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Nick Foster

Futurist and designer who has worked at Google X, Sony, and Dyson. Author of the book Could, Should, Might, Don't: How We Think About the Future.

Top 10 podcasts with Nick Foster

Ranked by the Snipd community
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698 snips
Aug 19, 2025 • 32min

How to Bring More Rigor to Your Long-Term Thinking

Nick Foster, a seasoned futurist and designer with a background at Google X, Sony, and Dyson, shares his insights on enhancing long-term thinking in organizations. He emphasizes the importance of viewing the future through multiple lenses, rather than a single perspective, to foster better decision-making. The conversation critiques simplistic predictions and advocates for a nuanced, responsible approach to strategy. Foster also highlights the need for diverse perspectives to help traditional companies adapt and thrive amidst uncertainty.
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303 snips
Nov 10, 2025 • 55min

What Everyone Gets Wrong About the Future of AI with Nick Foster

Nick Foster, a futures designer and former head of design at Google X, explores the complexities of AI in this engaging conversation. He critiques the current AI hype cycle and emphasizes the need for practical approaches to technology. Foster advocates for a grounded mindset in futurism, discussing the balance between optimism and critical thinking. He warns against viewing AI solely as an efficiency tool and envisions a future where AI seamlessly integrates into daily life, designed with everyday users in mind.
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44 snips
Nov 9, 2025 • 1h 1min

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

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.
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31 snips
Aug 20, 2025 • 59min

Nick Foster: Could, Should, Might, Don't—a new way to think about designing for the future

Nick Foster, a Futures Designer and former Head of Design at Google X, shares his insights on designing for an uncertain future. He discusses the challenges of creating for technologies and users that don’t yet exist, emphasizing the need for ethical considerations in design. Foster critiques conventional methods of futures thinking, introducing the concepts of 'could, should, might, and don't' to reframe our approach. He highlights the dangers of overly relying on data and advocates for interdisciplinary collaboration and the importance of storytelling in shaping our future.
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25 snips
Oct 6, 2025 • 14min

You’re Thinking About the Future All Wrong

Nick Foster, a seasoned designer and futurist with experience at Apple and Google X, discusses how our approach to imagining the future is flawed. He explores the idea of 'could futurism,' emphasizing the power of optimistic imagination while acknowledging its pitfalls. He also dives into 'should futurism' and 'might futurism,' stressing the importance of scenario planning. Finally, Foster highlights 'don’t futurism,' which critiques risks and dystopian visions, revealing why a more balanced perspective can lead to better outcomes.
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25 snips
Sep 18, 2025 • 2h 26min

IM 837: Could Should Might Don't - Why Tomorrow Doesn't Feel Like Sci-Fi

In a thought-provoking discussion, designer Nick Foster explores frameworks for thinking about the future, as outlined in his book, Could, Should, Might, Don't. He critiques the oversimplified sci-fi narratives that often dominate tech predictions. Delving into AI's real-world applications, he discusses how tools like ChatGPT are frequently misused as simple search engines and highlights the complexities of privacy in AI interactions. Nick emphasizes the importance of a design-led approach to shape a more realistic and collective future.
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12 snips
Aug 28, 2025 • 33min

Nick Foster on How We Really Think About the Future

Nick Foster, a designer and futurist with a background at Apple and Google, discusses his book 'Could Should Might Don’t', exploring how society misinterprets the future. He emphasizes a more collaborative and critical approach to futurism, challenging conventional narratives. Foster reflects on his experiences at Google X, urging us to understand biases in predictions. He also highlights the interplay of science fiction with real-world advancements, advocating for a grounded perspective on technology and everyday life.
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8 snips
Sep 18, 2025 • 29min

004: The Future Right at Your Feet that you Never Think About (with Nick Foster)

In this engaging discussion, Nick Foster, a futures designer and former head of design at Google X, digs into the often-overlooked world of mundane technologies, like socks. He critiques the hype surrounding flashy futurism and emphasizes the economic significance of everyday products. Nick reveals surprising insights from his research, underscores the importance of practicality in design, and challenges the industry to focus on real-life implications rather than merely grand visions. Expect thoughtful insights that might just change how you see the future!
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5 snips
Sep 17, 2025 • 1h 7min

273. Nick Foster

Nick Foster, a former Head of Design at Google X and author of *Could, Should, Might, Don’t*, dives into the complexities of future thinking. He discusses the limitations of conventional futurism and introduces the 'futures designer' role, emphasizing the importance of diverse perspectives. Nick outlines his four corridors of futurism: could, should, might, and don't. He also highlights the concept of the 'future mundane' and the vital role design plays in shaping our visions for tomorrow, advocating for education that fosters critical thinking.
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Oct 29, 2025 • 56min

Nick Foster on "Could Should Might Don’t"

Nick Foster, a renowned designer and futurist who has shaped future-oriented design for major brands like Dyson and Google X, discusses his book, *Could Should Might Don’t*. He explores how organizations engage with futures design and the common pitfalls in forecasting. Foster introduces his taxonomy of future-thinking, emphasizing the need for balance and intentionality. He shares insights on using science fiction effectively and advocates for a grounded approach to envisioning 'the future mundane'—making futures relatable and realistic.

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