PLEDGE
Futures Thinking Through Science Fiction
Today I will become a science fiction storyteller. I will open my mind to the possibilities and create compelling tales of possible futures. The stories I help create will honor known fact, but push the boundaries to reveal new understandings of the future. Through this pledge, I am giving myself permission to experiment. I realize that I am doing something new, and that it could get rocky at times. I will push through, and remember that fear only delays my greatness!
Before we start... 1. Sign the pledge. 2. Find a partner. 3. Open your mind! 4. Wait for the signal before turning the page...
IMAGINE
Identify driving forces. 1. LIST POSSIBLE DRIVING FORCES As a team, make a list of driving forces that could affect your organization, industry, and users. A driving force is a significant trend, shift, or uncertainty that can cause big changes. Think about social, technological, economic, and political trends. Think of science fiction stories, what trends are emerging that might change the world?
5 min.
2. SELECT DRIVING FORCES AND DIG DEEPER
5 min.
As a team, identify the two most troubling driving forces from step 1. Define or explain them further. What are they? What directions could they go? Choose one social, economic, or political trend. And one technological or scientific trend. Discuss and take notes.
. 2
Imagine a possible future. 3. IDEATE TO BUILD A POSSIBLE FUTURE
IMAGINE 8 min.
Think about the forces you identified in step 2. How could they play out? Use notes or sketches to envision a future state. Be descriptive and imaginative. It will help you later! What impact will the forces have on technology, chemistry, physics, and other hard sciences? What impact will the forces have on society, culture, psychology, and other soft sciences? What cause and effect chains could happen as a result? Who will be affected by the changes?
. 3
WRITE
Build a main character and define a plot type for a science fiction story! 4 min.
4. BUILD THE MAIN CHARACTER Reflect on your ideas from step 3 and describe the main character for the story. A good main character has a defining conflict and is greatly impacted by change. In the future you imagine, who will experience the most conflict? Who will undergo the most change or experience the most backlash? Who are they? What are they about?
4 min.
5. IDENTIFY THE CHARACTER’S CONFLICT Describe the conflicts your character must deal with. What are they up against? What must they try to overcome? Does your character have multiple conflicts to confront? Which is most compelling?
4 min.
6. DEFINE A PLOT TYPE Circle the description that best matches the conflict you identified in step 5. Take off the sticky note below to reveal the corresponding plot type and description
The character is...
experiencing a dire need for something.
trying to earn back former success.
trying to overcome an antagonist.
experiencing a lack of purpose or fit.
QUEST The character sets out to acquire an important object or to reach a location, facing many obstacles and temptations along the way.
RAGS TO RICHES TALE The character acquires things such as power, wealth, before losing it all and gaining it back upon growing as a person.
UNDERDOG TALE The character sets out to defeat an antagonistic force (often evil) which threatens the hero and/or the hero’s homeland.
VOYAGE & RETURN STORY The character goes to a strange land and, after overcoming the threats it poses to him or her, returns with experience.
confronting a deep flaw in their character. TRAGEDY The character has a flaw or great mistake which becomes their ultimate undoing, or... REBIRTH STORY An important event forces the character to change their ways and overcome their flaws.
experiencing a pattern of chaos and confusion. COMEDY The character triumphs over adverse and confusing circumstances leading to a single clarifying event and a happy conclusion.
. 4
WRITE
Write a plot summary and a science fiction story arc.
2 min.
7. WRITE A PLOT SUMMARY Fill in the blanks using your work in steps 2, 4, 5, and 6.
A/n
about plot type (step 6)
coming up against main character (step 4)
in a world changed by describe conflict (step 5)
and driving force 1 (step 2)
. driving force 2 (step 2)
10 min.
8. CREATE A STORY ARC Build your story around your character and their conflict. Interpret your plot type and let it drive the story. Flesh out the story with ideas from Step 3. Make notes that will help you verbally tell your story in the next step.
Trouble reaches a peak
T Scene is set
Character meets an obstacle
he
con
t flic
s rise
Th
eb
att
le i
sw
on
or
los
t
Character assesses the damage
Story concludes
. 5
TELL
Tell the science fiction story to your partner. 9. GIVE FEEDBACK Listen to your partner’s story. Take notes here to give them feedback. What could make the story more compelling? What could make the character seem more real?
11. PREPARE TO TELL YOUR PARTNER’S STORY
6 min.
10. RECEIVE FEEDBACK
6 min.
Choose which partner tells their story first. Tell the story to your partner. Discuss improvements and take notes here on their feedback.
8 min.
Rework your partner’s story. Prepare notes to help you retell it to the team. Make it your own and include the improvements you discussed with your partner.
. 6
TELL
Retell the science fiction stories and reflect as a team. 12. RETELL STORIES TO THE TEAM Choose which team member will go first. Take notes here as you listen to the stories of other team members.
4 min. each
13. DISCUSS AND REFLECT
6 min.
Discuss the outcomes as a team. What did you learn from the stories? Take notes here on what you discuss.
What was interesting?
What was new?
What was frightening?
What was exciting?
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Apply learnings to devise a strategy for the possible futures that emerged in the stories. 14. CREATE A STRATEGY
APPLY 8 min.
Work together as a team to come up with possible strategies for your team, organization, or industry. What can the team, organization, or industry do to ensure success in the futures you created? What are the opportunities the team, organization, or industry can take advantage of? Where do you fit in the futures you created? How can you position yourselves to succeed? Challenge yourselves to come up with strategies that work in all of the futures!
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About Flash Forward: Futures Thinking Workshop This exercise is intended to introduce teams to futures thinking through rapid immersion and science fiction storytelling. To run this workshop with your own team you will need: Participants: 4-8 team members, even numbers are best Materials: this packet (one per person printed at 11×17�), one pen per person Room set up: seat people in pairs and have this packet printed and at each station with a pen when your participants arrive Time: the workshop takes slightly more or less than 90 minutes to complete, factor in additional break times for your team Flash Forward was designed by Shannon Vanderhill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Fine Arts in Design Management at Savannah College of Art and Design.
Š 2017 Shannon Vanderhill all rights reserved