Beyond Dystopia: Designing Futures You Can Live In | Keely Adler & Caitlin Keeley, RADAR

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 exploreWhy “shiny, robotic” futures leave people out—and how to fix itPrototyping futures in public (not behind closed decks)“Mundane futures” as a design test for what’s livableLove and psychological safety as real infrastructureRituals, artifacts, and cooperative ownershipCrossing the yearning gap with small, repeated actionsFollow along00:00 — Introduction to RADAR and its evolution02:19 — Understanding futures & cultural futurism04:25 — The concept of mundane futures06:49 — Community & collective ownership at RADAR09:22 — Digital cooperatives and shared ownership11:58 — Where RADAR meets client/industry work18:52 — The creative ecosystem (participants, partners, artifacts)24:32 — Multiplayer imagination & experimentation in practice31:08 — Embodied futures & love as infrastructure34:38 — Yearning for change & the 2025 mission44:33 — The power of imagination in shaping the future47:20 — Understanding yearning burnout & its impact50:18 — The role of small actions in creating change53:30 — The future of collaboration & AI54:58 — Lessons from multiplayer mode in creative processes57:13 — Fostering psychological safety for innovation01:02:14 — The importance of community & gathering for changeIf 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-modeWhere to find Keely Adler & Caitlin Keeley* Keely Adler — Head of Practice (LinkedIn)* Caitlin Keeley — Head of Imagination (LinkedIn | Site)* RADAR — Website | LinktreeWhere to find me* LinkedIn: /aribajahan* Instagram: @ariba.jahan* Newsletter: unmissableswithariba.comEnjoying Unmissables? A quick ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ on Spotify + a review on Apple helps more people find the show. Thank you! Get full access to Unmissables at www.unmissables.xyz/subscribe