This post also appears at www.designfictiondaily.com

The janky time machine is currently in the shop getting new brakes and transmission lines. Things are bit chaotic with tools scattered about and oil stains on everything. But between fixing the thing and realizing the thing still isn’t fixed, I’ve got this shiny new Work Kit Of Design Fiction to keep me imagining harder. So while my brother helps me get the janky time machine wormhole-worthy (actually, he’s doing most of the work), I wanna talk to you about this time-travel blog.

This week is a special week as I’m celebrating reaching an arbitrary number of subscribers, both free and paid, and I want to thank you all for tuning into my missives on the daily. I didn’t think this project I started 6 months ago 🤯 would gain the traction that it has. My open rates suggest you are all digging the daily. Again, thank you all.

So, as a gesture of my gratitude I’m going to give away a few of these decks to my paid subscribers. Before I get into the details, let’s look at this thing.

This new edition has a whole bunch of new options in all the categories. Each card is designed with a rich and colourful visual to help get those generative juices flowing. The cards are sturdy, well-printed with a nice textured finish that give feel good to shuffle and flip.

Let’s look at today’s Workit Wednesday card selection

A freshly dealt hand on the tailgate of the janky time machine.

Archetype = Identity Card
Object = Food Printing Thing
Action = Repurpose
Attribute = Nasa Punk

Before I get into it …

A note on the giveaway.

I have a small supply of these limited run cards, still sealed and fresh from the Near Future Laboratory HQ and they are ready to get into your hot little hands. Here’s how to get one.

(this is your opportunity to become a paid subscriber and get a chance to win)

If you’re not willing to chance it and want a sure thing, we got you. You can get your copy at the Near Future Laboratory’s online bodega where everyone’s a winner. At least while supplies last.

  • I’m going to give away one deck next Wednesday May 17th.

  • This contest is available to my paid subscribers (monthly, yearly and founders).

  • I need you to raise your hand by liking this post and leaving a comment anywhere in the exercise below.

  • I’ll put all the names in a hat and draw one lucky winner this time next week.

  • If chosen, you’ll be notified and I will send you a brand new 2023 Edition of the Work Kit of Design Fiction.

Now back to this week’s Design Fiction work session.

As usual, I am writing in a stream-of-consciousness way, delivering my thought process as I develop my ideas. This is a speed run, and it’s really sunny today, so it’s all about getting it done. Screw perfection when there’s a tan to be worked on too.

Alright, we’re making an ID card for a food printing thing that does some kind of repurposing in a NASA Punk kinda way.

The first place that is conjured for me with these cards is a cafeteria in a NASA Punk universe. Not necessarily space station, but maybe a facility like JPL or a remote Antarctic substation. The archetype being an ID card that is used to not only order a meal from a food fabricator but also repurpose left overs to satisfy the Repurpose card.

So, what if when you’re done eating, you can use the fabricator to return your uneaten scraps to be sorted, sanitized and reused for someone else’s meal? Something like this would make sense in a scenario where food rations are scarce.

The ID badge to hint to all of this without having to clearly define the fabricator. It should act as the tangible artifact - the evidence - of this technology and setting.

Time to start visualizing:

Let’s start with rendering a scene with Midjourney. Here’s a prompt I used to generate the image below.

an ID card next to a plate with leftovers on a table with NASA detais --ar 235:100

This is a good start. I will design an ID card to mockup into what the art bot conjured.

Next step, before visualizing the card. We need some details to layout. So I fired up ChatGPT and entered in the following prompt (repurposing what I wrote above)

we’re making an ID card for a food printing thing that does some kind of repurposing in a NASA Punk kinda way.

The first place that is conjured for me with these cards is a cafeteria in a NASA Punk universe. Not necessarily space station, but maybe a facility like JPL or a remote Antarctic substation. The archetype being an ID card that is used to not only order a meal from a food fabricator but also repurpose left overs to satisfy the Repurpose card.

So, what if when you’re done eating, you can use the fabricator to return your uneaten scraps to be sorted, sanitized and reused for someone else’s meal? Something like this would make sense in a scenario where food rations are scarce.

The ID badge to hint to all of this without having to clearly define the fabricator. It should act as the tangible artifact - the evidence - of this technology and setting.

With what you know, can you write some details that might appear on an identification card used to repurpose food scraps for others to consume? Consider food safety, allergies, preferences, and be sure to keep it quirlky.

And after a few seconds, this is what I got:

Sure, that sounds like an intriguing concept. Here are some details that might appear on this futuristic, food repurposing identification card:

Card Holder's Details:

Name: (e.g., "Dr. Alex R. Nova")
Designation: (e.g., "Astrobiologist")
Employee ID: (e.g., "NXP-4731")
Picture: A small holographic image that rotates to show the user from all angles.
Dietary Information:

Dietary Preference: (e.g., "Omnivore / Vegetarian / Vegan / Pescatarian / etc.")
Allergies: (e.g., "None / Peanuts / Shellfish / etc.")
Food Dislikes: (e.g., "Brussels sprouts, Cilantro")
Food Sanitation & Safety: A small, embedded sensor that can scan and ensure the food scraps being repurposed are free from any harmful bacteria or substances.

Personal Carbon Quota (PCQ): A real-time counter showing the user's remaining food carbon quota for the day/week/month. This reflects their sustainable food consumption and waste generation.

Repurpose Rating: A dynamic rating that reflects the cardholder's commitment to repurposing food scraps. The higher the score, the more they've contributed to sustainable food consumption.

QR Code: A QR code that links to their personal food profile, detailing their dietary history, preferences, and other pertinent information.

Security Features: Some additional features like holographic overlays, micro-printing, and a unique ID barcode to prevent counterfeiting.

Quirky Element: An interesting trivia about space, sustainability, or food on the back of the card for a bit of fun. E.g., "Did you know: Astronauts aboard the ISS recycle 90% of their water, including sweat and urine!"

The overall design of the card could be sleek and futuristic, with a color scheme that reflects NASA's iconic "worm" logo colors — navy blue, red, and white. It might also feature some playful illustrations or icons related to the cardholder's role, their favorite food, or a common tool or instrument they use.

While it may have created some information that is a little too on-the-nose, I think this is a great starting point to cherry pick a few elements to incorporate into the design of the ID badge.

I used This Person Does Not Exist to find a face for my character who I decided to call Howey Dewitt (like the song, This is How We Do It). I had to click a lot before landing on something kind of okay. Normally I would use Midjourney but I’m currently getting an error (good thing I managed to squeak in the main image before this happened).

I put together a quick and dirty layout in Illustrator

Now, time to comp it into the Midjourney render and publish a Design Fiction.

Image - 15 minutes later.jpg - Encyclopedia SpongeBobia - The SpongeBob ...

And ….. we are done.

With a little finessing, I’ve got this in relatively good shape. Again, this is about getting it done quickly. So there’s a lot that can be improved, but what I like about this is that it leaves so many questions unanswered. Like, is the a card received from someone else’s reconstituted meal? Something I hadn’t considered when going in.

Anyway, I would love to hear your thoughts. Where did your brain take you? What questions are you asking yourself about this? What would you have done differently?

Please, leave your thoughts.

Don’t forget to like and comment for your chance to win a fancy new Design Fiction Work Kit.