Daniel Lamarre
Executive Vice-Chairman of the Board, Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group; Former President and CEO, Cirque du Soleil; Co-Founder, C2 Montréal
Julian Bleecker
Originator of Design Fiction | Founder, Near Future Laboratory | Author, The Manual of Design Fiction | Former Creative Lead, Nokia Advanced Design
Julian Bleecker coined the term Design Fiction and has spent two decades showing organizations how to use it. Founder of Near Future Laboratory and author of the field's definitive handbook, he has worked with Google, Warner Bros., the Dubai Future Foundation, and the Aspen Institute. His keynotes give leaders a hands-on method for turning ambiguous futures into concrete, actionable strategy.
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Julian Bleecker biography
Julian Bleecker is the originator of Design Fiction — the practice of using designed artifacts from imagined futures to make those futures tangible, discussable, and strategically useful. He coined the term in a widely circulated 2009 essay, and spent the following decade and a half developing it into one of the most influential methodologies in foresight, innovation, and product strategy. Where most futures work produces reports and presentations, Design Fiction produces things: a cereal box from 2035, an insurance policy for autonomous vehicles, a government form for a world with synthetic biology. The difference is not aesthetic. It is cognitive. Objects create conversations that abstractions cannot.
Bleecker holds a PhD and a background in electrical engineering from Cornell University, and spent seven years as Creative Technology Lead at Nokia’s Advanced Design studio in Los Angeles, where he developed future product visions through concept development, material prototyping, and physical fabrication. That combination of technical rigor and design sensibility is what grounds his work. He is not a theorist who gestures at the future from a safe distance — he has built the objects, filed the patents, and shipped the products.
He is the founder of Near Future Laboratory, a multidisciplinary consultancy and global community now in its twentieth year, whose clients have included Google, Warner Bros. Entertainment, the Dubai Future Foundation, the Louvre, BBVA, Nespresso, Atlassian, and Telefonica. He also founded OMATA, a precision cycling computer company built from prototype to manufactured product and successfully sold in 2021 — a full arc of entrepreneurial execution that he documents as a case study in Design Fiction used as practical company strategy. As a futurist speaker, Julian Bleecker brings rare practitioner credibility to every stage he occupies.
The Manual of Design Fiction
His book The Manual of Design Fiction, co-authored with Nick Foster, Fabien Girardin, and Nicolas Nova of Near Future Laboratory, is the definitive handbook on the practice — 247 pages of methodology, philosophy, and worked examples that has become required reading across design schools, foresight teams, and innovation labs worldwide. He continues to run workshops and executive programs at institutions including the Aspen Institute, LA Design Week, and USC, and hosts the Near Future Laboratory podcast, which explores the relationship between imagination, creativity, and innovation practice.
As a speaker, Julian Bleecker offers something the foresight field rarely delivers: a method, not just a mindset. His keynotes show audiences exactly how to use Design Fiction — how to build artifacts from possible futures, how to use them to open strategic conversations, and how to turn the chronic anxiety of uncertainty into a productive, creative practice. Senior leaders at organizations navigating AI, climate, and technological change consistently leave his sessions with tools they can apply the following week.
Julian Bleecker Speaking Videos
Julian Bleecker - DesignFiction
Julian Bleecker - interview
Julian Bleecker Keynote Topics
This is Bleecker's signature keynote — a call to move beyond generic futures thinking and into a practice that produces real decision material. He walks audiences through the origins and methodology of Design Fiction, demonstrating through vivid examples how organizations can create artifacts from possible futures to stress-test strategies, align leadership teams, and open conversations that slide decks never could. Participants leave with a clear understanding of how to run their first Design Fiction exercise.
AI is generating enormous anxiety and enormous hype simultaneously, and most organizations are navigating both with vague frameworks and abstract scenarios. Bleecker offers a different approach: using Design Fiction to make AI futures concrete, specific, and strategically legible. Drawing on his recent work with Atlassian, AI policy and governance working groups, and design programs at major institutions, he shows how to build the objects and artifacts that turn "what if" into "what do we actually do about this?"
From Speculation to Strategy: How the World's Most Forward-Thinking Organizations Use Design Fiction
Bleecker draws on twenty years of Near Future Laboratory projects — for clients ranging from the Dubai Future Foundation to the Louvre to Telefonica — to show how Design Fiction has moved from academic curiosity to core strategic practice. This is a practitioner's account of what works, what fails, and how to build the internal capability to make futures thinking a durable part of how an organization operates rather than a one-off workshop.
The most important futures are already visible in the present — in the edges of behavior, in early adopter communities, in overlooked cultural rituals. Bleecker draws on his research practice documenting the gestures and habits that emerge around new technologies to show how to read weak signals rigorously, and how to translate what you find into artifacts that make the future legible to decision-makers who need to act now.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Julian Bleecker
Why Julian Bleecker?
Booking Julian Bleecker means bringing the originator of Design Fiction — one of the most influential methodologies in contemporary foresight and innovation — to your event. He is not a commentator on the field; he created it, wrote the definitive book on it, and has spent twenty years applying it with organizations including Google, Warner Bros., the Dubai Future Foundation, and the Aspen Institute. For events focused on innovation, strategic foresight, AI, the future of work, or organizational change, he offers something most futurist speakers cannot: a concrete, teachable method that gives participants tools they can use immediately. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to discuss availability and how to design his session for maximum impact.
What is Design Fiction?
Design Fiction is a practice originated by Julian Bleecker that uses designed artifacts — physical or digital objects, documents, interfaces, packaging — from imagined futures to make those futures tangible and strategically discussable. Rather than producing a report about what might happen in 2035, Design Fiction produces a newspaper from 2035, or an insurance policy, or a product manual. The goal is not prediction but provocation: creating material that opens genuine conversations about strategy, risk, and possibility in ways that abstract scenarios cannot. The practice is now widely used by foresight teams, innovation labs, and design consultancies globally, and is taught at leading design schools and business programs.
What organizations has Julian Bleecker worked with?
Through Near Future Laboratory, Bleecker has worked with a wide range of organizations across technology, entertainment, government, and culture, including Google, Warner Bros. Entertainment, the Dubai Future Foundation, the Louvre, BBVA, Nespresso, Atlassian, Telefonica, Nokia, and the Aspen Institute, among others. He has also facilitated workshops for policy and governance working groups focused on AI, and run executive programs at USC and other academic institutions. His work spans corporate strategy, product development, futures research, and executive education.
What topics does futurist speaker Julian Bleecker cover?
Bleecker speaks on Design Fiction and speculative design, strategic foresight and futures thinking, innovation methodology, the organizational implications of AI, the future of work and human-technology relationships, and how to build internal foresight capability. His sessions are especially well-suited to innovation conferences, design and technology summits, executive strategy retreats, and events where the audience needs not just inspiration but a practical framework they can carry back into their organizations. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to explore availability and the best format for your event.
How to book Julian Bleecker as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Julian Bleecker as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Julian Bleecker's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Julian Bleecker or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Julian Bleecker speaking fee?
Julian Bleecker speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Julian Bleecker to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Julian Bleecker.
How can I contact Julian Bleecker?
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Can I book Julian Bleecker for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Julian Bleecker is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Julian Bleecker for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
