Design-fiction approach as a support for creative design activities in prospective ergonomics: an exploratory study.

In a context of accelerated and unpredictable changes, organisations consider 'alternative futures' in order to enhance their anticipation strategies. This approach could be applied to prospective ergonomics in order, on the one hand, to consider very long-term scenarios involving the design of complex future situations, often characterised by 'ill-defined' and 'open' problems, and, on the other hand, to train ergonomists in prospective practice. With this in mind, an exploratory study compared two prospective approaches: one called prospective design, based on a continuity of the present in order to envision probable and/or preferable futures (referring to the concept of probable/preferable future activity, classically used in prospective ergonomics), and the other called design-fiction, inspired by science fiction to imagine alternative futures. The results indicate that design-fiction encourages the development of well-argued creative ideas, and stimulates critical thinking, by encouraging participants to envisage alternative futures, while stimulating in-depth reflection on potential future issues.

Practitioner summary: The article examines design fiction's role in design activities in prospective ergonomics. It examines how science fiction narratives and artefacts can impact collective creativity and collaboration, fostering argumentative exchanges and the development of ideas which taking into account both novelty and usefulness.