Introduction

In this section, Patrick introduces himself and Julian and explains the structure of the presentation.

Introducing the Project

• Patrick introduces himself and Julian.

• The presentation will be divided into three sections.

• The first section will cover the genesis of the idea.

• The second section will cover building the world.

• The third section will cover making the thing.

Background on the Project

• The project was entirely organic, with a client reaching out to them.

• A young designer at a large autonomous vehicle company reached out to them about doing design fiction.

Genesis of Idea

In this section, Patrick and Julian discuss how they came up with the idea for their project.

How They Came Up With Their Idea

• They were inspired by science fiction literature and films.

• They wanted to create a future world that was believable but not necessarily realistic.

• They worked with their client to develop ideas for what this future world would look like.

Building the World

In this section, Patrick and Julian discuss how they built their future world.

Developing Ideas for Their Future World

• They started by brainstorming ideas for what their future world would look like.

• They created a timeline of events that would lead to their future world.

• They worked with experts in various fields to ensure the believability of their future world.

Creating Tangible Artifacts

• They created tangible artifacts, such as magazines and advertisements, to bring their future world to life.

• They used these artifacts to help others visualize their future world.

Making the Thing

In this section, Patrick and Julian discuss how they made their project a reality.

Bringing Their Ideas to Life

• They used a variety of tools and techniques to bring their ideas to life.

• They worked with a team of people with different skills and expertise.

• They faced challenges along the way but were able to overcome them.

Final Thoughts

• Patrick and Julian are proud of what they were able to accomplish with this project.

• They hope that others can learn from their experience and use it in their own work.

Defining the Scope of the Project

In this section, the speaker talks about how they defined the scope of the project and how it came about.

How the Project Came About

• The client was open to an open brief.

• They had some exposure to design fiction through other people in their organization.

• The project was not a typical corporate project.

The Magazine Proper

• It is a proper magazine that went through everything it would take to produce and manufacture a magazine.

• Patrick type character brought inside knowledge and expertise.

• Dre labret was also involved directly in the project with Creative Design or production and design fiction.

The Magazine as a Design Fiction Tool

In this section, the speaker talks about how they used the magazine as a design fiction tool.

Characteristics of the World

• Longer form articles express characteristics or attributes of the world beyond just focusing on engineering aspects.

• Cargo follower droids are common in this world and almost become like part of families.

Yeti Advertisement

• Yeti has gotten into making ruggedized cargo follower droids.

• Helps represent the world's completeness.

Magazine Production Process

In this section, the speaker talks about the process of creating a magazine and how it involves collaboration with clients.

Collaboration with Clients

• The production process involves representing different aspects of the world and translating client's hopes, fears, dreams, desires as well as their research.

• The production was done in direct collaboration with the client through one-on-one conversations with people within the organization who had an interest in engaging in the work.

• There were productive workshops where ideas were discussed and represented on paper.

Generative Power of Satire

• The value of sparking unexpected conversations is that it provides a way for people to luxuriate into the world as opposed to just reading a bullet list of items.

• Disruptive moments of satire have generative power that can spark conversations and lead to new ideas.

Exploring the Future of Autonomous Vehicles

In this section, the speakers introduce the topic of exploring the future of autonomous vehicles and discuss their approach to presenting ideas to clients.

Stakeholder Engagement

• The speakers emphasize the importance of having stakeholders who are willing to engage in an ambiguous process.

• They discuss how they drew people into the idea of exploration by framing it as an opportunity to dream about a future with autonomous vehicles.

• The speakers note that there was some initial resistance from people who preferred direct briefs and tight deadlines, but most people eventually felt excited about exploring new possibilities.

Creative Process

• The speakers describe how they used metaphors and creative exercises like trust falls to encourage participation in the project.

• They explain that this type of project allowed for exploration beyond what is typically possible in other contexts, such as Excel spreadsheets or formal documents.

Implications and Opportunities

• The speakers give an example of an engineer's idea for neural implants in autonomous vehicles, which highlights the potential for unexpected opportunities and implications.

The Fun of Creative License

In this section, the speaker talks about how they translated research insights into a full-page ad. They emphasize the importance of creative license and exploration in the process.

Translation of Research Insights

• The team translated research insights into a full-page ad.

• The process was fun and allowed for creative exploration.

• Engineers, designers, and c-level executives were given creative license to explore.

Workshops and Exploration Process

In this section, the speaker discusses workshops that were conducted to gather information from clients. They also mention exploring client relationships and value creation on the client side.

