Science Fiction Prototyping

Science Fiction Prototyping (SFP) is a method, formalized by Intel futurist Brian David Johnson, for using short works of science fiction as design tools. The core idea is that a fictional narrative grounded in a real, specified science or technology can act as a 'prototype' — a way to test the human, social, and ethical implications of an innovation before it is built, and to feed what is learned back into the actual engineering and design process. Rather than treating fiction as mere entertainment or untethered speculation, SFP imposes a discipline: every story must start from a concrete scientific grounding, develop a believable world, introduce the technology, follow its consequences honestly, and end with a reflection that loops back to the science. Johnson's 2011 monograph lays out the steps and uses examples drawn from his work shaping product visions at Intel.