Engaging Young Audiences in Speculative Design Narratives to Build Digital Literacies

Planet Cashless 2029 is a playful workbook designed to engage younger audiences (Ages 8+) in a speculative design narrative. Created in response to the Future of Money workshop at Furtherfield Gallery which centred around how the politics and practicalities of cashlessness could be explored with younger generations.

Along with Martin Zeilinger and Furtherfield we devised a framework in the form of a playful workbook (and set of stickers and badges). Within the activity book, the young audience selects a scenario from Planet Cashless 2029 and are invited to explore and shape this future world through a set of steps which are designed to tease out solutions to the scenario. For example, in one scenario a cyborg melon seller loses power in their digital payment arm and they need to find an alternative way to sell their melons…