Tag Archives: Design Fiction Chronicles

© 2011 Julian. All rights reserved.

Design Fiction Chronicles: The Future Issue of The Book and iPad

In a project we’re currently undertaking that has allowed us to work through and figure out the future of the photo book I was compelled to read through this book called “The Most Beautiful Swiss Books” and the 2009 edition … Continue reading

© 2011 Julian. All rights reserved.

Design Fiction at UC Calgary's Environmental Design: A First Go At Design Fiction Genre Conventions

From awhile ago, back at the end of last year I went to UC Calgary’s Environmental Design and presented a further iteration of the design fiction business. I realized I hadn’t put down on paper or on this blog some … Continue reading

© 2011 Julian. All rights reserved.

Primer: Inexplicable Ideas In Design Fiction

Something that the almost inscrutable science-fiction film Primer does quite well is to paint enough of the contours of its science and technology to give the viewer the sense that *something is going on that should make perfectly good sense..if … Continue reading

© 2010 Julian. All rights reserved.

Design Fiction Chronicles: Before the iPad There Was the PADD

Your author, considering his solution to the Kobayashi Maru during a shake-out run on a Class D starship. There was recently a wonderful article on Ars Technica interviewing the production and prop designers for Star Trek. I highly recommend giving … Continue reading

© 2010 Julian. All rights reserved.

Design Fiction Chronicles: The Dark Knight's Ubicomp Mobile Phone Sonar

Here’s that scene from The Dark Knight where Batman has secretly installed a surveillance system that traces the legal, moral and ethical contours iconic to ubiquitous computing networked devices of this sort. What’s going on — as explained in the short … Continue reading

Design Fiction Chronicles: Brainstorm

Opening credits, which encompasses also the early moments of the first scene of Brainstorm Well, this is one popped into my head the other day, but not for the reasons I’ll mention in this post — I’ll save the initial motivation … Continue reading

Design Fiction Chronicles – Demo and Die: RoboCop's Ed 209

Continuing the RoboCop theme — truly a prescient gem, this one. It’s got two things going on. One: a failure of technological hubris. Two: demo…and die, a quiet nod to the insane inane practice spawned by the Media Lab to … Continue reading

Design Fiction Chronicles: Robocop + Pre-Augmented Reality Augmented Reality

An update to the Design Fiction Chronicles. This one will be familiar to most science-fiction film fans out there — RoboCop being assembled and tested in the lab. The curious point-of-view shot — allowing us to see the various moments … Continue reading

© 2009 Julian. All rights reserved.

Design Fiction Chronicles: Star Trek's Historical Time Line

Historical diorama of the Space Shuttle Enterprise alongside of the next significant space vehicle in the evolution of, you know — space travel — Zefram Cochrane’s Phoenix. A curious shift within the setting of an exhibition of many things from the … Continue reading

© 2009 Julian. All rights reserved.

Design Fiction Chronicles: Modes of Surveillance in "Eagle Eye" and "The Final Cut"

Design Fiction Chronicles: The Final Cut from Julian Bleecker on Vimeo. Resorting to the clever-smarty-pants-academic titles here, I know. There’s so much you can do if you can say in two phrases what you should really only say with one. … Continue reading

© 2009 Julian. All rights reserved.

When Characters Cross: Extradiegetic Imbrication

Jack Bauer as interpreted. Seen in a local art supply shop. First off, I’m being tongue-in-cheek with the blog post title, so lower your weapons. And I’ll be brief. There are two things going on here. First, a curious, perhaps … Continue reading