What challenges are we going to face in the next 10 years? And what kind of ideas are going to help us in overcoming them?
Even though predicting the future is not a game, a game is exactly what the Institute for the Future used to answer these dilemmas: 8 October 2008, Jane McGonigal, reasearcher at IFTF launched Superstruct (Su` per`struct ‘vt 1.To build over or upon another structure; to erect upon a foundation) , a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) that outlined the world of the future, thanks to the ideas and the collaboration of hundreds of users.

After six weeks the game came to its conclusion: Hundreds of ideas, superstructures for our future, guidelines to redefine the world of today and to improve and prepare it for the challenges of the next decade: From big new infrastructure projects to nanotechnology, from overcoming economies of scale to projects of “vertical farming”.

The final report of this first stage of the game was used for the design of our map: The editor in chief of Wired Italia, Riccardo Luna, asked us to visualize the complex net of ideas and assumptions that game’s users produced.

“The goal of the project is to engage a broad public in considering the dilemmas we face in our current, everyday lives and think together about resolutions that go beyond the familiar ways of dealing with problems”

Jane Mc Gonigal, Superstruct game designer

The research for alternative solutions – hence going beyond the more familiar approaches – also requires an alternative visualization.

A map for the future

We began analyzing the keywords provided by IFTF, at the base of which there are 7 key ideas: they are the guiding strategies for the creation of each new “superstructure”, and like satellites they revolve around our future world. They are:

Amplified optimism
Scale extreme
Adaptive emotion
Simulation as game
Evolvability
Collaboration environment
Reverse shortage

Under these, the verbal level, connecting words and concepts that make up the network of superstructures, divided into 5 macrocategories – policy, infrastructure, environment, economy and society- which in turn can operate in three areas:

Networks and individuals
Tools and knowledge
Practices and projects

The map is designed to overlap a semantic level (the network of keywords and groups of ideas) to the allegorical plan of the illustration. Each concept presented in the first level has been reconstructed through an illustration in the second one: the result is a collage drawing influences from the imaginary of the fifties. In this way mapping the future becomes an illustrated game where retro-futuristic imagery references are linked with words and concepts that foresee our future.

From left to right are presented the macro-categories formed by the supersturctures, from the most abstract, like policy and infrastructure, to those which concern more closely in the everyday lives, like economy and society. Amid the environment as a meeting point between abstract and current, with new ideas about global geoengineering and translocalism.

Even for the composition of the collage we want to keep the same sense of reading to level the narration of the world to come: indeed on the left the illustration starts with the abstraction of the map, then move gradually through info-graphics and illustration until reaching collage and photo on the right.

The map, thanks to the layer of allegorical illustrations, not only wants to disseminate the ideas generated during the project ‘Superstruct’ but also provide a starting point, a common imaginary, to start discussion and analysis on the world to come.

In this spirit, the meeting in Rome “A map for the next ten years,” within the cycle of meetings CapitaleDigitale organized by Wired, founding Rome Europe and Telecom Italy, has fully exploited the possibilities of this tool engaging in an interesting discussion on future developments of technology.

Involved in this project:
Creative Direction, Donato Ricci; Concept development, Gaia Scagnetti; Visualizer, Mario Porpora; Artist, Michele Graffieti; Designer, Luca Masud.

Flickr
High res version ‘We will be here’
High res sketch ‘We will be here’

We have receive the visit from a friend that is now working at SENSEable City Lab at MIT, we shared opinions and project on information visualization; inspired by his stopover, we discuss the needs of being able to tell stories about what our visualizations. Paolo stated our reflections in a very effective way, saying we need to prove three abilities:

- Collecting consistent data
- Designing meaningful visualizations
- Telling amazing stories

About the third point I read a very interesting post by Shawn Callahan in Anecdote that can help us in improving storytelling talent:

there are three story plots we humans dearly love:

– the creativity plot where the protagonist solves one or more puzzles through shear ingenuity, persistence and always with a dash of dumb luck. The DaVinci Code is an example.

- the connection plot where people come together from different walks of life: different race, class, affluence, nationality, power. This week Sheen and I re-watched the movie Notting Hill which is definitely an example of a connection plot: famous celebrity connects with impoverished book store owner.

- the challenge plot where the protagonist faces a daunting challenge, everyone is sceptical whether is can be done, and especially by our hero, but in the end she triumphs. You might not have heard of Susan Boyle but this video is a classic example of a challenge plot told in 7 minutes.

