For sustainable transformation, we need not only changes in our actions, but also in our thinking. And new thinking requires knowledge, imagination and creativity. The booklet «Thinking the Unthinkable» contains concrete instructions, short essays and many examples that explore new narratives for the future. But not as theory, rather as playful impulses – as a «playbook».
As part of a grant from the Innovation Booster Future Urban Society, Dezentrum developed an experimental playbook that activates the imagination and provides concrete methods for systemic transformation.
«Thinking the Unthinkable» is a playfully designed playbook that conveys content related to imagination and future thinking in a compact form. The booklet was created in connection with the development of the «Freipass», a speculative artefact for Ting.
«The future is becoming increasingly uncertain» – a phrase we hear more and more often, and one that more and more people would agree with.
The central concern of the zine is to question the widespread assumption that «there is no alternative». Introductory essays argue that capitalism exerts its influence not only through economic mechanisms, but above all through deeply entrenched mental models and dominant narratives that give the impression that there is only one possible future. The playbook shows why we should talk about «futures» rather than «the future». Only if we can imagine alternative developments will we remain capable of acting as a society, especially in times of multiple crises.
However, thinking about the future in different scenarios is challenging. Dezentrum therefore draws on a colourful bouquet of methods to bring more imagination to the discussion of complex issues together with partner organisations.
The section «What is your problem?» introduces readers to their project and its objectives with a simple but effective question. This is followed by specific instructions for identifying the conditions that give rise to a problem: megatrends, legal frameworks or social values. Positive and negative developments for the next ten years are then outlined. This structured approach offers a compact introduction to scenario planning, a method that is otherwise often only used in academic or strategic contexts.
In addition, the playbook presents various speculative artefacts. Each artefact is a fictional object from a possible future that provokes and deliberately raises questions. It serves not only as a conversation starter, but also as a communication tool for organisations seeking to establish new narratives.
The Freipass, for example, stands for a solidarity-based financial system in which money is no longer an exclusive privilege. no1s1 represents an autonomous, blockchain-based house that redefines ownership and governance. Further examples such as Obliviscis (a pill that temporarily dissolves the self) or Satelleth (autonomous, legally unregulated satellites) illustrate how material forms can spark social debates and how speculative design contributes to making abstract questions about the future discussable.
