Technology

Who created the technology, and why?

What problem were they solving — or what were they chasing?

What problem or need does it address in your world?

What does it make possible that nothing else can?

How available is it?

Is it bleeding-edge and rare, mass-market, black-market, tightly controlled, etc.?

What does it require to exist and run?

Think materials, energy, infrastructure, data, rare inputs.

How is it accessed, distributed, or owned?

Who can get it, who controls it, and how does it reach the people who use it?

What does the technology look like?

Write a character seeing it for the first time, before they know what it does.

How is it built or manufactured?

Consider the expertise, process, and infrastructure behind making one.

How is it customized?

Can it be jailbroken, modded, repurposed against its makers' wishes, etc.?

What makes it recognizable?

Think a signature design language, a tell, a brand, etc.

What is the user experience like?

Consider the interface and the feel. Is it seamless, clunky, invasive, addictive, etc.?

How does the technology work in practice?

Walk through one use, step by step, the way you'd explain it to someone about to try it.

Who can operate it?

Can anyone handle it, or does it take clearance, a license, an implant, etc.?

What is it best at?

Why reach for this over the alternatives?

What can it not do?

Write the warning label the makers had to add after someone tried.

How difficult is it to use?

In terms of skill level, training, physical ability required, etc.

What does it cost to run?

And what happens if resources expire?

How effective is the technology?

Think reliability, speed, capacity, etc.

Where does it excel?

Consider the conditions and use cases for good performance.

Where does it fall short?

Think scale, sabotage, wear, etc.

What happens when it goes wrong?

Write a safety manual describing its failure modes and what to do in worst-case scenarios.

What makes it stand out?

Describe the moment this technology does something nothing else could.

What is its origin story?

Where is the inventor now?

How did it change the world?

Write a slice-of-life before vs. after its invention.

What did no one see coming?

Think side effects, unforeseen consequences, etc.

How does the world regard it?

Write about it from the perspectives of an evangelist, a critic, and a cynic.

What moments defined its reputation?

Consider the major turning points that this technology might've played a role in.

Where might it go next?

And what could it become if left unchecked?

Should this technology exist?

Write the strongest case for it, then the strongest case against.

Who benefits, and who bears the consequences?

How big is the gap?

What is at stake for the people who use it?

Think autonomy, privacy, humanity, connection, etc.