Conférence • Marie-Cécile Godwin Paccard • Façonner des futurs souhaitables #GEN2019

Conférence • Marie-Cécile Godwin Paccard • Façonner des futurs souhaitables #GEN2019

Conference • Marie-Cécile Godwin Paccard • Shaping desirable futures #GEN2019

by Marie-Cécile Godwin Paccard · View the channel on PSI

Humanities, Social Sciences & Thought Society & Culture JBFSocial and ethical issuesJBFZSocial forecasting, future studies
🎙 Marie-Cécile Godwin Paccard 👥 2K 📅 October 8, 2019 ⏱ 32 min 👁 346 📄 expert opinion 🧭 2026-10-10
Available in: English (current) Français

Keywords

AnthropocèneDesign fictionSoutenabilitéFutursTransition écologique

Summary

Marie-Cécile Godwin Paccard, a UX designer, delivers a thought-provoking conference about the need to rethink how we envision and build futures. She starts by humorously showing how our collective imagination of the future has often been unrealistic, from flying cars to connected dentures. She introduces the concept of design fiction as a way to test and explore future scenarios, then moves to the confronting reality of the Anthropocene, where humanity has become a geological force. She describes several possible future scenarios—some already closed or impossible, like unlimited growth or geoengineering—and argues that we need to let go of these paths. She emphasizes the importance of shifting from vague slogans like ‘saving the planet’ to measurable, territory-based goals, and she proposes a framework she co-developed called ‘New Departures’ to change design practices. This framework includes three pillars: taking planetary limits as a foundation, re-politicizing and re-localizing our perspective, and preparing emotionally and mentally for the challenges ahead. She calls for collective action, openness to alternative viewpoints, and the creation of open, reusable tools to foster sustainable and desirable futures.

178 words

Critical Evaluation

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The talk offers a valuable and sincere reflection on how to approach the future in the Anthropocene, blending personal experience with broader philosophical and ecological considerations. The argumentation is well-structured around concrete examples (smart cities, compensation strategies, low-tech) and progressively builds a strong case for systemic change. The speaker acknowledges the complexity of the issues and partially embraces humility, though the overall message leans more on conviction and emotional appeal than on a rigorous scientific demonstration. It is more a position statement than an evidence-based review.

Scientific Rigor, Source Quality, Title Accuracy

The scientific rigor is moderate: the speaker cites the IPCC, Bruno Latour, and mentions interdisciplinary references, but she does not provide precise data or citations in the talk itself. The sources are general and they are not used to deeply substantiate each claim, which limits a fully evidence-based presentation. The title is well aligned with the content: it accurately describes the conference and its focus on shaping desirable futures. The public comments (not provided) would be needed to assess reception, but they are absent; no assumptions are made.

189 words

Title / Content Match

The title accurately describes the talk, which is a conference about shaping desirable futures in the Anthropocene, delivered by Marie-Cécile Godwin Paccard.

Quality & Reliability

7/10

The speaker offers a well-structured personal reflection based on known scientific reports (IPCC), but the argumentation remains largely qualitative and philosophical, without precise data verification in this talk. The sources mentioned are general and not deeply detailed.

Key Moments

Markers derived by PSI from the transcript: the creator did not define chapters.

Cited Sources

  • Grand Est Numérique — Event page for the conference #GEN2019, where this talk took place.
  • Hoook — Video production company credited for the recording.

Concurring Sources

  • IPCC SR15 — Cited as the main scientific reference for climate goals and constraints.
  • Ouvrages de Bruno Latour — The speaker repeatedly references Latour's ideas on the Anthropocene and the new climatic regime.

Contribution & Novelties

The talk provides a genuinely original and accessible synthesis on the Anthropocene and how design practices can drastically change to face sustainability challenges. It contributes to a growing discourse on low-tech, sobriety, and re-localizing economies, while framing these ideas in the specific context of UX design. The ‘New Departures’ framework offers a practical starting point for professionals, blending ethical reflection with actionable principles.

Pour aller plus loin :

  • Anthropocène - Wikipédia — A relevant concept that frames the talk’s core theme.
  • IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C — The scientific basis for the 1.5°C target mentioned in the talk.
  • Design fiction - Wikipedia — The speculative design method discussed early in the talk.
  • Bruno Latour’s work on the new climatic regime — Reference to the philosopher mentioned, without a direct URL as an alternative.

133 words

Radar Profile

The radar profile is moderately balanced, with higher scores on information quantity and quality but lower on technical level and overall reliability, reflecting a talk that is more philosophical and motivational than data-driven.

Reliability 6/10