Workshops with Clients

• Multiple workshops were conducted to gather information from clients.

• The team explored potential customer desires and challenges in the autonomous vehicle market.

Client Relationships and Value Creation

• A sense of luxury was mentioned in relation to client relationships.

• The team will discuss value creation on the client side later in the presentation.

Exploration Process Overview

In this section, the speaker provides an overview of how they approached exploring research insights. They discuss getting buy-in from stakeholders who may not understand what they are doing.

Approaching Exploration

• The team explored research insights by imagining possibilities for autonomous vehicles.

• Getting buy-in from stakeholders who don't understand what they are doing is important.

Moment of Client Ask

In this section, Julian talks about when clients came to them with their ask. He explains what their challenge was and how it led to their exploration process.

Client Ask

• Clients had a large design research team with analytic insights into the autonomous vehicle market.

• The team was asked to translate research insights into an imaginative form.

• The team didn't know what the final artifact would look like.

Exploration of Autonomous Vehicle Market

In this section, the speaker discusses exploring potential customer desires and challenges in the autonomous vehicle market.

Exploring Autonomous Vehicle Market

• The team explored potential customer desires for convenience and closing gaps in transportation ecosystems.

• They also explored challenges in the autonomous vehicle market.

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Describing Tools and Artifacts

In this section, the speaker describes the tools they use to create artifacts for their design fiction process. They highlight the usefulness of The Script tool for automatically transcribing recordings and producing digests.

Tools Used

• The team uses The Script tool to automatically transcribe recordings.

• They record general seminars and client engagements, then listen back to the entire recording individually highlighting key points.

• They identify artifacts seen in the world and translate them into a magazine from the future.

• The team found that using The Script was particularly useful for highlighting key bits of conversations with many speakers.

Prompting Ideas

In this section, the speaker discusses how they prompt people to bring what they already know when imagining a world in which autonomous mobilities are ubiquitous.

Prompts Given

• People are asked to imagine a world in which autonomous mobilities are ubiquitous.

• People are not required to be experts or do any preparation beforehand.

• The core prompt is used as a starting point for exploring different areas related to autonomous mobility.

Learning from Ideas

In this section, the speaker talks about how small details from ideas presented during brainstorming sessions can lead to interesting insights.

Learning from Ideas

• Small details from ideas presented during brainstorming sessions can lead to interesting insights.

• For example, someone mentioned finding a newspaper article about the repeal of an amendment for the right to drive, which led to thinking about societal forces at play in a world with autonomous mobility.

• The team is interested in exploring all the possibilities that arise from these small details.

Magazine as a Medium

In this section, the team discusses their decision to create a magazine as a medium for their project. They explore the unique possibilities and challenges that come with creating a magazine.

Choosing a Magazine

• The team quickly landed on the idea of creating a magazine.

• A magazine offers many different distinct moving parts that need to cohere into a whole, which creates meaning.

• A believable magazine cannot be created by simply stapling together 15 stories about the future; it requires coherence and meaning.

• The team considered how the magazine could function in other ways, such as being used instead of doing a Future Vision Video or sharing it with industry stakeholders.

What Makes Magazines Unique

• There are many different types of magazines that look at the world in different ways and address it differently.

• The team considered creating an automotive magazine called "Car and Driverless," but realized that focusing on specs would have made it a bad product.

Member Magazine and AAA Magazine

In this section, the speaker talks about member magazines such as Costco Connection and AAA magazine. These magazines are full of ads, special offers, and lifestyle content. They have a certain readership and advertising value that will keep them in circulation for years to come.

Member Magazines

• Member magazines like Costco Connection are full of ads, special offers, and lifestyle content.

• These magazines have a certain readership and advertising value that will keep them in circulation for years to come.

• The client was impressed with how accurately the team captured the experience of receiving these magazines.

AAA Magazine

• AAA magazine is another example of a member magazine.

• It focuses on boosting the automotive world and features big lifestyle topics.

• Most people encounter these magazines briefly before throwing them away.

Typography and Design Choices

In this section, the speaker discusses their design choices for the magazine. They wanted to avoid making it too polished or futuristic-looking. Instead, they drew inspiration from real-world publications like Outside Magazine.

Design Inspiration

• The team drew inspiration from real-world publications like Outside Magazine.

• They wanted to avoid making the magazine look too polished or futuristic-looking.

• By studying different types of magazines, they were able to create a unique design that felt authentic.

Call for Contributions

In this section, the speaker talks about the call for contributions that they created for the magazine. They wanted to involve everyone in the project and asked them to pitch ideas as if it were a real magazine.

