Most futures work stops at trend decks that never leave the room. RADAR is doing something different. As a digital cooperative, they turn collective imagination into practice—research cycles, rituals, grants, and cultural artifacts people can actually use.
I’m joined by Keely Adler (Head of Practice) and Caitlin Keeley (Head of Imagination) to talk about futures you can live in—not just look at. We get into “mundane futures,” why optimism needs rigor, how love and psychological safety show up as design tools, and crossing the “yearning gap” from longing to action.
What we explore
Why “shiny, robotic” futures leave people out—and how to fix it
Prototyping futures in public (not behind closed decks)
“Mundane futures” as a design test for what’s livable
Love and psychological safety as real infrastructure
Rituals, artifacts, and cooperative ownership
Crossing the yearning gap with small, repeated actions
Follow along
00:00 — Introduction to RADAR and its evolution
02:19 — Understanding futures & cultural futurism
04:25 — The concept of mundane futures
06:49 — Community & collective ownership at RADAR
09:22 — Digital cooperatives and shared ownership
11:58 — Where RADAR meets client/industry work
18:52 — The creative ecosystem (participants, partners, artifacts)
24:32 — Multiplayer imagination & experimentation in practice
31:08 — Embodied futures & love as infrastructure
34:38 — Yearning for change & the 2025 mission
44:33 — The power of imagination in shaping the future
47:20 — Understanding yearning burnout & its impact
50:18 — The role of small actions in creating change
53:30 — The future of collaboration & AI
54:58 — Lessons from multiplayer mode in creative processes
57:13 — Fostering psychological safety for innovation
01:02:14 — The importance of community & gathering for change
If this resonated, subscribe, and share with someone who should be in the future you’re building.
Takeaways, Signals to Watch & Resources here: https://unmissables.substack.com/p/designing-futures-multiplayer-mode
Where to find Keely Adler & Caitlin Keeley
* Keely Adler — Head of Practice (LinkedIn)
* Caitlin Keeley — Head of Imagination (LinkedIn | Site)
Where to find me
* LinkedIn: /aribajahan
* Instagram: @ariba.jahan
* Newsletter: unmissableswithariba.com
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