When we try and guess the future, we are often right and wrong at the same time. Imagining potential futures is fun, but it’s not frivolous. Every imagined scenario can offer inspiration for what you want to work towards, and what you want to work against. DLR Group’s Bonnie Sanborn’s background is in anthropology, psychology, and sociology. She uses techniques from these fields to better understand and articulate someone’s reaction to a design, or to help them explain a design need.

In this podcast—through real-life stories and practical tips—Sanborn outlines a process for guided daydreaming and talks about how to leverage what neuroscientists know about the way the human brain works to “trick” us into better clarity about future states. “By forming a clear and specific picture of the future, we can plan for what we want – or don’t want – to happen due to our designs,” Sanborn explains.

In this podcast, you will learn:

•How to use Speculative Design (SD) to force thinking to be proactive

•How SD empowers designers and gives them more control over their processes

•Ways to look at a future that is a spectrum of probable and preferable, versus only possible

•Four SD techniques that incorporate planning and visioning: regeneration, retrocasting, ripple effects, and reframing