Call for Contributions

• The team created a call for contributions to involve everyone in the project.

• They asked everyone to pitch ideas as if it were a real magazine.

• The call for contributions was produced by an executive deputy senior editor who had been at their job for 25 years.

Starting Point for the Magazine

In this section, the speaker talks about how they started building a world for their magazine. They asked people to pitch ideas and received many responses. They then triaged those ideas and made them workable within the context of a magazine.

Pitching Ideas

• The team asked people to pitch ideas for their magazine.

• About 30 people within that organization sent in their ideas.

• The team triaged those ideas and made them workable within the context of a magazine.

Building a World

• The starting point was to build a little world where they hinted at the fact that AAA doesn't exist anymore.

• Instead, there's this AVU AAA, which is now the magazine.

• This helped keep the team engaged in that creative process.

Narrowing Down Ideas

In this section, the speaker talks about how they narrowed down ideas for their magazine. They broke things into thematics and potential modes of exploration. They also discuss how many of these ideas could be details of a world rather than standalone articles.

Narrowing Down Ideas

• They broke things into thematics and potential modes of exploration.

• Many of these ideas could be details of a world rather than standalone articles.

Classifieds Section

• There are four pages of classifieds in this issue.

• It was just something they did as part of their process where they constantly added things to it when looking to procrastinate from other ideas.

Other Formats Considered

In this section, the speaker talks about other formats considered besides a magazine. One idea was to do a box filled with items related to their world.

Box Format Idea

• One idea was to do a box of stuff alongside the magazine.

• The box would contain items related to their world, such as a diner mug or trucker hat.

• This would make the world more tangible and immersive.

Adding Value to Autonomous Vehicles

In this section, the speaker discusses how adding a little bit of creativity and imagination can add value to autonomous vehicles.

Drawing People In

• The speaker suggests that adding some creativity and imagination can draw people in.

• Allowing people's imagination to wonder about something has value.

• Making a team have a chuckle every morning when they're looking for the last Entenmann's donut in the box in the break room can help them feel excited about their work.

Building a World

• The speaker emphasizes that they are not just building a car but building a world.

• Set dressing and artifacts from the future can help people feel into this world in another way.

Road Trips in an Autonomous World

In this section, the speaker talks about what road trips might look like in an autonomous world.

Post Ownership Autonomous World

• The speaker asks what road trips would look like in a post ownership autonomous world where people don't own their own vehicles.

• They question what would be in the trunk of someone's car on a road trip if they didn't own it.

A Magazine for Social Justice and Transit Equity

In this section, the speaker discusses how they created a magazine that subtly addresses issues around social justice, transit equity, and climate change.

Engaging with Social Issues

• The speaker talks about how the magazine dives into issues around social justice, transit equity, and climate change.

• They suggest that a magazine that is too oblivious to see those things directly can still represent them subtly.

Gary Indiana

• The speaker discusses an article in the magazine about Gary, Indiana, which was initially a joke pitch from one of the team members.

• They explain that while it may seem like a wacky idea, it's also a serious one because Gary is a bleak place that has been through a lot.

Building a Magazine for the Future

In this section, the speaker discusses how they built a magazine for the future by working with their team to think about genuine outcomes and implications. They also talk about how they asked their team to pitch ideas and translate them into articles or advertisements.

Working with the Team

• The real idea of building this world was not to just write cool stuff but to work with their team and think about genuine outcomes and implications.

• They did one-on-one sessions with their team to discuss topics such as Transit Equity and using lidar sensors for maintenance in various cities.

• They asked their team to pitch ideas and translate them into articles or advertisements.

Pitching Ideas

• The pitches were essentially finding ways to represent some aspect of research that felt important.

• The nature of the pitches was discussing what things would look like in the future if certain ideas were implemented.

• One example is an article on Transit Deserts, which delves deeply into inequity in ride-sharing companies and informal ride-hails in Los Angeles.

Conclusion

The speaker emphasizes that building a magazine for the future requires working closely with your team, thinking about genuine outcomes, and translating ideas into articles or advertisements. Pitches should focus on representing important aspects of research while considering what things would look like in the future.

Formalizing Informal Jitneys in LA

In this section, the speakers discuss the struggles of formalizing informal jitneys in LA and how to translate research into a form that is easy to communicate.

Translating Research into Communication

• There are different ways to translate insights or research into a form that is easy to communicate.

• The speakers usually use PowerPoint, which may not be the most imaginative way of expressing an idea.

• By translating research into an article from the future, people can engage with it on another level.

