Turn the World Upside-Down
001 ⎟ The Futurist Edit
Dear Futurist,
Welcome to this new series. From now on, every other Sunday, this space will be about expanding our imaginations to explore what the future might hold in beauty, wellness, luxury, lifestyle and more. Together we’ll dive into tools and methods that help us move beyond current trends to picture new possibilities.
In the Thursday edition of Beyond Beauty, I focus on trends, macro movements, and potential growth areas in the consuming industries, showcasing brands, products, and services that embody these shifts. Here, I’ll take a different approach, experiencing futurism in a more hands-on way, treating each edition like an interactive playbook that brings diverse future possibilities to life.
What you will find inside today’s issue:
A tool: Turn the World Upside-Down by Jane McGonigal – a technique to reimagine everyday assumptions in fun and unexpected ways.
A game: we’ll apply the tool to the perfume segment, flipping common assumptions to envision an alternative future for fragrance.
A journey to step into the future: 3 immersive stories that explore how fragrance could evolve, from boundary-setting scents to government-prescribed perfumes for mental wellness.
A takeaway to get back to the present: a practical nudge for professionals in the industry to start experimenting now.
Ready to dive in? Let’s start!
THE GAME
✦ Today’s Tool ✦
Turn the World Upside-Down is a futurist exercise imagined by Jane McGonigal, a renowned game designer and researcher known for using play to solve real-world problems. As an author and director of games research, Jane designs interactive experiences that help people imagine alternative futures and build resilience. This exercise is one of her techniques to help us break out of our usual ways of thinking, stretching the boundaries of what we believe is possible. By flipping today’s "truths" on their heads, we can open up new perspectives and ideas that will spark real opportunities for creativity and innovation.
✦ How It Works ✦
This exercise is straightforward but surprisingly powerful. It works best as a group, where participants can build on each other’s ideas. Here’s how it goes:
» Choose a topic: pick a specific theme that everyone is familiar with—such as online shopping, sleeping habits, or public transportation. This will keep everyone focused and allow the group to engage fully in the exercise.
» List today’s realities: each person or the group collectively brainstorms a list of 50 to 100 "facts" about the chosen topic. These should be things that are generally true or widely accepted about it today. For example, if the topic is restaurants, you might write down facts like "restaurants serve food on plates" or "restaurants have a menu for customers to order from".
» Flip each fact: now is the fun part. Take each fact and imagine the opposite. Rewrite each statement so that the opposite is true, no matter how odd or ridiculous it may seem. If a fact is "restaurants serve food on plates", the flipped version could be "restaurants serve food directly on the table".
» Describe the new reality: after flipping each fact, take a moment to imagine this new version of reality. What would it look like?
✦ Let’s Play ✦
Today we’ll explore the world of perfumes, and the first thing to do is think about commonly accepted facts about perfume. Here are 10 facts that I have come up with:
Perfume today (accepted realities):
Perfume is used to smell good.
Perfume is allowed in most public places.
Perfume is a product you buy from a brand/private company.
Perfume is optional, wearing it is a personal choice.
Perfume has a limited shelf life.
Stronger perfume concentrations last longer.
Perfume reacts with individual body chemistry.
Perfume’s scent fades over time after application.
Perfume can transfer to clothing.
Perfume’s intensity is affected by temperature.
➤➤➤ Now let’s take those realities and turn them upside-down. Imagine that 10 years from today:
Perfume is used to make a statement – it’s designed to evoke specific reactions or emotions, focusing on impact over pleasant smell.
Perfume is forbidden in workplaces – offices have scent-free policies, banning perfumes entirely.
Perfume is free for some people – fragrances are given for free as part of mental wellness programs.
Perfume is mandatory to wear – smelling good becomes a social norm, and everyone is required to wear fragrance.
Perfume lasts indefinitely – new preservation technology gives perfumes eternal shelf life with no scent degradation.
Perfume smells the same all day – formulations stabilise the scent to maintain a consistent smell for 12 hours.
Perfume remains consistent - it smells the same on everyone, regardless of body chemistry.
Perfume intensifies with movement – it reacts to body movement, becoming stronger as you move and lighter when you’re still.
Perfume doesn’t transfer to clothing – advanced formulations only adhere to skin, leaving no trace on clothing.
Perfume is unaffected by temperature – advanced formulations remain constant, unaffected by changes in temperature.
Want to try? If you’re up for the challenge, think of your own facts about perfume and flip them. Share your upside-down ideas in the comment section!
STEP INTO THE FUTURE
So, what’s next? Now we take our upside-down ideas and start imagining how they might actually play out. This step is about building scenarios based on weak signals (small events that might one day grow into big changes). By following these clues, we create mini-stories that bring these strange futures to life, making them feel real and relatable. Below, you’ll find three short stories inspired by the assumptions from our upside-down list. Thanks to a suggestion from a reader (merci Julien T.), I’ve used AI voices to narrate these stories, allowing you to either read them, listen, or do both. Let me know which voice you prefer (I have a soft spot for Belle). Enjoy the immersion!
Story 1: Perfume Isn’t Made to Smell "Good"
Narrated by Belle:
Script:
It’s 2033, and you’re in a small boutique perfumery hidden in a bustling part of New York City. The store is dimly lit, with dark wood shelves stacked with bottles that have elegant yet slightly ominous labels. You’re greeted by a small sign that reads: "Scents to Make an Impact".
The concept? Perfumes designed to evoke reactions instead of pleasing aromas. The store is full of niche, experimental scents that aren’t meant to make you smell traditionally nice. They’re meant to communicate a mood or set a boundary. Some fragrances carry sharp, earthy notes reminiscent of damp forests, while others have metallic, antiseptic undertones. One perfume, Cloak, is designed to give off a faint, sterile smell, perfect for moments when you want to keep people at arm’s length.
It all started with a viral TikTok video back in 2024. The woman behind the account @cultofperfume shared her unique tactic for staying unbothered when going out: she wore perfumes that repelled unwanted male attention. The video exploded, sparking a trend in "anti-fragrance" fragrances, products specifically designed to keep people away rather than draw them in. Soon, perfumers began experimenting with scents meant for personal boundaries rather than attraction.
The trend gained traction as more people sought personal spaces in crowded environments. Social norms shifted, especially in densely populated urban areas, and perfumes that conveyed a "don’t approach" message became surprisingly popular. Scent became a new form of non-verbal communication, signalling moods, preferences, or even the need for solitude.
Story 2: Perfume is Forbidden at Work