Research Fiction: Storytelling, Plot and Design

What kind of stories and plots do researchers of Human Computer Interaction draw on when they make fictions? This paper applies the “basic plots” identified in the study of literature to scenarios, speculative design and design fiction. Traditional HCI scenarios employ the plot of “Overcoming the Monster” where the monster is some problem to be solved. Much of the commentary on critical, speculative or adversarial design also draws on this plot as it attempts to overcome monsters like public apathy or a lack of debate. Design Fiction more frequently takes the form of a “Voyage and Return” or a “Quest”. The paper argues that a better understanding of plot and storytelling could contribute to more reflective research fiction.