with shifting consumer values. By embracing speculative storytelling, companies can reimagine their role in the world and position themselves as cultural pioneers.

I recently had the pleasure of joining Radha Mistry on the Future Feelings podcast to discuss Imagination, world-building and designing more habitable futures. We explored the tensions between creativity and structure, and shared inspiring examples of imagination in action. A great discussion with Radha that I hope you'll enjoy.

"A Digital Tomorrow" is a design fiction video produced for Curious Rituals, a research project conducted in July-August 2012 by Nicolas Nova (The Near Future Laboratory / HEAD-Genève), Katherine Miyake, Nancy Kwon and Walton Chiu from the media design program.This research project was about gestures, postures and digital rituals that typically emerged with the use of digital technologies (computers, mobile phones, sensors, robots, etc.): gestures such as recalibrating your smartphone doing an horizontal 8 sign with your hand, the swiping of wallet with RFID cards in public transports, etc.The aim of the project was to envision the future of gestures and rituals based on:1. A documentation of current digital gestures,2. The making of design fiction films that speculate about their evolution “Curious Rituals” was produced as part of a research residency in the Media Design Program at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

A rememberance of Nicolas Nova, whose bewilderingly untimely passing has left a hole in the fabric of the internet-era collaborators who knew him. Nicolas was a gentle man in an era in which human interaction became less than gentle. He was one of my first and most consistent internet-era collaborators. I remember quite clearly where I was standing when I first received an email message from him — it was at the first house I lived in in Venice Beach. I had an office room in the front of the house and a stand-up desk. It was early in the morning, probably winter as I remember there being a kind of twilight outside. In reflection, at that time, email was still a bit special and to get an email of substance from a stranger was like getting a letter in the mail from an IRL human.

A podcast conversation recorded while I was at Innovation Land Summit in Colombia. In it, we discuss the intersection of research, creativity, and practical implementation in driving innovation within organizations. There is a necessity to be explicit about the role of imagination, which I see as a kind of muscle that requires regular exercise to stay strong. Imagination is that which allows us to envision and develop new ideas, strategies, products, services, and brand evolutions. Through the lens of practical examples, such as the collaborations Near Future Laboratory has done with IKEA and the creation of innovative analog-digital devices, the our discussion gets into how imaginative thinking can lead to meaningful change. Of course 'Design Fiction' is centered as a method for organizations to forecast and strategically plan for the future, focusing on everyday, ordinary experiences as a foundation. Educating organizations and the broader community to adopt and integrate creative methodologies, helps ensure that innovation is not an accidental...