This document outlines the career of an artist-inventor who applies "what if" thinking to envision novel concepts and products. It describes his path from cartoonist to futurist and includes summaries of his various conceptual designs over his career from 1938 to 2014. These concepts range from new transportation solutions, building designs, clothing, technology uses, and more. His approach involves techniques like lateral thinking, permutation, and morphing to imagine modifications and variations of existing objects and systems. He also made several predictions in the 1980s-90s that ended up coming true later due to technological and societal trends.

1. An Artist-Inventor
Sees the Future

2. What if?

3. What If Thinking is practiced
by young children,
cartoonists, science fiction
writers, historians, scientists
and futurists

4. What If Thinking is
often considered
impractical

5. My Path from
Cartoonist to
Futurist–
Prognosticator

6. 1938-2014 Personal Career History
Sierra Club
Bulletin
What The World
Needs Now
Public Therapy
Buses
Have Fun
Inventing
Public Therapy
Buses 2nd ed.
What The World
Needs Now 3rd. ed
What The World
Needs Now 2nd ed.
AGE 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 76
URBAN PLANNER NEWSPAPER ARTIST FUTURIST RETIRED
CARTOONIST (SIDELINE) QUIT CARTOONING ONLINE
Correspond with
Ed Cornish at World Future
Society (1968)

7. 1938-2014 Personal Career History
AGE

8. World Future Society Annual Conference, 2014 Orlando FL “What If?”
1992

9. 1991 Pedal Train Public Therapy Buses

10. 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis

11. Freelance Magazine
Cartooning: Venturing into
What If Thinking

12. 1962-1977 Urban Planning Journal of American Institute of Planners

13. 1974 Yosemite Valley: Dammed and commercialized Sierra Club Bulletin

14. 1974 Half Dome as Location for Billboard Sierra Club Bulletin

15. 1973 Oil Drilling Proposed for Everglades Sierra Club Bulletin

16. 1978 Lake Tahoe Strip Commercial Cry California magazine

17. 1978 Public Campgrounds: Thought Control The Sacramento Bee

18. Thinking like a
six-year old:
Designing
What If Products

19. The Vacationeur
1974-78 RVs and Motorhomes-1 Sierra Club Bulletin et al

20. Trojan Duck
1974-78 RVs and Motorhomes-2 Sierra Club Bulletin et al

21. 1974-78 RVs and Motorhomes-3 Sierra Club Bulletin et al

22. 1974-78 RVs and Motorhomes-4 Sierra Club Bulletin et al

23. 1975 1976 Bicentennial: Uses for Oversized American Autos Harper’s Magazine

24. 1975 1976 Bicentennial: Uses for Oversized American Autos Harper’s Magazine

25. A Useful Tool for
What If Thinking:
Mix ‘N’ Match

26. 1984 Dress Glove + Overcoat + Umbrella = Armbrella What The World Needs Now

27. 1984 Ashtray + Helmet + Filter + Fan What The World Needs Now

28. 1984 Lawn Mower + Yard Furniture What The World Needs Now

29. Bike Vest
1984 Foldable Bicycle + Jacket = Bike Vest What The World Needs Now

30. 1976/1984 Scooter/Motorcycle + Motorhome What The World Needs Now et al

31. 1984 Auto + Clothes Closet = Closet Car What The World Needs Now

32. 1991 Suit + Air Pump = Wearable Airbag Public Therapy Buses 2nd ed.

33. Applying
Mix ‘N’ Match techniques
to Slightly More Serious
Subject Matter

34. 2010 Six seats + office + solar/muffler dryer + recliner = RLV Design Mind magazine

35. 2010 Six seats + office + solar/muffler dryer + recliner = RLV Design Mind magazine

36. 2010 Six seats + office + solar/muffler dryer + recliner = RLV Design Mind magazine

37. 2010 Six seats + office + solar/muffler dryer + recliner = RLV Design Mind magazine

38. 2010 Six seats + office + solar/muffler dryer + recliner = RLV Design Mind magazine

39. 2010 Six seats + office + solar/muffler dryer + recliner = RLV Design Mind magazine

40. 1991 Bldg. Facade + Recreation = Wallmaster, Jogging Ramp Public Therapy Buses

41. 1991 Worship + Vocal Prayer + StairMaster = Power Worship Public Therapy Buses

42. 1991 Baseball + Pinball = Bonus Baseball Public Therapy Buses

43. 1991 Swimming pool + Moat = Swimming Moat Public Therapy Buses

44. 1991/2013 Natural Living + Hotel = Primitive Hotel Public Therapy Buses 2nd Ed.