Magazine Design Process

• The magazine design process involves creating a fully realized world where everything aligns with each other.

• The magazine was initially called Explorer but was changed to Old Autonomy during the cover design process.

• Adapting concepts as you learn what they are is important in any project.

Planning for a Magazine

• A flat plan is used in magazines as a little picture of the entire magazine.

• Every detail needs planning, including things taken for granted like what's on a mailing label.

Magazine Creation Process

In this section, the speaker talks about how they used client ideas to tie them into articles and create a magazine. They also discuss the importance of understanding ROI and how it helps in creating a vision for the magazine.

Tying Client Ideas into Articles

• The team used client ideas to tie them into articles.

• Direct plane vehicle drop-off idea was added as a little detail at the tail end of something else.

• Feedback from answering questions feeds back and effervesces into conversations that help evolve language that c-level executives might have about their vision.

Design Language

• It was important for the magazine to be believable for what it was.

• The magazine needed to feel like that kind of slightly crappy magazine where all of this world could show up in the mess of it which is fun.

• The printers made it a bit nicer than intended, but it was deliberately meant to look crappy.

Core Components of a Magazine

• There are three core components to a magazine: art, editorial, and advertising.

Editorial Challenges

In this section, the speakers discuss the challenges they faced in creating a consistent and coherent world for their magazine. They also talk about the difficulties of bringing photography from a non-existent world and how it requires proper skill to obtain the kind of representation of the world.

Consistency of World

• The challenge was to create a consistent and coherent world for their magazine.

• Not everything in the magazine will state the base facts and assumptions of that world.

• The two big challenges were how to get consistency of world and then how to keep that coherent through every aspect of the magazine.

Bringing Photography from Non-existent World

• The challenge was to bring back photography from a non-existent world when they don't have a photography budget or time machine for their photographer.

• Using Mid Journey is not enough, as it requires proper skill to obtain the kind of representation of the world.

• The tools have evolved but just like Photoshop doesn't make you a great photographer, these tools don't make you a great ad designer.

Final Thoughts

• Obtaining representation of the world requires proper skill that's usually developed over years and years.

• The imagery needs to be contemporary with that future which is a whole different sort of question.

• This thing needs to exist; the artifact is created in that moment.

Challenges of Creating Visual Representations of the World

The speaker discusses the challenges of creating visual representations of the world, using the example of a project involving autonomous vehicles in national parks.

National Parks Case Study

• The project involves imagining a future where only autonomous vehicles are allowed in national parks.

• The team focused on creating a realistic world for people who work with these vehicles, rather than speculating on what products might look like.

• Design fiction was used to create points of view, such as that of a person responsible for maintaining all the vehicles.

• The team considered real-world constraints, such as lack of cell phone signal and unreliable satellite connectivity.

Balancing Creativity and Technical Feasibility

An engineer asks about balancing creativity and technical feasibility when working on projects involving emerging technologies.

Generative vs. Technical Feasibility

• Engineers ground their work in what is currently possible or projected to be possible within a certain timeframe.

• In this project, engineers were working within the constraints of what was projected to be possible for fifth-generation autonomous vehicles.

• Engineers did not see much difference between science fact and science fiction; they could imagine themselves in the world being created.

• Design fiction can make emerging technologies more tangible by providing specific moments or scenarios.

Engineers and World Building

In this section, the speaker talks about how engineers are imaginative problem solvers who use code and engineering schematics to solve problems. They also discuss their own desire to be an engineer, astronaut, and science fiction writer.

The Beauty of Mundane Problems

• Engineers enjoy solving mundane problems because they are beautiful in their simplicity.

Degrees of Separation in World Building

• When creating a world based on a client's product or service, it's important to consider the degrees of separation from the core function.

• Focusing on elements that are two degrees away can add value by providing a feeling of reality.

• It's important to strike a balance between adding artistic references and societal ramifications while still staying true to the core function.

Philosophy on World Building

• The speaker doesn't have a specific philosophy for world building but relies on instinct when focusing on elements that are two degrees away from the core function.

The Importance of Procedural Frameworks

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of procedural frameworks in detective work and design fiction. They also talk about the need to set up frameworks with clients to ensure that they understand the nature of the project.

The Role of Detective Work in Design Fiction

• Detective work is relevant in design fiction because it involves looking for unexpected things.

• Good detectives are salty and have seen everything, which allows them to catch things that others might miss.

• Small details like rust on a film set can make a big difference in creating a believable world.

Setting Up Frameworks with Clients

• It's important to remind clients that design fiction is not a marketing product and should not be treated as such.

