Swedish Design Fiction Kit — case study
Brief
In winter 2024 I received permission from Julian Bleecker at Near Future Laboratory to adapt his Work Kit of Design Fiction for Swedish audiences. The goal was a culturally grounded version that preserved the speculative methodology while connecting with Swedish references and conventions. Not a translation — an adaptation.
Challenge
Cultural adaptation is not the same as linguistic translation. The central questions: which of the 102 original cards would resonate in a Swedish context? Which needed replacing? How should the visual language balance guidance with open interpretation? These questions could not be answered without iterative testing.
Process
Together with creative partner Sara Henriksson, I ran systematic card sorting sessions evaluating all 102 original cards for cultural fit. We examined whether archetypes, objects, and associations functioned within Swedish contexts, and documented what needed modification or replacement with Nordic references.
We worked through six iterations — from laser-printed prototypes to professional production. Two findings shaped the final design most decisively:
- Illustration fixation. Participants fixated on illustrations, unable to move beyond literal interpretations. This led to prioritising text-based cards to keep more room for imagination.
- Table readability. Placing keywords in both directions significantly improved usability for group work, where cards are read from multiple orientations at once.
Visual design evolution (V4–V6)
- V4: Simplified futures symbols (futures cone, futures wheel) into decorative patterns.
- V5: Futures cone showing uncertain paths — proved distracting for participants unfamiliar with foresight methodology.
- V6 (final): Unique patterns per card derived from variation-from-starting-conditions logic; category-specific colours for quick sorting.
The guiding principle throughout: the cards should be frictionless. Design should not compete for attention or impose interpretive frames.
The product
105 professionally printed cards across four categories — Archetypes, Objects, Actions, Attributes — 25 cards each, plus 5 instruction cards. Each card has keywords running in both directions and a unique back pattern. Category colours allow fast sorting in a workshop setting.
Alongside the deck: bilingual worksheets (Swedish and English) offering three methodological approaches — Material Relations for artefact development, Timeline Building using the STEEP framework, and Storyboarding for visual narrative sequences.
On the choice of physical over digital: tactile engagement and spatial manipulation enable a kind of thinking that screen-based tools cannot replicate, and physical cards introduce no technical barriers during sessions.
Outcome
Launched in 2025. The kit has been used in multiple workshops under both the Hintlab and Matepo brands. It functions in both casual and formal settings and generates scenarios that are playful but structurally plausible.
