Nicolas Nova runs the Near Future Laboratory to investigate emerging technologies and innovations through field studies, artifact analysis, and cultural observations. He uses these methods to map design spaces and identify weak signals of future trends. His work involves creating frameworks, prototypes, and design fictions to start conversations around potential near-future scenarios. He then spreads these ideas through workshops, events, and publishing to help inform design processes.

1. NOKIA DESIGN
STRUCTURED CURIOSITIES
NICOLAS NOVA, 14.02.2012, LOS ANGELES
WWW.NEARFUTURELABORATORY.COM

2. 2
MY INTEREST 18
investigate the trajectory of innovations/
products/services... to feed the design process
not about predicting... rather about creating the
(near) future or making informed decisions
about it
based on different filters/approaches

3. 3
I FIELD STUDIES (INSPIRED BY ETHNOGRAPHY) 18

4. 4
I PROJECT: HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAYS ADOPTION 18

5. 5
I PROJECT: FROM ELECTRICITY USAGE TO NEW UI 18

6. 6
I PROJECT: INVESTIGATING GESTURAL INTERACTIONS 18

7. 7
I OBSESSION: “YOU ARE HERE” 18

8. 8
I OBSESSION: TOUCH INTERFACES 18

9. 9
I OBSESSION: KEYBOARD REPURPOSING 18

10. 10
I OBSESSION: A PEAK INTO PEOPLE’S CREATIVITY 18

11. 11
II ART/DESIGN PROJECTS AS WEAK SIGNALS 18

12. 12
II ART/DESIGN PROJECTS AS WEAK SIGNALS 18

13. 13
III ARTIFACT ANALYSIS 18

14. 14
III ARTIFACT ANALYSIS > TEAR DOWN APPROACH 18

15. 15
III ARTIFACT ANALYSIS (PROJECT WITH L.BOLLI) 18

16. 16
III ARTIFACT GENEALOGY TREES (PROJECT WITH L.BOLLI) 18
DIRECTION PADS SHAPE EVOLUTION
1994 1996
1998
1987 1988 1990 1991 1993 1994 1995 2001 2005
1986
2001
1990
1982 1983 1983
2003
1986
1991 1995 1997 1998 2000 2005/6 2010
1983 1985 1990 1993 1995 1996 1998 2001 2006 2006

17. 17
III ARTIFACT GENEALOGY TREES (PROJECT WITH L.BOLLI) 18

18. GAME PADS SHAPE EVOLUTION brick 18
III MAPPING SHAPE EVOLUTION (PROJECT WITH L.BOLLI) 18
mask
1991
1990
the original brick shape
2006
is deformated
1990 1995
1987 1994
1986 1994
1993 the “boomerang” shape
leads to prongs affirmation
1985 1993
new geometric shapes
1998 1996
are added to the original
brick to form bone-like pad 1983
1988
1983
2 prongs
dog-bone
1982
1993 1990 1990 1995 1995 1997 1998 2001 2001 2000 2005 2005/6
1990 1993 the pads become
full 3D shaped
ergonomics objects
1994
1996
2006 the pads face becomes
bigger and the prongs are
1998 integrated in the shape
2010
2001
1 prong 3 prongs round
(remote) the brick is rotated 90° 2003

19. 19
IV CULTURE: OBJECTS FROM SCIENCE-FICTION 18

20. 20
IV CULTURE: IDIOM ANALYSIS 18
...Ziploc Computing,digital oxytocin, foam
hacking, KB10 rumour millun, ghost milk,
Gameboy toting offspring, bluetopianism, USB
inhaler, dumpster diving, Beta-knowledge,
10-15 Robot Dice, one time Console Cowboy,
sensorslang, attaboy tokens, storybricks,
epizoic media, electrocompatibility,information
parkour, Placebook, Bitizen Configurator, code
turgidity, smellavision-absence, inner-
devicings, hypnagogic pop, blue-glow face,
amplification probability, future-proof, avatar
diameter, gonzo design, vocabugap...

21. 21
V GREY LITERATURE, ESPECIALLY ABOUT FAILURES 18

22. 22
VI TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION 18

23. 23
VI TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION 18
quantity
of users
time
s-curve (model of technology adoption)

24. 24
VI WEAK SIGNALS: SPOTTING THE BEGINNING OF THE TAIL 18
“become attuned to things
that don’t fit, things people
can’t classify or will even
reject”
Paul Saffo
“the future is already here, it’s
just not evenly distributed”
William Gibson

25. 25
VI TRENDS: SPOTTING THE TIPPING POINT 18
weak signals: art,
speculative design,
sci-fi, ethnography,
conversations with
‘experts’, extreme business press
users bank report
scientific press
scientific literature
(conferences),
patents

26. 26
VI TRENDS: SPOTTING THE TIPPING POINT 18
when things become serious
statistics, ethnography,
literature review

27. 27
VI UNDERSTAND THE DIVERSITY OF USAGE 18
repurposing
standard usage
no usage (failure)

28. 28
VII OUTCOMES: FRAMEWORK OR NARRATIVE 18
Mapping the design space Project conducted for Nokia research
(drawings by Etienne Guerry)

29. 29
OUTCOMES: LOW-FI PROTOTYPES 18

30. 30
OUTCOMES: DESIGN FICTIONS 18

31. 31
VII SPREADING THE MEME + STARTING THE CONVERSATION 18

32. 32
SPREADING THE MEME: EVENTS/WORKSHOPS 18

33. 33
SPREADING THE MEME: BOOK 18

34. THANK YOU MERCI GRACIAS DANKE GRAZIE
NICOLAS NOVA
nicolas@nearfuturelaboratory.com
www.nearfuturelaboratory.com