Speculative Design
AKA “Futurism” or “Strategic Foresight”
I’ve been working in foresight since 2003, since Jack Smith of the National Research Council of Canada invited me down to Ottawa to help loosen up nervous bureaucrats, scientists, and policy-makers during the NRC’s ambitious week-long foresight workshops.
In 2011 I was one of the first cohort to graduate from OCAD University with a Masters degree in Strategic Foresight and Innovation. This formalized my credentials for the work I’d already been doing for nearly a decade.
The degree also helped me understand what I really do. I don’t predict the future. I design possible futures.
“Narrative seems to be the default task orientation of the human mind. …If our minds can process information in narrative terms, they automatically will.”
—Brian Boyd
Author of “On the Origin of Stories”
Public Speaking
I’ve been giving keynote speeches for over a decade, from Los Angeles to Washington, Paris to Moscow, Warsaw to Athens. Book me or inquire about how I can make your event better.
Design Fiction
I have written short stories, vignettes, and even novel-length works of speculative fiction such as Crisis in Zefra and Crisis in Urlia for institutional and corporate clients. Contact me for details and ideas.
Research and Consulting
Contact me if you’re interested in conducting foresight exercises, designing scenarios, or crafting design fictions to support or explain your own work.