The theme of the 2018 Institute for the Future (IFTF) conference was "The Future of Trust." IFTF staff and research fellows presented forecast scenarios exploring how trust might evolve over the next decade.
One such story featured Oraclear, a fictional company offering truth verification as a service. Similar to Politifact or Yelp, Oraclear provided real-time verification of individuals' personal truthiness scores.
Problem / Opportunity
The story of Oraclear was shared on stage at the conference, but there was an opportunity to take it further. To give attendees a deeper sense of what it might feel like to live in this future, I crafted a fully immersive experience.
I designed and manufactured arm-mounted Personal Information Processors for each Oraclear Agent, featuring a 3D-printed enclosure, an interactive touchscreen, and audio-responsive feedback. The black cylinder visible in the photo is a swappable, mass-produced USB battery, allowing us to maintain performance throughout the entire conference.
During interactions, conference attendees were asked a series of questions, with their responses recorded and cross-referenced against their online identities. The device then simulated a "truthiness" score for each participant, adding an extra layer of intrigue and interaction.
The goal of Oraclear agents at the conference was to verify the truthiness level of every conference attendee.
Once an individuals truthiness level was analyzed, we printed this on a sticker, and they were asked to add it to the conference name tag, which must be worn at all times. It was a great conversation starter.
This experience design brought the strategic forecast to life. Rather than simply hearing a story about a future scenario, conference attendees had the opportunity to experience what it feels like to live in a world where this scenario is playing out.
In total, over 300 conference attendees had an opportunity to interact with our Oraclear agents, creating lasting impressions on CEOs, journalists, government officials, and thought leaders from around the world.
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