Think Forward: Conversations with Futurists, Innovators and Big Thinkers
Welcome to the Think Forward podcast where we have conversations with futurists, innovators and big thinkers about what lies ahead. We explore emerging trends on the horizon and what it means to be a futurist.
Think Forward: Conversations with Futurists, Innovators and Big Thinkers
FIF Series EP 93 - Crafting Future Narratives for Change
Today we explore storytelling through design fiction, a powerful tool that translates foresight insights into narratives that inspire action and create change by making abstract possibilities feel real and immediate. Design fiction bridges the gap by creating tangible, immersive stories about the future that connect emotionally with audiences beyond intellectual agreement.
• Our brains are wired for stories, activating regions associated with physical sensations, emotions, and personal memories
• Information delivered through stories is 22 times more memorable than facts alone
• Design fiction combines elements of science fiction, speculative design, and strategic foresight
• Effective future narratives are human-centered, specific, plausible yet provocative, and connect to present action
• Creating design fiction involves defining your purpose, building from solid foresight, focusing on specific contexts, and developing tangible artifacts
• The approach can be adapted for strategy development, innovation processes, stakeholder engagement, and personal foresight
• Common pitfalls include confusing possibility with prediction and creating narratives disconnected from action
Your challenge: Choose one future possibility relevant to your work or life and create a brief design fiction exploring this possibility. Share it with someone else to spark a conversation about the future.
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Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.
Welcome to the Think Forward podcast, where we speak with futurists, innovators and big thinkers. Come along with your host, steve Fisher, and explore the future together.
Speaker 2:Welcome back to Foundations in Foresight a Think Forward series. I'm Steve Fisher, and today we're exploring one of the most powerful tools in a futurist's toolkit storytelling through design fiction. Throughout this series we've covered frameworks, methods and approaches for understanding the future. We've explored super shifts, built elaborate future worlds and examined how to navigate even the darker scenarios that might emerge. But today we're focusing on something equally important how to translate these insights into narratives that inspire action and create change. Because here's the truth even the most brilliant foresight work can fall flat if it doesn't connect emotionally, if it doesn't help people viscerally experience possible futures and if it doesn't inspire them to take action. Design fiction bridges that gap by creating tangible, immersive stories about the future that make abstract possibilities feel real and immediate. By the end of this episode, you'll understand why stories are such powerful vehicles for foresight work, how to craft compelling future narratives that drive change, and how to use design fiction techniques to bring your insights to life in ways that inspire action rather than just intellectual agreement.
Speaker 2:Let's dive in why stories matter in foresight. Let's start with a fundamental question why use storytelling and foresight work at all? What makes narratives so uniquely powerful for exploring and communicating about the future? The answer lies deep in human psychology and neuroscience. Our brains are literally wired for stories. When we hear or read a well-crafted narrative, our brains respond differently than they do to analytical information. Stories activate more areas of the brain, including regions associated with physical sensations, emotions and personal memories. This creates what neuroscientists call neural coupling, where the listener's brain activity begins to mirror the speaker's, creating deeper understanding and connection. This matters enormously for foresight work, because the future doesn't exist yet. It's abstract, uncertain and difficult to grasp intellectually. Stories transform these abstract possibilities into concrete experiences that feel real and relevant. They help us mentally inhabit potential futures, making them emotionally resonant rather than just intellectually understood.
Speaker 2:Consider the difference between these two approaches. Approach one a eye-enabled workplace monitoring could increase productivity by 27%, but may raise privacy concerns and potentially impact employee autonomy and trust. Approach two Maya paused before entering the office building, taking a deep breath. Her performance enhancement app had already sent two warnings this week about her suboptimal engagement patterns. Another flag would trigger a meeting with HR. She adjusted her facial expression to display appropriate enthusiasm before walking through the scanner-equipped entrance.
Speaker 2:The first approach provides information, the second creates an experience. Both might contain similar insights, but the story allows people to feel the implications of that future in a way that data alone cannot. This isn't just about making foresight work more entertaining. It's about making it more effective. Research consistently shows that information delivered through stories is more memorable. People remember stories up to 22 times more effectively than facts alone. More persuasive Narratives can bypass rational resistance to new ideas. More likely to inspire action Stories create emotional investment that motivates behavior change. For foresight practitioners, this means that storytelling isn't just a communication technique. It's a core methodology for creating impact with your work.
