Course: Science fiction prototyping / Autodesk

The project aimed at identifying far-future mobility needs of the working population.

The project was promoted by the Autodesk in 2014, in which two senior research engineers engaged four students in a summer intern project that would use science fiction prototyping to explore the future of design. The goal was to spend the summer researching, brainstorming, designing, and storytelling. Authors obtained pretty rough results, but they argue that they learned a lot about taking nebulous ideas and turning them into relatable narratives. This activity resulted in an anthology of short stories related to the future of the design. Authors highlighted the storytelling as a key component of science fiction prototyping, as it allows students to envision the future and explore the social implications of emerging technologies in a creative and engaging way. By creating science fiction narratives, students can not only learn about scientific concepts but also use their imagination to explore potential future scenarios. Thus participants may develop creativity, critical thinking, and communication skills, as they work to turn abstract concepts into relatable stories. The process of storytelling can also help to build empathy and understanding by placing students in the shoes of different characters in a hypothetical future scenario. In science fiction prototyping, storytelling can serve as a powerful tool to help students engage with the subject matter, develop their ideas, and communicate their visions of the future.

A relevant deliverable from the science fiction prototyping summer intern project is the publication entitled “FOUR: A Collection of Short Stories Exploring the Future of Design, Technology, and Us”. This work encompasses four stories that each explore a different future time period and focus on a different theme particularly salient for Autodesk—from synthetic biology and climate change to our relationship with robots and AI.

Topic outline