Susan Boyle made me loving the challenge plot!

image via politewinter.com

Since we strongly agree with Kurt Richardson that «there exists an infinitude of equally valid, non-overlapping, potentially contradictory descriptions» for any complex system. And there is «the need for synthesizing a wide variety of perspectives in an effort to better understand the problem at hand, and how we might collectively act to solve it» and we strongly agree with Paul Cilliers that when: «dealing with complexity there are simultaneous roles for the natural and the human sciences, for both mathematics and imagination», we asked our student to model the Jules, Jim and Catherine System form their point of view, using the designer visual attitude, to better understand it.

We know that Complex system and chaotic one are not the same thing, anyway here are the diagrams resulting from our experiments

References
Rinaldi Sergio, 1998. Laura and Petrarch: An intriguing case of cyclical love dynamics.

http://www.siam.org/journals/siap/58-4/30592.html.

http://epubs.siam.org/sam-bin/getfile/SIAP/articles/30592.pdf

Strogatz Steven, 1998. Love affairs and differential equations
http://tam.cornell.edu/SS love dEq.pdf

Ivars Peterson:
http://www.maa.org/mathland/mathtrek 9 7 98.html

Cilliers, Paul, 2005. Knowing Complex Systems.

Richardson, Kurt A, 2008. Managing Complex Organizations: Complexity Thinking and the Science and Art of Management.

A Relevance issue was a criterion for deciding which factors belonged to the system. In this case, relevance was determined by a open discussion between the students and the board of the course.
The system has been visualized in a particular format: a causal loop model (or diagram).

In a causal loop model, the system’s elements (factors, variables) are represented by boxes, and the causal relationships between two variables are represented by arrows. The variable at the tail of the arrow has a causal effect on the variable at the point. In addition, a distinction can be made between positive and negative causal relationships. A positive causal relationship implies that both variables will change in the same direction: if variable, a (at the tail) increases, then also variable b (at the point) will increase (and if a decreases, then b decreases). A negative relationship, on the other hand, implies that variables change in oppositedirections (if a increases b will decrease and if a decreases b will increase).
The causalities discussed so far are linear causalities (from a to b). Circular causalities (e.g. from a to b and from b to a) in systems maps are called feedback loops. They are an important feature of causal loop models because they help to explain the dynamic behavior of the system.

Hospital System | Scenario, originally uploaded by densitydesign.

A system is not a system without its USER. A hospital is not a hospital without its PATIENT.
1. This is the hospital system.
As a complex it has some problems that are difficult to predict and solve. Why these problems could happen? How about looking better to the user’s hospital system? The user needs to face the system and to understand it to start a process. The user is not just another element of the system. He’s a person. He’s not just one, but many. And they are all different from each other. They have different cultures. They will all access the hospital. What happen then? It seems we have a problem.
2. What can we do?
Let’s imagine a nurse who goes everyday to the hospital. She arrives at same time, goes to the clothing and gets ready to start her work. But now, the procedure has changed. She also takes something else. A tool. A tool which is capable to collect users’s data. She assistes patients everyday. Builds a personal relationship with them. She collects multicultural behavior database during all day. By the end of the job day, she takes it and turns it off. She’ll repeat the same actions in the next day. Monthly she must take this tool to the collecting data specialist. The sociologist analyzes and evaluates these data. This new collaborative evaluation gives the opportunity to model learning actions. And future actions. This new service brings a new perception about the multicultural approach inside the hospital. The new service personalyzes the communication between patients and all the actors who work inside the hospital.
3. It helps to decode the multicultural perception.
Because is not the user who should adapt himself to the system, but the system that must get adapted to the user. A system is not a system without its user. A hospital is not a hospital without its patient.

Infrastructure System | Scenario, originally uploaded by densitydesign.

Initially, when the committee is formed, we have taken the commitment to respond promptly to all questions, the technical questions, requests for clarification and claim that the participants in the committee vsebujejo gradually. At first it was not easy to convince the offices of the province that had to respond to all at once. But gradually the mechanism was engaged, so obviously imperfect (given the high number of observations prevented), but acceptable. This step was very important. The committee members, accustomed to the fact that the authorities do not respond almost ever, were very impressed by the fact that in this case the answer came almost forever. (Luigi Bobbio, A più voci)

Management tools in the design of infrastructure

The clear box is a communication project that follows the process of implementation by the beginning of the implementation.
The clear box presents methods for the management of communication between those aims, finances, designs and implements infrastructure in the territory (Kit). The clear box speaks and interacts with the public administration closer to the territory concerned with the municipalities, provinces and regions.
The clear box is composed of a team that encompasses the skills required to manage the service.
Arguably we figure competent in the field of information who will be covering the operation and maintenance of the portal to the advice with the target.
The clear box finally provide assistance on the use of various tools provided.

