Beyond Flying Cars And Futurist Myths With Nick Foster - TWMJ #1009

32 snips

Nov 9, 2025

Nick Foster, a designer and futurist known for his innovative roles at Sony, Google X, and his book 'Could Should Might Don't,' dives into the art of shaping futures. He discusses how our curiosity drives creativity and the vital role of responsibility in design. Nick also critiques the limits of science fiction in predicting the future, emphasizing the power of diverse possibilities over singular narratives. With insights on balancing optimism and caution, he offers a refreshing framework for thoughtful explorations of what lies ahead.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Future Thinking As A Discipline

The future is a discipline of mindsets, not a destination to predict.
Nick frames four modes: could, should, might and don't to structure future thinking.

ANECDOTE

From Vacuum Cleaners To Futures

Nick moved from product design (Dyson, Nokia) into futures work because curiosity drove him.
He often found futures projects produce cultural nudges rather than measurable ROI.

ADVICE

Fail Fast To Learn Quickly

Fail fast and prove non-viability quickly to reduce wasted investment.
Use prototypes and rapid experiments to reach decisions early on risky projects.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Welcome to episode #1009 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation).

The future isn't something to predict... it's something to practice. Few people embody that idea more completely than Nick Foster, a designer, futurist and author whose work has quietly influenced some of the most innovative companies on the planet - from Sony, Nokia, and Dyson to Google X, where he served as head of design. In his new book, Could Should Might Don't - How We Think About The Future, Nick challenges the way we imagine what comes next. Rather than offering forecasts, he explores four mindsets - could, should, might, and don't - that shape how individuals and organizations approach uncertainty. In this conversation, Nick reflects on his evolution from industrial design to futures thinking, examining how curiosity fuels creativity, why nostalgia shapes our forward gaze and how responsibility must now sit at the core of every design decision. He questions the seductive influence of science fiction on our collective imagination and unpacks the cultural anxieties that accompany rapid technological change. What emerges is not a roadmap to the future but a framework for thinking. One grounded in humility, storytelling and the courage to sit with what we don't yet know. For Nick, futures design is not about prediction... it's about perspective. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 1:01:27.
Hello from beautiful Montreal.
Listen and subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.
Listen and subscribe over at Spotify.
Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Thinking With Mitch Joel.
Feel free to connect to me directly on LinkedIn.
Check out ThinkersOne.
Here is my conversation with Nick Foster.
Could Should Might Don't - How We Think About The Future.
Follow Nick on LinkedIn.

Chapters:

(00:00) - Introduction to Futures Design. (02:55) - Curiosity and Creativity in Design. (06:01) - Exploring the Future: Challenges and Opportunities. (08:58) - The Role of Responsibility in Design. (12:01) - Cultural Shifts and the Future. (14:59) - Navigating the Unknown: The Importance of Questions. (17:49) - The Impact of Nostalgia on Future Thinking. (20:46) - The Role of Science Fiction in Shaping Futures. (24:05) - The Anxiety of Possibility: Handling the 'Might'. (27:10) - The Importance of Humility in Future Predictions. (29:46) - Embracing Uncertainty and Curiosity.