Professors Carissa Carter & Scott Doorley on Assembling Tomorrow

The Human Risk Podcast

What role does creativity play in navigating an unpredictable world?
On this episode, I sit down with Carissa Carter and Scott Doorley, both professors at the Stanford d.school. Together, they’ve co-authored Assembling Tomorrow, a fascinating exploration of how design influences the future, especially amidst the rapid rise of emerging technologies like AI and synthetic biology. We discuss how design shapes the environments we live and work in and why getting it right can help people make better, safer, and more ethical choices.
Our conversation dives into some intriguing concepts like “mischievous materials” and the role that design fiction plays in imagining the future. Carissa and Scott share their insights into the power of speculative fiction, demonstrating how it can help us predict and adapt to the future consequences of today’s decisions. We also discuss how design often starts as fiction and evolves into real-world innovations and how emotions and make-believe play crucial roles in the creative process.
Lastly, we discuss the ethical implications of design and the importance of considering all possible outcomes—positive and negative—when creating new tools or systems. The discussion is both a hopeful and realistic look at how designers, and indeed all of us, can better navigate an increasingly unpredictable world.


Biography of the Guests:
Carissa Carter is a designer, geoscientist, and the academic director at the Stanford d.school. She teaches design courses focused on emerging technologies, climate change, and data visualization, helping students apply design thinking to complex, real-world challenges. Carissa is passionate about exploring how design can foster creativity, ethical decision-making, and positive societal impact.

Scott Doorley is the creative director at the Stanford d.school, where he oversees a wide array of projects, including books, workspaces, digital products, and initiatives aimed at shaping the future of learning and design. A designer and writer, Scott has a deep interest in how design can be used as a tool for understanding and influencing human behaviour, particularly in times of rapid technological and societal change.
Together, Carissa and Scott have co-authored Assembling Tomorrow, a book that delves into how emerging technologies influence human behaviour, decision-making, and ethics. They use the power of storytelling and speculative fiction to imagine future scenarios and provoke thought on how design can guide us through an increasingly complex world.
Links
Carissa's profile - https://dschool.stanford.edu/team-directory/carissa-l-carter
Scott's profile - https://dschool.stanford.edu/team-directory/scott-doorley
The Stanford d School - https://dschool.stanford.edu/
Assembling Tomorrow and other d School books - https://dschool.stanford.edu/books

AI-Generated Timestamp Summary
[00:00:00] Introduction and welcome
[00:00:33] How design shapes our environments and influences decision-making
[00:01:00] Introduction to Stanford d.school and the work of Carissa and Scott
[00:01:41] Overview of Assembling Tomorrow and its exploration of emerging tech
[00:02:20] Ethical implications of design and the influence of emerging technologies
[00:03:16] Carissa and Scott introduce themselves and their work
[00:04:36] The role of ambiguity in design and navigating uncertainty
[00:06:24] Emotions and make-believe in the design process
[00:08:19] Importance of seeing the full impact of design decisions
[00:10:07] The dynamic of young versus experienced creators in technology
[00:15:35] Speculative fiction as a tool for imagining future design consequences
[00:17:23] The process behind creating Assembling Tomorrow

[00:22:04] Strategies for solving complex problems in an unpredictable world
[00:23:14] Embracing awkwardness and aiming for imperfection in design
[00:26:35] Need to adapt to more organic, unpredictable processes in design
[00:33:04] Developing an ethical mindset within design education
[00:36:00] Generational shift in attitudes towards ethical design
[00:45:11] Visuals and illustrations as tools for engaging readers in design concepts