Speaker 2:What is design fiction? Now that we understand why stories matter, let's explore a specific approach to future storytelling Design fiction. Design fiction is the practice of creating provocative and immersive narrative scenarios about possible futures, often accompanied by artifacts from those futures. It combines elements of science fiction, speculative design and strategic foresight to create tangible experiences of what might be. Originally coined by science fiction author Bruce Sterling, the approach has been developed and applied by futurists, designers and innovation teams worldwide.
Speaker 2:What makes design fiction distinct from other forms of futuristic storytelling? First, it's deliberately provocative and designed to spark conversation. Unlike predictive forecasting that aims to tell us what will happen, design fiction explores what could happen in ways that challenge assumptions and open up discussions. Second, it typically includes tangible artifacts, objects, images, videos or experiences from the future being explored. These artifacts make the fictional world feel more concrete and believable. Third, design fiction is often presented through a human-centered lens, focusing on how future changes might affect individuals in their daily lives, rather than just describing systems or trends in the abstract. For example, instead of just discussing how blockchain might change financial systems, a design fiction approach might create a day-in-the-life story of someone navigating a blockchain-based financial world, complete with mock screenshots of their digital wallet, snippets of conversations about new financial norms or even physical objects that would exist in that future. The goal isn't to perfectly predict what will happen, but to create a space for meaningful exploration of what could happen and what we want to happen. It's about making the future tangible enough that people can engage with it critically and creatively.
Speaker 2:The elements of effective future narratives. Not all future stories are equally effective. The most impactful design fictions share certain qualities that make them resonant, believable and actionable. Let's explore these key elements. Let's start with the first one 1. Human-centered and Relatable. Effective future narratives are anchored in human experience. They feature characters and situations that audience members can relate to, even if the context is radically different from today. This connection creates emotional investment and helps bridge the gap between present reality and future possibility. Strong narratives don't just describe what technology or systems might exist. They explore how people interact with them, how they feel about them and how daily life unfolds within those futures.
Speaker 2:2. Specific and Tangible. Vague generalizations about the future rarely inspire action. Effective design fiction includes specific details that make the future tangible. What does the technology look like? How do people talk about it? What new social norms exist? What problems arise? These details shouldn't be arbitrary. They should be carefully chosen to highlight important implications of the future being explored. Every element should contribute to understanding the world you're creating.
Speaker 2:Three plausible yet provocative. The most effective future narratives balance plausibility with provocation. They need to be grounded enough in current trends and realistic developments that they feel possible, but provocative enough to challenge assumptions and spark new thinking. This balance is crucial. Too plausible, and your narrative might simply reinforce existing expectations. Too provocative, and it might be dismissed as unrealistic fantasy. Fourth multi-layered with implications. Strong design fictions aren't just about technology or surface level changes. They explore the social, cultural, economic, ethical and personal implications of those changes. They reveal how various systems interact and how changes ripple through society. For example, a story about autonomous vehicles shouldn't just describe the cars themselves, but how they might reshape urban planning, affect employment, create new social norms around travel or influence privacy expectations.
Speaker 2:5. Open-ended and thought-provoking. Rather than presenting a single, definitive vision of the future, effective design fiction often leaves room for interpretation and raises questions. It might intentionally contain ambiguities or tensions that prompt discussion. The goal isn't to say this is how it will be, but rather what if it were like this? What would that mean? Is this what we want? Six connected to present action. While future narratives explore possibilities that might be years or decades away, the most effective ones create a sense of connection to present choices. They help people see the relationship between current decisions and future outcomes, making abstract long-term thinking feel relevant to immediate priorities.
Speaker 2:Crafting your Future Narrative. Now that we understand the key elements, let's walk through a practical process for creating your own future narratives using design fiction techniques. This approach can be used whether you're developing scenarios for strategic planning, creating materials for stakeholder engagement or designing provocations for innovation workshops. Step 1. Define your purpose and audience Before you start crafting your narrative. Clarify what's the primary purpose of this future narrative, explore implications, challenge assumptions, inspire innovation, build support for a strategic direction. Who is your primary audience? What matters to them? What narratives will resonate with their experiences and concerns? What time frame are you focusing on? Near future 1-5 years, midterm, 5-15 years, long term, 15 plus years? These foundational questions will shape every aspect of your design fiction approach.
Speaker 2:Step 2. Build from solid foresight. While design fiction is creative, it shouldn't be pure fantasy. Ground your narrative in solid foresight. While design fiction is creative, it shouldn't be pure fantasy. Ground your narrative in solid foresight work. What super shifts or major trends is your narrative exploring? What research supports the plausibility of the developments you're describing? What signals of change are already visible today that point toward this future? The more your narrative connects to thoughtful foresight, the more credible and valuable it will be.
