This post also appears at www.designfictiondaily.com

This week’s work kit sprint has me pulling these cards from the deck.

So, we’re making a fortune cookie about a drone that includes protest, plant-based and 99c store-like.

After mulling it over for a quick minute, I decided to toss the ‘99c store-like’ card as it was slowing me down. Today is decidedly a speed run.

So here’s the scenario I came up with: After indulging in a late night-night dim sum session, you’re presented with a fortune slip that lets you know that all the meat-stuff you ate will be offset by drones that will protest against what you’ve done, that way your earth-negative actions are negated by earth-positive reactions.

My paid subscribers get a behind the scenes of what and how I executed this Design Fiction.

Here’s how I got to where we are now.

I rejigged my Design Fiction Generator prompt for the brand new GPT-4 that launched yesterday. It fumbled on the ‘artifact’ card and I had to correct it, but it eventually gave me something close-ish to what I ended up with.

Setting it up and delivering the Prompt: 1st Attempt

**User:**
Today we're going to generate a Design Fiction artifact from a set of workshop prompt cards.

First it's important to understand what Design Fiction is for our purposes. Here's a definition: Design Fiction is a design practice aiming at exploring and criticizing possible futures by creating speculative, and often provocative, scenarios narrated through designed artifacts. It is a way to facilitate and foster debates. Design Fiction as a communication and social object creates interactions and dialogues around futures that were missing before. It helps make it real enough for people that you can have a meaningful conversation with.

Unlike a science fiction artifact, which is about showcasing advancements in technology, a Design Fiction artifact takes the form of an archetype that hint to a future technology or social trend. Design Fiction isn't about the futuristic gadget or trend so much as it is the owner's manual for it, or a sticker, or an advertisement. Design fiction is evidence, a clue, not the the thing itself.

With this, please explain to me what design fiction is.

---

**ChatGPT:**
Design Fiction is a creative practice that focuses on exploring and critiquing potential futures through the creation of speculative scenarios, often using provocative designed artifacts as storytelling tools. The primary purpose of Design Fiction is to facilitate and encourage debates about the implications of future technologies and social trends. These artifacts, which may take the form of owner's manuals, stickers, or advertisements, act as communication tools and social objects, promoting dialogue and interaction around previously unexplored possibilities. Instead of focusing on the futuristic technology itself, as in science fiction, Design Fiction emphasizes the context and implications of these technologies, providing evidence or hints of potential futures.

---

**User:**
Generate a Design Fiction artifact based on a set of workshop playing cards that have been selected. Each card represents a characteristic of a Design Fiction artifact and must be meaningfully incorporated into the final result.

There are five cards to consider that define a Design Fiction artifact. 

The first card is the [archetype]. It represents the physical form in which the Design Fiction artifact with embody. The archetype is the physical evidence of the object, hinting at context and implications. 

The second card is the [object]. This is the technology, trend or situation that the Design Fiction artifact is referring to. It's a fictional, near future that lives within the realm of possibility.

The third card is the [action]. This describes a feature of the object. It can be its main function or output. It could also be a side effect of what it does. 

The fourth card is the [attribute]. This card adds additional context to the object or scenario we might find the object in. It adds color to the idea.

And finally, the fifth card is the [tone]. This card represents the mood or theme of the object or its environment.

The following cards have been selected:
[archetype] is a fortune cookie
[object] is a drone
[action] is protest
[attribute] is plant-based
[tone] is dollarstore-like

Come up with a design fiction that takes all of the above into consideration.

Please write in English language.

---

**ChatGPT:**
Title: The Fortune Cookie Drone Activist
Description: In the near future, a low-cost, plant-based drone known as the "Fortune Cookie Drone Activist" (FCD Activist) is developed and sold in discount stores, such as dollar stores. The FCD Activist embodies the physical evidence of a future where small-scale drones are used for various purposes, including advocating for social causes.
Artifact: A promotional flyer found at a dollar store, advertising the Fortune Cookie Drone Activist.

Text on the flyer:
Introducing the FORTUNE COOKIE DRONE ACTIVIST!
The affordable, plant-based drone for all your protest needs.
Features:
<li>Plant-based construction: Our eco-friendly drones are made from sustainable, biodegradable materials, reducing environmental impact.</li><li>Protest actions: Pre-programmed with protest chants and slogans, the FCD Activist is your ideal companion to make your voice heard.</li><li>Customizable messages: Create your own fortune cookie-style messages to spread your cause in a fun and unique way.</li><li>Easy to use: Simple controls and intuitive design make it perfect for both beginner and experienced activists.</li>
Experience activism like never before with our dollar-store exclusive, the FORTUNE COOKIE DRONE ACTIVIST!

This Design Fiction artifact, a promotional flyer, hints at a future where drones are not only affordable and accessible to the masses, but also used for activism and spreading messages of social change. The Fortune Cookie Drone Activist, with its plant-based materials and unique fortune cookie messaging feature, embodies the intersection of technology, environmental consciousness, and grassroots activism in a dollar-store setting.

---

2nd Attempt: Trying to course-correct

Unfortunately, it got stuck on the idea of a sticker when I need it to stock to a fortune cookie.

**User:**
Let's reset and try this again.

Today we're going to generate a Design Fiction artifact from a set of workshop prompt cards.

First it's important to understand what Design Fiction is for our purposes. Here's a definition: Design Fiction is a design practice aiming at exploring and criticizing possible futures by creating speculative, and often provocative, scenarios narrated through designed artifacts. It is a way to facilitate and foster debates. Design Fiction as a communication and social object creates interactions and dialogues around futures that were missing before. It helps make it real enough for people that you can have a meaningful conversation with.