• Trust between designers and clients is crucial when working on projects that might not make sense at first glance.

• Justifying each piece of the project to clients can be challenging, but it's important to remember that small details contribute to making the project believable.

Eliciting Ideas from People

In this section, the speaker talks about their process for eliciting ideas from people and how it led to successful outcomes. They also discuss potential improvements for future processes.

Successful Outcomes from Simple Processes

• A simple Zoom-based process was used to elicit ideas from people, which led to successful outcomes.

• The speaker believes that sticking with this general seminar format is best for future idea elicitation processes.

Improving Idea Elicitation Processes

• No bullet points available.

The Magic of the Time Machine

In this section, the speaker talks about how they came up with a course that allows students to study any topic they want and run it themselves. They also discuss the "time machine" exercise, which takes people back to their childhood and helps them tap into their imagination.

Creating a Course for Students

• The faculty left the course open for students to come up with their own topics.

• Students had to come up with a reality and run it themselves.

The Time Machine Exercise

• The time machine exercise is where people go into a future world and look around.

• There is no right or wrong answer in this exercise.

• People love this one-on-one expression because it takes them back to when they were seven or eight years old.

• It reminds people that they have the ability to imagine.

Facilitating Imagination

In this section, the speaker talks about how they facilitate imagination in others through exercises like the time machine. They also discuss how even serious professionals can benefit from tapping into their imagination.

Facilitating Imagination

• There is facilitation involved in helping people tap into their imagination.

• Taking people by the hand and making sure they get the idea is important.

Tapping Into Imagination

• Even serious professionals who spend their entire career in structured environments can benefit from tapping into their imagination.

• Reminding people that they have the ability to imagine is important.

ROI of Imagination

In this section, the speaker talks about how tapping into imagination can provide return on investment (ROI). They give an example of a senior leader who was able to persuade others on the value of imagination.

ROI of Imagination

• Tapping into imagination can provide ROI.

• Senior leaders can persuade others on the value of imagination.

English Barrier to Engagement

In this section, the speaker talks about how people can feel defensive when presented with new ideas and how to overcome this barrier to engagement.

Overcoming Barriers to Engagement

• People can feel defensive when presented with new ideas.

• Setting groundwork for trust is important in getting engagement.

• It can be hard to get time with leadership-level individuals who are busy.

• Getting people involved in the process helps them understand the value of doing something new.

English Persuading Others to Engage

In this section, the speaker discusses how to persuade others to engage in a project or idea.

Persuasion Techniques

• Involve citizens and multiple layers of society in the project.

• Use citizen science, user participation, and surveys as established practices.

• Tap into people's feelings about what is right and involve them in decision-making processes.

• Explain the value of doing something new.

Making Sense of the Future

In this section, the speaker discusses how people make sense of the future and how tools like financial projections are just one way to do so. He also talks about other ways people make sense of the future, such as through art and prototyping.

Ways People Make Sense of the Future

• Financial projections are a common tool for making sense of the future, but they are just one way to do so.

• People also make sense of the future through art, such as paintings and films.

• Prototyping is another way to help people feel into a future world and understand what it might be like.

The Value of Different Approaches

• The speaker suggests that there is value in all these different approaches to making sense of the future.

• He gives an example of how he created an annual report from the future for his company, which helped him sell it.

Selling a Product and the Value of Design Fiction

In this section, the speaker talks about how he sold his product to Paul Smith and the value of design fiction in helping people see and feel into possible futures.

Selling a Product

• The speaker shares that he sold his product to Paul Smith after leaking it on the internet.

• Paul Smith called up and started carrying the product.

The Value of Design Fiction

• The speaker believes that design fiction is at the cusp of becoming an established practice like UX design.

• It helps people see and feel into possible futures in ways that were not possible with old tools.

• Design fiction can help translate CFO's Excel spreadsheets into more engaging annual report ideas from future perspectives.

• Doing design fiction as a hygiene practice can be valuable for companies.

Wrapping Up

In this section, the speaker wraps up by thanking everyone for their participation and asking for feedback.

Thank You Slide

• The speaker puts up a thank you slide.

Follow-Up Email

• The speaker plans to send out a follow-up email with questions to get feedback from participants.

• He hopes to refine their approach based on feedback received.

• Participants will have an opportunity to talk one-on-one or one-on-two with Patrick and him about this topic.

Conclusion

• The speaker thanks everyone for their participation and great audience.

• He hopes there was value in this session and looks forward to hearing feedback from participants.