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Meeting 3: Science Fiction Prototyping 1

Joel Trudeau
Joel Trudeau
Meeting 3: Science Fiction Prototyping 1

This is also a follow up to Social Science Week Talk: A Measure of Uncertainty

Science fiction prototyping, or SFP, is a design process that relies on science fiction to imagine, design and communicate about the future. How will the technologies of today and tomorrow impact our lives as individuals, a society and a civilization? SFP forecasts vivid answers to this question that can then inform and potentially guide our actions moving forward, allowing us to imagine how we will live in the future and what we can do today to shape it.

SFP was first proposed (2010) and championed by Brian David Johnson during his tenure as Intel’s Futurist. The idea has since been adopted for use in corporate, government, education and other sectors.

Innovation critically depends on imaginative thinking. The core idea here is to use science fiction narratives as a means to explore, inform, and influence the future in areas like research, development and policy. Primarily, these fictional prototypes provide a powerful tool to enhance the traditional practices of research and design. We will use it to explore future scenarios related to what will become your major term project for the course.

Introduction to SFP

1. Read the Slate.com popular article: “Prototyping a Better Tomorrow” to further familiarize yourself with the concept of a Science Fiction prototyping (SFP).

2. Read about the Radical Ocean Futures project. As an example of a full SFP, read at least one of the 4 “Sci-fi narratives - Science-based stories about our future oceans” linked to on this page. We heard “Oceans back from the brink - May 2070” at the Social Science Week presentation.

Note: You may use the SFP as one possible format for your term project.

3. Homework for next class: Identify a contemporary issue (CI) as a possible thematic area for your term project. State your CI and write a short journal reflection about why this CI matters to you.

Example CI: Climate change

The following models a student reflection:

Climate change is an important contemporary issue due to its profound impact on global weather patterns, ecosystems, and biodiversity. It poses potential threats to human societies through increased natural disasters, food security challenges, and health-related risks. My generation feels an urgency to act since addressing climate change is imperative to ensure a sustainable future for all.

In our next class we will relate this CI to a future scenario in which the implications of the issue play out in the world and create our own micro-SFPs. Bring your journal to class for evaluation.

Photo credit

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash