Design fiction crafts artifacts from an imagined future—objects, advertisements, user manuals, press clippings—to make that future tangible and ready for debate. These are "diegetic prototypes": highly credible props originating from a world that does not yet exist.
The term was popularized by science fiction author Bruce Sterling, while the concept of the diegetic prototype stems from David Kirby, who studied how cinema makes imaginary technologies feel entirely plausible. Unlike speculative design, which asks broad, open-ended questions, design fiction works through concrete details. It doesn’t ask, "What if AI managed healthcare?" Instead, it designs the store receipt, the instruction manual, or the customer complaint from a service that doesn’t exist yet. The future becomes palpable because it is brilliantly staged right into daily life.
Its power lies in a delicate balance. Too unrealistic, and the object is dismissed with a smile; too realistic, and it blends in as a standard product, losing its critical edge. Design fiction must be credible enough to spark your status-quo-challenging imagination, yet artificial enough that you feel empowered to question it. It is the exquisite art of the "almost real": using plausibility to provoke thoughtful inquiry, not sales.
The risk, as with any persuasive narrative, is presenting a future as desirable simply because it is wonderfully told, or producing beautiful gallery pieces that spark no action. Fiction is only truly valuable when it ignites deep discussion and drives decisive action.
How we use it: we leverage design fiction to materialize uncertain futures and foster crucial debate before major investments are made—especially in sectors where the stakes are high and the horizon is distant. By inventing credible futures, we enable smarter thinking: giving shape to tomorrow so you can make bolder, more informed decisions today.
Explore related insights: speculative design (the strategic framework), scenario planning and storyboarding, strategic exploration, transition design, and creativity.
References: B. Sterling, concept of design fiction; D. Kirby, "diegetic prototypes".
Rémi
Gréau
Director of Design
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