James Taylor-Foster - Worldglimpsing

Media Evolution

“Sometimes one has to travel to another planet in order to understand what is going on in one’s own”. —Trojan Horse

James Taylor-Foster explores the meaning and power of design through concepts such as ASMR and LARP-ing. He introduces the audience to the concept of "world glimpsing," where we learn about our own world by experiencing the worlds of others. Using live action role-play (LARP) as an example, he affirms that temporarily becoming a different character helps us, among other things, to become more empathetic toward others. Through role-play, we can adopt someone else’s perspective and view of the world, leading to improved understanding and connection.

Additionally, the concept of play offers significant opportunities to connect and communicate not only about pleasant topics but also more serious matters in life. Engaging with other realities helps us push our own limits and expand our experiential understanding of the world. This, he claims, is the power of design.