The core of the application. The application is the central collection and display of information on infrastructure: shows the variations in cost of funds, their origin and their destination, the data public companies dealers involved in the design and implementation of the various resolutions public, details of environmental impact assessments and the timing of implementation.
The application structure and portrays the information in a graphics card info “in line so that the data are quickly available. A scheduled informational stabilise the Report on paper the amount of updated data.

The objectives
The clear box wants to provide the public communication methodologies and tools for understanding and perceiving the problems of citizens, disseminate accurate information, find and interact with stakeholders, explain and resolve conflicts:

Providing accurate and accessible information on the project
Do not ignore potentially important aspects
Empowering and involve public administrations also in the early stages
Facilitate the collection of ideas, opinions, doubts and concerns from all stakeholders
Facilitate consultation procedures of information

Tools
The kit is the tool that will serve to interface with the administration application that will help to carry out consultations with stakeholders in the territory and to standardize the feedback so that they could be integrated in order to have an overall view more accessible .
Kit will probably declined in three models, each of which will face a precise stage:

Techniques for listening: used especially in the early stages, when it comes to begin an inclusive process, to identify possible partners and understand what are the issues on which to work;
Techniques for constructive interaction: methods that help participants to speak among themselves and to produce interesting conclusions;
Techniques for conflict resolution: methods that help to tackle controversial issues. They can be used when a conflict arises;

Every administration, received the kit, must take action to publicise the consultation, organize assemblies according to the rules we have provided for the holding back the results of the consultation through the same access to specially created within the application.
The purpose of the kit will be:

Fostering understanding to non-specialists
Structuring the second shared rules
Commit transparency

Especially the last point is that we believe more problematic in view of Italian and it is also what we hope to give more results.
Through this procedure in fact forces the government to take timely attitude of the most felt by the population. Any lack of willingness to cooperate with this project will be highlighted in and will be visible to all.
The Application is the aggregator of information from the clear box. Data is entered into preset mode (also in “Wizard”) The data relate to the second phase of the project:

Data Project:
Costs
Timeframe
Data traffic population
Reasons
Loans (public funds and private donors)
Materials (origin, quantity, cost)
Data sources

Environmental data
Data proper geological, biological, naturalistic
Espropri, deforestation
Any deliberations EIA
Data sources

Administrative
Rulings; dates of conference services
Any reference laws
Data sources

Construction Data
Information on companies dealerships
Tempistiche of yards

The application incorporates memory and takes comments also registered user via web and shows the geography of the territory.
The data stored will be structured to get the report in its consultation paper, manage and send newsletters to date.
The clear box comes alive during the first phase of construction of infrastructure and then collects data from all stakeholders: public administrations, builders, lenders and developers.
The information collected thus giving the go-ahead to a process that will continue, acting at every stage until the end of the public.
For work is completed will then form a dossier which will be a sort of memory.
The clear box will be available to public administrations through the gateway, but also through service information service for citizens, which is available in several “release”, according to the different requirements.

Media System | Scenario, originally uploaded by densitydesign.

The map of Italian media system present in the foreground the role of the publishing market and its major players, compared to the chain of contents. This level in the production chain is characterized, within the diagram, through the relationship between editorial portfolio and absolute revenues, from which emerge the relative revenues. The critical analysis of this strategic dimension, offers comparisons between the different types of publisher, starting on the basis of these observations and deductions, precise ideas of the possible changes of the system. In particular, noting the portion where are placed the publisher’s televisions shows that Telecom is in disadvantage compared with its competitors: Mediaset and RAI. Despite editorial choices rather than positive in terms of uniformity and consistency of editorial contents, Telecom is a minor publisher, also considering its portfolio, related exclusively to the television and the Internet interfaces.
On the opposite side of the editorial circle, it becomes clear another actor, for the size tied to a single product: the free-press newspaper Metro. The assumption we have made connecting these two realities, suggests a scenario in which Telecom enlarge its portfolio remaining closed to the same target audience (young 20/40 years, culture medium-high, residents in the major urban centres) connected to the Internet and self-production, to enter the market of free-press, increasing the value of the monthly newspaper Urban.