Design fictions for behaviour change: exploring the long-term impacts of technology through the creation of fictional future prototypes

Human–computer interaction researchers are increasingly designing behaviour change technologies for a variety of purposes, from promoting healthier lifestyles to support sustainable habits. These technologies are commonly assessed in terms of their effectiveness in modifying human behaviour. Nevertheless, the multifaceted social and psychological long-term consequences of these kinds of artifacts are often forgotten. To explore their design space, we involved 48 students asking them to envision and design future behaviour change systems. Following the recent interest in design fictions, which present ‘fantasy prototypes’ in plausible near futures, we investigated how designs might help people think of the presuppositions and implications of technology. Then, we analyzed four design fictions to explore themes that are often forgotten in the current behaviour change debate. We finally discussed the empirical and methodological outcomes of our study and presented a series of design considerations and research questions that could stimulate further reflections on behaviour change technologies and the method we employed.