Futuring Together: Co-creating Friction-Oriented Tools for Collective Imagination in Shaping Alternative Futures

Futuring methods and tools contribute to societal transitions by supporting the co-articulation and exploration of futures. In this paper, we argue that navigating societal transitions can benefit from engaging communities in uncovering and embracing emerging frictions in their contexts. We advocate for exploring approaches not only for challenging dominant visions but also for fostering value pluralism by creating space for diverse perspectives and alternatives. Inspired by open-source and commons-based technology practices, we analyze a self-developed futuring tool to reflect on how frictions can contribute to the reflection and development of visions for transitions. By reflecting on our experiences in urban transformation and the co-design of futuring tools, we provide a framework for enhancing community involvement and contextualizing knowledge through frictions. We identify three key lessons for practitioners and researchers: (1) frictions offer potential for co-producing flexible transition pathways with communities; (2) the articulation of frictions calls for different modes of engagement and expression; and (3) developing frictional future visions requires a balance of openness and structure. This paper offers insights into the limitations of current futuring practices and opportunities for their improvement, advocating for a shift toward more friction-oriented futuring methods.