45. Applying What If
Thinking to Fuel
Station Design

46. 1966 Gas station architecture Cry California magazine

47. 1974 Gas stations get a new business model Sierra Club Bulletin

48. 2012 Future fuel stations Txchnologist.com
Retrograde Futuristic

49. 2012 Future fuel stations Txchnologist.com

50. 2011 Electric car recharge and diner Txchnologist.com

51. 2011 Electric Car Recharge With Dining: Slow vs. Fast Txchnologist.com

52. What If Auto Travel
Could Be Made to Be
Fun or Therapeutic?

53. Already, many people
find driving a car alone
to be therapeutic: It is
their “alone” or “thinking”
time.

54. 1983 Hot Tub Convertible Road&Track magazine

55. 1984 Road Yacht What The World Needs Now

56. 1984 Exercise Roll Bar What The World Needs Now

57. 1984 Passenger Exercise What the World Needs Now

58. 1984/2012 Yogamobile What The World Needs Now/art print

59. 1991 Exercise While You Drive Public Therapy Buses

60. 2012 Workout Convertible Have Fun Inventing

61. 2012 Slow Cars Have Fun Inventing
Around
Town
(Only)
Around
Town
On Freeway

62. 2013 Sleeping or Reading in a Self-Driving Car The New York Times

63. What If Thinking
Applied to Home
Furnishing
Design

64. 1984 Ceiling-mounted furniture What The World Needs Now

65. 1984 Hiding Bed (vs. Hide-a-Bed) What The World Needs Now

66. 1992 Fear Furniture The Sacramento Bee

67. 1993 Potato Couch Room Group The Sacramento Bee

68. 2014 Veggies Room Group Unpublished

69. What If Thinking
Applied to Computer
Use in the Home

70. 1973/1975 Computer Use in the Home The Futurist

71. 1973 Computer Use in the Home The Futurist

72. 1983 Computer Use in the Home The Sacramento Bee

73. 1993 Computer Use in the Home The Sacramento Bee

74. 2012 Personal Cave/World Interface Have Fun Inventing

75. What If Thinking Applied
to Computer Use While
Out and About

76. 1984/91 Clothing For Office Work/ Reading What The World Needs Now/Public Therapy Buses
1984 1991

77. 1991 Keeping Up, Using Technology Public Therapy Buses, 2nd Ed.
Computer/TV-watching Screens Useful Neckties

78. 1992 Uses for Apple Newton Desktop magazine
Order Food/Complain Communicate/Take Notes Share

79. 1992 Introduction of Handheld Computers Desktop magazine
Lecture/Handheld image Video phone Screen/Special Glasses
1992 Uses for Apple Newton Desktop magazine

80. Built into Necktie Post Opinion on Wall Post Opinion About Movie
1992 Uses for Apple Newton Desktop magazine

81. 2012 Computers/media accessible everywhere Good Magazine/Have Fun Inventing

82. What If the Needs of
Seniors Were Taken
More Seriously?

83. 1984 Stable Shoes for Seniors What The World Needs Now

84. 1991 Rota-Seat Public Therapy Buses

85. 1991 Slow Reflexes Expressway Public Therapy Buses

86. 2005 Combined Seniors Bench and Anti-terrorist Barrier Book proposal

87. 2009 Napping Cubicles Have Fun Inventing

88. 2010 Zoom Eyeglasses for Distance 50th Reunion Book, Yale Class of 1960

89. 2005/14 Seniors-Only Malls Have Fun Inventing/art print

90. What If There
Were More
Choices for Public
Transit?

91. 1973
1991 2011
1973-2011 Mass Transit
2013

92. NYC
Taxi
Contest
2011 Proposed Taxis for New York City The New York Times

93. 2011 Proposed Taxis for New York City The New York Times
Racing
Seatbelts
Whole Body
Bumper

94. 2011 Proposed Taxis for New York City The New York Times

95. 1991 Snap-together Cars with Mother Car Public Therapy Buses

96. 1991 Mail Oneself Public Therapy Buses

97. 2013 Self Travel Module Public Therapy Buses 2nd Ed.

98. 1991 ParkShrink Autos Public Therapy Buses

99. 2013 ParkShrink: New Models Unpublished

100. Video
camera
1993/2012 See Over Traffic

101. Video
camera
2009 Traffic View Blimp Unpublished

102. 1991 Intercontinental Highway for Ultralight Vehicles Public Therapy Buses

103. What If There Were
Fresh Approaches
Taken to Reducing
Public Costs?

104. 2009 New Autos Pre-Scratched and Dented Have Fun Inventing

105. 1991 Utility Toiler: Packages, mail, garbage, clippings, recyclables Public Therapy
Buses

