What if - in 2033 we all live in EnergyVille. In this future city, energy is limited, super expensive and monopolized by the big tech giants running out of data centers.

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What technologies will emerge?

Project Aims

Develop speculative products and services and design a future User Scenario that aligns with the (speculative) world year 2033, using design fiction. Identify a proposal and :-

1. Predict event timeline and build What-If scenario
2. Develop a set of material experiments that explores how energy can be produced as proposed; storyboards, experience prototypes, video sketches - involving user-scenarios
3. Create empirical fiction - a “data” document (letter, passport, birth certificate, public report, interview data, recorded sound, photos, video, newspaper clip..etc)

Process

What-If

Scenario

Events Timeline

World-building

Storyboarding

Micro-World

Desktop Walkthrough

Diagetic Objects

Empirical Fictions

Events Timeline

We investigated real events and created a timeline backcasted from an energy scarce 2033 to the present. The timeline enabled us to predict the present that lead to the future. It helped us understand systemic impacts and repercussions.

In 2021 the government recognized the need for urgent healthcare advances and also better energy systems.

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Due to this they began investments in Healthcare Resilience.

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They also launched the EU Solar Strategy that brought new PV (Photovoltaic) Tech to the table and policies for increasing their use.

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Even healthcare began prioritizing decarbonization by 2025.

CITIZEN SCALE

INDUSTRY SCALE

2025

2022

2021

2023

EU SOLAR PV ALLIANCE

EU SOLAR ROOFTOP INITIATIVE

LONG TERM CARE ILL-PREPARED FOR COVID

HEALTH SYSTEM RESILIENCE INVESTMENT

HEALTHCARE PRIORITIZES DECARBONIZATION

THE PRESENT

Event based storyline

40% DEATHS in LTC (Long Term Care due to COVID

EU’S CUTS OFF RUSSIAN ENERGY affecting cost of living - Davos’23

Entrepreneurs launch DOMESTIC SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING in EU

BackCasting Events

CITIZEN SCALE

INDUSTRY SCALE

A new boom in semiconductors and PV manufacturing is seen.

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Citizens now carry “tags” which are chips that hold their personal ID

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Solar energy becomes the norm and Energy banks emerge.

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The Cooperative becomes the prime control of energy and healthcare.

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Citizen generated energy is now collected, controlled and shared back with citizens by the Cooperative.

What-If

Scenario

After constructing events we speculated a more detailed scenario of Energyville in 2033. We used this tool to create a more detailed outline of our future scoiety.

ENERGYVILLE, 2033

The Cooperative collects energy from citizens and gives them back

only as much as they are able to generate.

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Thus causing a widening polarity in the society as the high generators remain affluent and the low generators remain unable and poor.

ENERGYVILLE, 2033

What kind of society is Energyville?

What if low energy generators riot against high energy generators (Co-operative) due to energy sharing disparity?

• What if the co-op also had monopoly over health care?

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• What would fun look like in this tense environment?

Primary What - If Scenario

World-Building via

Storyboarding

After constructing events we speculated a more detailed scenario of Energyville in 2033. We used storyboarding to create a more detailed outline of our future society.

Meet Matteo

Name: Matteo

Age: 40

Resides in: Energyville, South Italy

Profession: Employee at Co-operative

Family: Wife is Julia and a son

His father is in the hospital

Citizen Profile

A day in the life of Matteo

Storyboard of Matteo

Micro-World via

Desktop Walkthrough

After storyboarding we tried to build a micro world using Lego to take a Desktop Walkthrough of our world and gain a birds eye perspective.

EnergyVille (Map)

Micro-World of Energy Ville

EnergyVille (House)

Micro-World of Energy Ville

EnergyVille (CO-OP HQ)

Micro-World of Energy Ville

EnergyVille (Hospital)

Micro-World of Energy Ville

EnergyVille (Transport)

Micro-World of Energy Ville

EnergyVille (The Cinema)

Micro-World of Energy Ville

EnergyVille (Illegal transactions)

Micro-World of Energy Ville

Diegetic Objects

The well developed story enabled us to imagine diagetic objects or technology that would exist in 2033.

The Tag

PURPOSE:

• The Tag stores every citizens Identity Proof
• Acts as a key to their energy sources at home and in public spaces.
• The tag is also the key to your energy bank.

HOW TO USE?

• It is inserted on your wrist
• You can tap it to activate energy sources

MATERIALS:

• Semiconductor chip with DNA blueprint recognition.

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Sketches of Diegetic Objects

The Grid

Purpose:

The grid is placed in every house of Energyville by the Cooperative.

• It monitors the energy generated by the home.
• Energy shared to the Cooperative/ Energy Bank
• Energy consumed by each member of the family/ home.

Sketches of Diegetic Objects

1 0 0 1 J

The Tag (interactions)

The tag on every citizens wrist acts as a key to activate energy sources seamlessly.

Sketches of Diegetic Objects

The Grid (interactions)

The grid exists as an interface using the kindle ink tech on transparent surfaces.

Sketches of Diegetic Objects

Smart Paint

PURPOSE: makes all surfaces energy absorbing and conducting.

INSPIRED BY: Bare Conductive Electrical Paint

TECH TO SUPPORT IT: Photovoltaic cells in liquid form

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Sketches of Diegetic Objects

Smart Paint (interactions)

Upon touching a device to the wall, the paint acts as a electric conductor to light up the lamp

Sketches of Diegetic Objects

The Energy Bank

PURPOSE: The Energy Bank stores energy for the cooperative and is controlled by them.

The relationship between the Tag, Grid and Energy Bank is alongside.

Individuals use the tag to access their energy back.

The grid maintains energy exchange between homes and cooperative.

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Sketches of Diegetic Objects

A.P.E (Aerial Probe of Energy)

PURPOSE: Energy Diversion and Energy Blocking. Used by rebellors.

INSPIRED BY:

• Inspired by the “Faraday Chair” to block signals,
• The omnipresent mosquito will go undetected

TECH TO SUPPORT IT:

• It prevents energy signal detection in a radius.
• It also carries code to divert energy from one unit to another.

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Sketches of Diegetic Objects

A.P.E (Hacking device/interactions)

A demonstration of a rebellor using the A.P.E to steal energy from the Cooperative.

Sketches of Diegetic Objects

Empirical Fictions

We also created three artefacts which were empirical fictions as if this evidence came right out of our future world. They enable us to place ourselves in Energyville on a more emotional and personal scale.

Rejection Email of

Health Claim by Co-Op

Empirical Fiction

This is the letter sent to Matteo when his request for an energy loan for his sick father is rejected by the Cooperative.

Morse File of Rebels

Citizen I.D: C3WOGLFYP33

Data created on: 16th February 2033

Device: de-commissioned iPhone X

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This phone was retrieved and a sound file was extracted from the device.The sound file has a message of the rebellion -“Its Tonight”encoded in morse within a song. This was used as a popular mode of communication.

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Empirical Fiction

“Its Tonight!”

“Its Tonight!”

Instruction Manual of A.P.E

A hand drawn manual of the A.P.E so it cannot be traced back to the owner.

Empirical Fiction

Takeaways

• Increased Future Literacy of complex problem systems
• Learnt tools of Anticipatory Design through speculative fiction
• Using ambiguity and para-functionality to understand problems better, not solve them.
• Expand imagination to be open to innovations of the future.
• Allows experimentation and better foresight for better strategies in systems

“Soukarni demonstrated full capacity in understanding and applying knowledge of future studies and speculative practices of future making in project work. The group was strong in its collaborative effort and made a series of diegetic objects, micro-worlds, video sketches and blended blackdrops - all of which made of a future scenario dealing with energy scarcity, social inequality and design activism. Soukarni was also strong in project communication keeping an overview all the way through and co-responsible for structuring the project into a coherent whole.” - Thomas M. & Eva K., Social Design Professors, University of Denmark

Project by:

Giovanni,Naomi,Soukarni,Yash

Guided by:

Thomas Markussen & Eva Knutz

Future Design Course @Poli.Design- 2/2023