Unlike a science fiction artifact, which is about showcasing advancements in technology, a Design Fiction artifact takes the form of an archetype that hint to a future technology or social trend.

---

Generate a Design Fiction artifact based on a set of workshop playing cards that have been selected. Each card represents a characteristic of a Design Fiction artifact and must be meaningfully incorporated into the final result.

There are five cards to consider that define a Design Fiction artifact. 

The first card is the [archetype]. It represents the physical form in which the Design Fiction artifact with embody. The archetype is the physical evidence of the object, hinting at context and implications. 

The second card is the [object]. This is the technology, trend or situation that the Design Fiction artifact is referring to. It's a fictional, near future that lives within the realm of possibilty.

The third card is the [action]. This describes a feature of the object. It can be its main function or output. It could also be a side effect of what it does. 

The fourth card is the [attribute]. This card adds additional context to the object or scenario we might find the object in. It adds color to the idea.

And finally, the fifth card is the [tone]. This card represents the mood or theme of the object or its environment.

The following cards have been selected:
[archetype] is a fortune cookie
[object] is a drone
[action] is protest
[attribute] is plant-based
[tone] is dollarstore-like

Come up with a design fiction that takes all of the above into consideration.

---

**ChatGPT:**
Title: Plant-Powered Protest Drones
Design Fiction Artifact: A fortune cookie with a sticker on the back that reads, "Drones for Protesting: Powered by Plants". The sticker has a dollar store-like aesthetic, featuring a cartoonish drawing of a drone with leafy vines growing out of it.

In this near-future scenario, plant-powered drones are used as tools for protest and activism. The Design Fiction artifact is a fortune cookie containing a thought-pro

---

3rd Attempt: Directly addressing the error.

In this attempt, I make it clear what the artifact is.

**User:**
Let's be clear, in this case, the artifact card that was pulled is a fortune cookie. Think of the paper inside the cookie with the fortune written on it. The artifact is NOT a sticker.

Please write in English language.

---

**ChatGPT:**
Title: Plant-Powered Protest Drones
Design Fiction Artifact: A fortune cookie with a fortune slip inside that reads, "Drones for Protesting: Powered by Plants". The fortune slip has a dollar store-like aesthetic, featuring a cartoonish drawing of a drone with leafy vines growing out of it, printed on the paper slip.

In this near-future scenario, plant-powered drones are used as tools for protest and activism. The Design Fiction artifact is a fortune cookie containing a thought-provoking message inside, which hints at the potential use of environmentally friendly drones for social change.
The fortune cookie, typically associated with luck and good fortune, in this case, brings attention to the possible future development of drones powered by plants. This creates a playful yet serious way to spark conversations about the implications of this kind of technology and its use.
The dollar store-like aesthetic of the fortune slip appeals to a broad audience, making the topic of plant-powered protest drones accessible to many. It encourages discussions about the role of technology in activism, the need for eco-friendly innovations, and the potential consequences of using drones in protests.
By embodying the concept in a fortune cookie, the Design Fiction artifact becomes an unexpected and intriguing conversation starter, inviting people to imagine and debate the future of activism and the technologies that could shape it.

The prompt for you to try for yourself.

Here’s is the latest, tweaked prompt for you to try for yourself.

If you don’t have Work Kit Cards, you can just make anything up.

Generate a Design Fiction artifact based on a set of workshop playing cards that have been selected. Each card represents a characteristic of a Design Fiction artifact and must be meaningfully incorporated into the final result.

There are five cards to consider that define a Design Fiction artifact. 

The first card is the [archetype]. It represents the physical form in which the Design Fiction artifact with embody. The archetype is the physical evidence of the object, hinting at context and implications. 

The second card is the [object]. This is the technology, trend or situation that the Design Fiction artifact is referring to. It's a fictional, near future that lives within the realm of possibilty.

The third card is the [action]. This describes a feature of the object. It can be its main function or output. It could also be a side effect of what it does. 

The fourth card is the [attribute]. This card adds additional context to the object or scenario we might find the object in. It adds color to the idea.

And finally, the fifth card is the [tone]. This card represents the mood or theme of the object or its environment.

The following cards have been selected:
[archetype] is a fortune cookie
[object] is a drone
[action] is protest
[attribute] is plant-based
[tone] is dollarstore-like

Come up with a design fiction that takes all of the above into consideration.

Image Making

I started by rendering a background in MidJourney. I knew I wanted a fortune cookie in context of a meal.

I used this prompt:

close up of a restaurant table, aftermath of a late-night chinese food meal at a restaurant --ar 2:1 --v 4

I got these options.

I chose the lower left image to upscale.

Then I searched Shutterstock for a fortune cookie picture.

I brought it into Photoshop where I comped it onto the background and use the Blend Neural Filter to match the lighting of the fortune cookie to match the background.

I made a smart object for the text and distorted it into place over the paper, where I masked the left end and applied a multiply blending mode to make it look like it was written on the paper.

In Summary

The GPT prompt was a good way to spark an idea. I didn’t use what it offered verbatim, but it allowed me to quickly shortcut some thinking to come up with my spin on what it generated. This feels like it will become a common way of engaging with AI.

As far as artwork goes. Again, I didn’t think too hard about it. I wasn’t super picky. I just took what it gave me and used it as a background element to add context to the foreground object, the cookie.

The combination of GPT and Midjourney here allowed me to whip this up in under and hour (not including the time required to write all the explanations).

Let me know if you use any of these prompts or techniques that I’ve shared. Would love to see how you’re using them.