BETWEEN DREAMS: Futures Storytelling in Transition Design

 Telling stories about the future, whether through  speculative textual representations, images, or  materialization and embodiment practices, is the  primary means by which futurists and designers in  particular—and humanity in general—learn from the  future to take action in the present. However, there  is a need for more research on the plot structure  form of these stories, known as emplotment. While  scenario planning in futures and journey mapping in  design are commonly used storytelling techniques,  research tends to focus on the content of futures  imaginaries and everyday experiences, rather than  the narrative structure itself.  

In my work, I explore the potential of emplotment as  a more precise arena for speculative narratives and  as a critical reframing of futures storytelling. This is  achieved through a literature review, interviews,  review existing literature at the intersection of  action research, and pedagogical practice. First, I review existing literature at the intersection of  futures, storytelling, and design. Second, I review  the literature and fields of study, including  historiography, narratology, narrative care, and  organizational behavior, where emplotment holds a  recognized space, as well as the scant literature in  the relevant fields of futures. Third, through two  rounds of interviews with futures storytelling  practitioners, I clarify what is known and unknown  topics in this area. Fourth, I conduct an in-depth  exploration of the potential application of  emplotment as a lens through which to reframe  futures storytelling methods. Fifth, this theoretical  work lays the foundation for a course on restorying  futures, in which futures storytellers and social  innovators explore prospective narratives. Finally, I summarize the insights gained from this work and propose implications, conclusions, and areas of further inquiry into how this research contributes to the  disciplines of  futures and design in general and Transition Design in particular