Materialising Design Fictions: Exploring Music Memorabilia in a Metaverse Environment

ABSTRACT This paper addresses the challenge posed by the high cost and extensive time commitment required for Metaverse platform development by proposing an innovative, process‐centric methodology. Traditional approaches to creating such platforms are hindered by both limited expertise and significant resource investments, exposing substantial development risks. Here we use Design Fictions to construct a low‐cost, low‐effort Minimum Viable Product for archives, record labels, publishers, and private collections. In identifying our key learnings, our research advances a coherent four‐stage process model comprising of conceptualisation, realisation, materialisation, and evaluation. The model delineates the critical activities required at each stage, offering practitioners a structured yet flexible framework that bridges the gap between initial concept development and full‐scale system implementation. By prioritising Design Fictions as a means of early‐stage prototyping, we encourage a more agile and responsive exploration of ‘provocations of the future’, thus minimising risks while refining the understanding of business and user needs alongside technological possibilities and constraints. In doing so, we expedite the identification of vital design insights and provide practical guidance for those striving to harness the potential of emerging Metaverse technologies within a sustainable and economically viable framework.