Design Fiction entangles design and fiction to create evocative artifacts that express the contexts and outcomes of change. It integrates design with the principles of narrative, speculation, and fiction.

2. I receive emails from earnest folks really wanting to understand design fiction and that's awesome and amazing. I like that people feel they can reach out this way. I want to help, truly.

--- 1. Most times when we hear about something that has no solid meaning, that has no firm arrangements of connected neurons within our brains, or particularly something we have never ‘seen’ or ‘heard’ or have...

1. Where do visions of the future come from?

Here are five practice principles: obtain perspective, maintain a spirit of optimistic contrarianism, embrace the unexpected, protecte creative dreams, and always be curios. These are the things that help keep futures-oriented work vibrant and meaningful.

Here’s a proposal inspired by Richard Powers’ novel "Bewilderment" and his conversation with Ezra Klein. It emphasizes the importance of nurturing expansive imagination, especially in youth, to envision hopeful climate futures. The proposal suggests engaging children in imaginative exercises to foster a richer understanding of possible futures, moving beyond technological solutions to embrace creativity and wonder.

Here I introduce Design Fiction through reflections on jogging’s origins, highlighting Bill Bowerman’s 1967 manual as an imaginative artifact that rehearsed a future where people embraced running for health. It contrasts the mundane acceptance of jogging today with the bold mindset needed to envision change, emphasizing curiosity about ordinary things, the importance of crafting artifacts from possible futures, and the resilience required when facing skepticism while pursuing visionary ideas.

There are limitations to relying solely on statistics and predictions when imagining future possibilities. Statistics are structures way of providing a methodology and structure to the ways we sense into the possibilities and opportunities that may lie before us. But, it is important to not let statistics be the only way we imagine futures. Rich narratives, evocative experiences, and imaginative explorations are essential for fully appreciating and engaging with potential outcomes. Why is it that statistics, research, and a penchant for prediction seem to dominate our collective imagination of the future? Is it because they provide a sense of certainty and control in an otherwise uncertain world? Or is it because they are easier to communicate and understand than more complex and nuanced visions of the future? Design Fiction offers a way to explore and imagine diverse outcomes, stimulating our imagination and encouraging us to think beyond the limitations of statistics and predictions. In this post, we will explore the limitations of relying solely...

1. For the longest time ever, the wheel has been rolling ‘round. 2. Perhaps for longer than the wheel has been around, humans have lugged around their stuff. 3. Going from one dwelling to another, whether to set out...