Science Fiction Prototyping

Craig Gordon, Senior Experience Designer

Science Fiction Drives Innovation

Science Fiction has long helped drive innovation. From Tim Berners-Lee taking inspiration from Arthur C. Clarke for the World Wide Web, to Goddard namechecking H.G. Wells for his invention of rockets, to credit cards, GPS, tablets, video calls, submarines & waldo arms. The list goes on. And on.

In 2018, Cornell University published an article showing that science fiction is having a greater impact than ever on our real world, specifically in the field of human-computer interaction, as summarised in an MIT article here…

“Researchers use science fiction in a variety of different ways. One is for theoretical design research. Another is to refer to and explore new forms of human-computer interaction, which researchers increasingly think is shaped by science fiction books and films.”

And here’s Chris Noessal, Senior Designer for the Watson Customer Experience team at IBM, talking about how design in Science Fiction and the real world influence each other.

A new phase for Science Fiction’s impact on the world

Science Fiction’s impact on our everyday world is now entering a new era through Science Fiction Prototyping.

“…the idea of using science fiction to describe and explore the implications of futuristic technologies and the social structures enabled by them.”

Popularised by Brian David Johnson, previously Chief Futurist at Intel, he summarises it as, “science fiction based on science fact. It’s used as a way to prototype the future, and sci-fi is about people.”

At its heart, Science Fiction Protyotyping’s main methodology is “the use of science-fiction stories, grounded in existing practice, which are written for the explicit purpose of acting as prototypes for people to explore a wide variety of futures.”

It’s a methodology that is rapidly gaining traction in business, with big brands leveraging Sci-Fi Prototyping directly, or even hiring companies who specialise in this domain. Experimental.Design have worked with Nike, Ford, Sony and Boeing. SciFutures with Visa, Pepsico, Fox Digital Studios and Colgate.

Science Fiction Prototyping

“You don’t have to understand what augmented reality is, you don’t have to understand the technical specifics behind 3D printing, because when it’s in a story form and people are using it, you totally get it, you totally understand the potential of the technology.”

As Ari Popper, CEO of SciFutures, says above, its beauty is its simplicity. Everyone can understand a story. The output of a science-fiction prototype will contain an introduction, background work, the story itself, a short summary and a reflection, using the following touchpoints…

It starts with the technology. Using the here and now as a baseline. The next step is envisioning where the world could be in say 10 years’ time. What technology will be prevalent? How will society change? What will that mean to us as humans? And from a brand perspective, what will that mean for our customers? And most importantly, how can Sage be at the forefront of these technological revolutions?

“Fiction about the future whets our appetite for new technologies. It is how we discover what it is we truly want, driving new developments.”

How can we make sure that Sage is still relevant in the future? Perhaps by embracing Science Fiction Prototyping.

What’s next?

Next time I’m going to show you what that output may look like. I’m going to explore what the future could look like in 10 years’ time for Sage.

Further reading

· What science fiction can teach big business

· Nike and Boeing Are Paying Sci-Fi Writers to Predict Their Futures

· Better Business Through Sci-Fi

· SciFutures Probes Your Company’s Dystopian Nightmares And Dreams Up The Solutions