A digital living lab for communicating visions and images of the future in the context of the energy transition.

What do climate-just and desirable futures look like? This is a question that cannot be answered along disciplinary and national borders. Scientists and practitioners have to cooperate with each other and strive for a transdisciplinary knowledge integration. In this context, new practices are sought to involve different stakeholders in the generation of knowledge in transformation processes. This is where the Future Booth project comes in. It is an international and transdisciplinary research project between Germany and Italy.

Future Booth is an innovative process prototype – a 3-part digital workshop format. The workshops build on each other in terms of content and methodology and are simultaneously accompanied by graphic recording. While the first workshop is a kind of inventory of the main challenges and points of criticism with regard to climate-friendly futures, desirable future scenarios are developed in the second workshop (based on the main points of criticism). In the third workshop, the desirable futures are translated into stories and thus become communicable and discussable.

All workshops require the active participation of the participants. The workshops alternate between rational-analytical and intuitive-creative work phases, with deliberate 'media breaks' and continuously changing work groups.

The workshops were held simultaneously in German and Italian. At times, both groups met in digital space to exchange their perspectives and insights.

With the Future Booth real-lab project, insights can be gained into which desirable images of the future exist interculturally and which consensuses and dissensuses prevail within them.

By combining verbal exchange with graphic recording, knowledge could be directly visualized and made visible. This creates space for alternative interpretations, shared learning, debate and critical reflection. The drawings functioned as so-called 'focal points', attractors of choice of action, as they drew attention and initiated conversations.

Creating and communicating target images can orient, motivate, and prompt action.