Speculative Everything: Design Fiction as a Thinking Tool

How design fiction helps us interrogate possible futures before they arrive — and why every creative should practice it.

Design fiction isn't about predicting the future. It's about making the future debatable. By creating artifacts from worlds that don't yet exist — products, interfaces, services — we can stress-test ideas before committing resources.

The Power of Tangible Futures

A written scenario is abstract. A prototype from the future is visceral. When you hold a mockup of a product that might exist in ten years, the conversation shifts from "will this happen?" to "should this happen?"

Practicing Design Fiction

You don't need a lab or a grant. Start with a "what if" question, then design the most mundane artifact from that world — a receipt, a notification, a packaging label. The ordinary details are where futures feel real.

Why It Matters Now

The pace of technological change means we're constantly building things before we've thought through their implications. Design fiction gives us a way to think first, build second.