Filtered Futures Boutique
Joanna Pruchnicka
Filtered Futures Boutique project explores a future dystopian scenario in regard to the new societal structures in the workplace and its consequence dripping into the private sphere. In particular, the ways of easing the pain of unfulfilled dreams are investigated. As a result of the exploration service based in 2037 is presented by means of a video and experience prototype. Filtered Futures Boutique allows filtering all content that might trigger the painful memory of the dream.
The project was based on the mutually beneficial tension between the design fiction and design process feeding into each other throughout the creation of scenarios and artifacts. Final storyline and service were developed by using diverse methodology including weak signals analysis, interviews, questionnaires, workshops, and probing. Research phase was based on the assumption that while society and technology might undergo various changes in the next 20 years our basic human feelings will be stable over this lifespan. This approach helped to extrapolate some of the reactions of people engaged in the process into the future and make the story more relatable.
Filtered Futures Boutique
Victor was greeted at the boutique’s door by a shop assistant. Long shelves display mostly emptiness. What exactly are they selling here, he wondered passing from room to room. What are those devices? Where do they come from?
After a couple of minutes, he was approached by a friendly looking human robot.
— Hi, my name is Eva and I’m an AI. Are you interested in one of our filters?
— Actually, I’m not sure.
— Then sit and tell me your story. Our advanced algorithms will help us find the best fit for you.
Victor looked at her and could not shake the feeling that there was a sparkle of empathy in her face. He sighted heavily wile getting comfortable on a velvet sofa
— It all started many, many years ago on an icy winter night when I was laying in bed with a fever and came across Mendel and Darwin…
Their discoveries, taken for granted by other people, were fascinating for a sick kid who could not leave bed for weeks and weeks. Snow was slowly accumulating on my window, but in my imagination, I was already traveling to exotic islands and growing sweet peas in a monastery’s garden.
To the disappointment of my family, my passion did not express itself in a pursuit of an academic career. Very much in an accord to the history of my long departed mentors I was conducting my own observations and experimentations.
Ironically my opportunistic lifestyle was very well suited to the changes that were unraveling around us. My solitary way of living was actually copied when faced with food shortages and migration crisis. Myself I was content with working as a head of statistics in AI department of the post office and tending to my small garden after work.
Unfortunately as the years passed the food crisis enter into a new stage and W.H.O. in cooperation with the UN introduced program banning gardening and announced a shift to a more efficient system of 3D printed meals. This was a radical solution and they thought that this would stop World Hunger.
After years of research I had another idea, but since I was not a renowned scholar and seen as an amateur, my voice in the discussion was not heard. So I retreated to my garden like a snail hiding in his little shell.
I usually spent most of my time working in my garden. But a couple of days ago I heard a noise outside the window. I rushed to see what was happening to my beloved patch and what I saw was mortifying. Tiny police drones sprayed ground with chemicals making it interfile forever.
Of course, I knew that gardening was banned, but hoped my tiny-tiny nursery will go unnoticed. But now this was happening and I could only stand there and observe the destruction.
Victor buried face in his hands and went silent. The robot made a couple of very subtle mechanical sounds and turned into him.
— This is a very beautiful story. I have something for you. Let me introduce you to our Isolatio toolkit. I promise it will make you feel better… We can fit it to your needs and have it delver to your doorstep in couple of hours. Would you like to try?
— It seems like at this point I have nothing to lose.
Victor was having his 3D printed meal when package arrived. Box was looking so nice and new that even mere sight of it seemed to have therapeutical influence on Victor’s spirit.
Inside he found an instrument consisting of a projector and one filter. Instruction explained that it will help him to control main aspects of his isolation period: triggering content, human interaction and machine interaction. Service was already plugged into his network and rearranging his life: schedule, suggested reading, books visible in his virtual library. The whole process will help him to forget about his initial dream and learn to let the life go on by introducing him to weaker filters shipped to him each week — brochure explained.
He had planned to see a friend to help him pick present for his mother and it was a great opportunity to test out this service. What the instruction said was that to get into the desirable level of numbness you might need it at the full swing in the beginning. Gradually Victor will be able to use less and less strong filters, but for now he could pick between 80% or 100% filters. He went for 80% since he wanted to test how does it work and 100% might have been too dramatic of a change for the first day.
Victor and his friend were wondering around interactive gift store. Presents would be blinking on big screens or could be seen in 3D as holograms. His friend pointed to one of the screens and asked about Victor’s opinion.
Victor was looking at a plastic plant pot, but didn’t want to hurt his friend’s feelings.
— Well… it is quite a humble present. But I’m sure your mum will like it.
— It is not that small.
Friend commented seeing blooming flowers climbing on a bamboo stick.
This interaction felt odd to Victor — like he was out of place, so when he got home he decided to install 100% filter and fully dive his hibernation. Apparently he wasn’t ready to embrace reality after all.