Speaker 2:Step three focus on a specific context and protagonist. Rather than trying to describe an entire future world, focus your narrative on a specific context and protagonist. Who is experiencing this future? What's their background, role or perspective? What specific situation or moment are you depicting? What daily activity, decision point or interaction will reveal the important aspects of this future? This focused approach makes your narrative more relatable and prevents it from becoming an abstract, impersonal description.
Speaker 2:Step four develop your narrative elements. Now develop the key elements of your narrative Setting when and when does this take place? What's the physical and social environment? Characters who is involved? What are their motivations, challenges and relationships? Plot what situation or conflict drives the narrative forward? Perspective Through whose eyes do we experience this future? Language how do people talk in this future? What new terms or expressions exist? Artifacts what objects, interfaces, documents or other tangible elements exist in this world? As you develop these elements, continually ask what does this reveal about the future I'm exploring? How does this help my audience understand the implications of this possibility?
Speaker 2:Step 5. Create artifacts from the future. One of the most powerful aspects of design fiction is the creation of artifacts, tangible objects or media from your future world. These might include product packaging or advertisements, news articles or social media posts, user manuals or instruction guides, screenshots of digital interfaces, identification cards or official documents, physical prototypes or mock-ups. These artifacts make your future world feel more real and provide multiple entry points for engagement. They also offer opportunities to explore details and implications that might not fit naturally into a narrative. Step six refine for impact. Once you have a draft narrative and artifacts, refine them with these questions Does this feel plausible, yet provocative? What emotional response does it evoke? Is that the response you want? Does it reveal important implications or raise valuable questions? Is it specific and tangible enough to feel real? Would it inspire meaningful conversation about potential futures? Does it connect to present day decisions or actions? This refinement process ensures your design fiction serves a strategic purpose rather than just being an interesting creative exercise.
Speaker 2:Design fiction inaction case examples. To make these concepts more concrete, let's look at some examples of how design fiction has been used effectively in different contexts. Example 1. Future of Healthcare. A healthcare innovation team created a design fiction project exploring the implications of AI-driven predictive diagnostics. Rather than just describing the technology, they developed a day-in-the-life narrative following a primary care physician navigating new AI diagnostic tools, mock screenshots of the AI interface, including how it presented uncertainty and recommendations Thank you. Explore not just the technical possibilities but the practical, ethical and human dimensions of this future. It revealed important considerations about physician training, patient communication and liability that might have been missed in a more technical analysis.
Speaker 2:Example two financial inclusion. A financial services organization used design fiction to explore future scenarios for serving underbanked populations. They created three personal narratives from different user perspectives a gig worker, a rural entrepreneur and an elderly person. Fictional banking app interfaces tailored to each user's context and needs. A regulatory announcement describing new financial inclusion requirements. Customer testimonial videos describing the impact of new financial tools. This approach helped the organization move beyond abstract discussions of financial inclusion to understand specific user needs, regulatory considerations and potential service innovations. It also created emotional engagement with the challenges faced by underserved populations.
Speaker 2:Example three future of work. A government agency exploring the future of work developed a design fiction series called Work Slash Life 2035. It included short stories depicting different work arrangements, from highly automated settings to human-centered environments. Mock job listings showing how roles and required skills might evolve. A fictional work culture. Certification program assessing organizations on metrics like human development and employee autonomy. Policy briefings addressing challenges like algorithmic management and continuous reskilling. This multifaceted approach helps stakeholders engage with both the opportunities and challenges of workforce transformation. It sparked productive discussions about policy priorities, educational approaches and desired social outcomes, moving beyond simplistic narratives of either technological utopia or job-destroying dystopia. In each case, design fiction provided a way to make abstract futures tangible, explore their implications from multiple perspectives and connect future possibilities to present-day decisions, adapting the Approach for Different Contexts.
Speaker 2:Design fiction can be adapted for various contexts and purposes. Let's explore how to tailor the approach for different needs. For strategy development. When using design fiction for strategic planning, focus on creating multiple scenarios that explore different possible futures, including specific details about how your organization or industry functions in each scenario, highlighting strategic implications, competitive dynamics and organizational challenges. Ensuring that narratives connect directly to present-day decisions and priorities. Consider creating strategic provotypes artifacts designed to provoke strategic conversation about specific choices and their implications For innovation and design. When using design fiction for innovation processes emphasize user needs, behaviors and experiences in future contexts. Artifacts that people can interact with and respond to. Physically Immersive experiences that help teams develop empathy for future users. Specific pain points or opportunities that could drive innovation. Today, many design teams use sacrificial concepts, deliberately imperfect mock-ups of future products or services that invite critique and refinement.
Speaker 2:For stakeholder engagement when using design fiction to engage stakeholders or the public, prioritize accessibility and relatability. Using scenarios that connect to stakeholders' everyday experiences. Multiple perspectives, especially from groups who might be affected differently by future changes. Open-ended narratives that invite dialogue rather than presenting a single, correct vision. Clear connections between future possibilities and present-day choices or values. Interactive formats such as choose-your-own-adventure stories or participatory workshops, where stakeholders can create their own future scenarios, can be particularly effective for engagement.
Speaker 2:For personal foresight, design fiction can also be a powerful tool for personal foresight practice. Create day-in-the-life narratives of your future self navigating different scenarios. Develop artifacts from your future life like a resume, calendar or social media profile. Write letters from your future self offering guidance or perspective on current decisions. Create from the future reflections on decisions you're currently facing. These personal design fictions can help make long-term thinking more concrete and emotional, strengthening your connection to future possibilities, potential pitfalls and how to avoid them. While design fiction is a powerful tool, there are several common pitfalls to be aware of.
Speaker 2:Confusing possibility with prediction Design fiction explores what could happen, not what will happen. Be clear with your audience that you're creating provocative possibilities to spark conversation, not forecasting definitive outcomes. Presenting your narratives as definitive predictions can undermine their effectiveness and your credibility. Creating dystopian or utopian extremes. While dramatic scenarios can be engaging, extremely utopian or dystopian futures often lack the nuance and complexity of real life. The most thought-provoking design fictions typically include both positive and challenging elements, reflecting the messy reality of how change actually unfolds. Focusing on technology over people. A common mistake is to focus primarily on technological changes without deeply exploring their human implications. Remember that the most effective design fictions are human-centered, examining how changes affect relationships, values, social norms and daily experiences. Lacking diversity of perspective. If your design fiction only represents certain viewpoints or experiences, it will miss important implications and may reinforce existing biases. Deliberately include diverse perspectives in your scenarios, considering how different people and communities might experience the futures you're exploring.
Speaker 2:Creating narratives disconnected from action. Design fiction should inform present-day decisions and actions. If your narratives feel interesting but don't connect to choices people can make today, they may entertain but won't drive change. Always include reflection on what these futures mean for current priorities and decisions. By being mindful of these potential pitfalls, you can create future narratives that are not just creative and engaging but strategically valuable and action-oriented. Final thoughts on your challenge.
Speaker 2:Stories have been humanity's most powerful tool for making sense of the world since the beginning of civilization. They help us understand complex realities, navigate uncertainty and imagine new possibilities. In the rapidly changing landscape of the 21st century, narrative approaches like design fiction aren't just nice to have communications tools. They're essential methods for exploring, understanding and shaping the future. The futures that feel most real to us are the ones we can imagine ourselves living in. Design fiction creates that imaginative bridge, helping us and others viscerally experience possibilities that might otherwise remain abstract and disconnected from decision-making.
Speaker 2:As you continue developing your foresight practice, I encourage you to explore the power of future narratives, not as an alternative to rigorous analysis, but as a complement that brings your insights to life and connects them to action. Here's my challenge for you Choose one future possibility that's relevant to your work or life. It might be related to a major trend. You're tracking a strategic question. You're be related to a major trend. You're tracking a strategic question you're exploring, or a personal decision you're facing Now.
Speaker 2:Create a brief design fiction exploring this possibility A day in the life narrative, a fictional artifact, or both. Focus on making it human-centered, specific, plausible, yet provocative and connected to present action. Share your design fiction with at least one other person and use it to spark a conversation about the future. Thank you. In our next episode, we'll explore another powerful dimension of foresight practice building futures networks and communities. We'll discuss how connecting with others engaged in futures thinking can accelerate your learning, expand your perspective and amplify your impact. Until then, keep crafting your future stories. Keep exploring possibilities. Impact Until then, keep crafting your future stories.
Speaker 1:Keep exploring possibilities and, as always, think forward. Thanks for listening to the Think Forward podcast. You can find us on all the major podcast platforms and at wwwthinkforwardshowcom, as well as on YouTube under Think Forward Show. See you next time.