106. 1991 Public Therapy Buses and Solar Cook-A-Mats Public Therapy Buses

107. Applying What If
Thinking to Office
Furniture Design

108. 1984 Nod Office What The World Needs Now

109. 1991 Office Sleeper Public Therapy Buses

110. 2010 Public Napping Lockers and Closets Good Magazine

111. 2010 Cubicle Concepts Design Mind Magazine

112. 2010 Cubicle Concepts Design Mind Magazine

113. 2010 Cubicle Concepts Design Mind Magazine

114. 2010 Cubicle Concepts Design Mind Magazine

115. 2010 Cubicle Concepts Design Mind Magazine

116. 2010 Cubicle Concepts Design Mind Magazine

117. 2010 Cubicle Systems Design Mind Magazine

118. 2010 Wallicle Design Mind Magazine

119. 2010 Personal Workstations Design Mind Magazine

120. 1991/2010 Flip Floor Good magazine, Public Therapy Buses
2nd Ed.

121. 1991/2010 Cubicle = Office Chair Good magazine, Public Therapy Buses

122. What If Thinking on Steroids:
Permutations and
Combinations

123. Permutation:
Arrangement
of objects in a
specific order
2013 Permutation Unpublished
1 x 2 x 3 x 4 = 24 permutations

124. 1984 Shirt and Tie Combinations What The World Needs Now

125. 1984 Shirt and Tie Combinations What The World Needs Now

126. 1984/2012 Duplex Toilets Have Fun Inventing

127. 1984 Shoes for Formal Occasions What The World Needs Now

128. 1984 Wingtips What The World Needs Now

129. The Occasional
Usefulness of
Weak or
irresponsible
thinking

130. 2012 Weakly-conceived Toilet Concepts Have Fun Inventing

131. 2012 Washers and Dryers: Mind Out The Window Have Fun Inventing

132. 1991 Purposeless, costly, hard-to-justify projects Public Therapy Buses

133. 2012 Tennis Shoe Design: No Thought/Don’t Care Have Fun Inventing

134. 2012 Sleeping Bags: Designed Without Thought Have Fun
Inventing

135. 2012 Whimsical Sleeping Bag Design Have Fun Inventing

136. 2012 Inefficient Sleeping Bag Design Have Fun Inventing

137. 2012 Friendship Sleeping Bags Have Fun Inventing

138. 1984/2012 Reptilian and Marine Sleeping Bags What The World Needs Now

139. 1984 Expedition Caterpillar Bag and Tent Set What The World Needs Now

140. 1984/2012 Pup Tent and Sleeping Bag Matched Set What The World Needs Now

141. 1984 The Meditator Sleeping Bag What The World Needs Now

142. 1984 Midnight Mummy What The World Needs Now

143. 1984 Bike Frame Design What the World Needs Now

144. 1984 Bike Frame Design What the World Needs Now

145. 1984 Bike Frame Design What the World Needs Now

146. Weakly Thought Out
Apparel Design

147. Open
zipper
alarm
Sole
mates
alarm2012
1980
2012/1980 Useful Clothing and Equipment Have Fun Inventing et al

148. 1984 Fashion Concepts-1 What The World Needs Now

149. 1984/2012 Fashion Concepts-2

150. How Does One Get
into the What If
Thinking Mode/Mood?

151. • Practice Lateral Thinking
techniques
• Practice Thinking While
Sleepy (Hypnagogic State)

152. Two ways to still one’s mind: 1)
conscious effort to control
thoughts, 2) natural concentration
as when making art, music, etc.

153. From The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, circa 200 B.C.:
“1. Now concentration is
explained.
2. Yoga is restraining the
mindstuff from taking various
forms.”
– From Raja Yoga, Swami Vivekananda’s
translation of The Yoga Sutras
Stilling your mind

154. However, in my invention
creation process, I
consciously make my mind
very busy, as I actively
search for ideas, mixing and
matching

155. Methods

156. Imagining variation

157. Imagining variation

158. Imagining variation

159. Six shapes, 44 variations

160. Study: Modifying an object (boxed)

161. Study: Unique objects are formed

162. Study of spacing, repeated colors

163. Hide-sp/Japan
Wikimedia
Making your mind like a kaleidoscope

164. Letting random images proliferate in your mind

165. Imagining placing a lid on your mental images, forcing them to bubble up

166. Allowing multiple, varied images to come to mind

167. Preliminary selection: Don’t discard images yet

168. Focussing your attention on an interesting object

169. Refining and evolving the object

170. Watching the object change form

171. Morphing: Moving
Forward from the
Previous Idea or
Image, Modifying it

172. Visualizing
from left to
right, top to
bottom
Practicing morphing an image from its nearest neighbor

173. Morphing imaginary creature heads

174. Morphing imaginary creature heads

175. Predictions
I Made Using
What If Thinking

176. 1991 “Instant Book Publishing” Public Therapy Buses
1991

177. 1991 “Instant Book Publishing” