A Design Fiction Lab is neither a lecture nor a free brainstorming session. It is a structured lab where people explore plausible futures through artefacts, scenarios and shared experiences. Facilitation makes the difference between a workshop that generates insight and one that produces forgotten post-its.
The starting point is always a guiding question: not "let's imagine the future" in the abstract, but "how might healthcare change if AI became mandatory?" or "what happens to a coastal city when flooding becomes routine?". The question defines the theme, tone and type of output expected.
Duration profoundly affects what is realistic to achieve. A half-day lab (3–4 hours) can cover signal scanning, light world-building and an artefact brief with quick drafts. A full-day lab allows producing catalogues, diegetic prototypes or role-play scenarios. A multi-session path enables moving from exploration to concrete action — useful in institutional or community contexts.
Participants matter as much as structure. A lab with citizens, policymakers and designers produces different conversations from an academic-only one. Seek mixed perspectives but avoid groups that are too large: 8–15 people is ideal for deep discussion; beyond that, split into subgroups with dedicated facilitators. Participants must feel authorised to imagine — not just to evaluate others' ideas.
Every lab needs a clear narrative arc: opening (why we are here, what we will do), exploration (guided exercises), convergence (synthesis and reflection), closing (next steps). The opening establishes the contract: here we ask uncomfortable questions, respect others' perspectives, leave with something concrete to carry forward.
Finally, define what success means: a shared catalogue? Three diegetic prototypes? A policy document? Vague goals produce vague outputs. A good Design Fiction Lab ends with artefacts that keep "speaking" after the session — and with participants who know what to do with what they have learned.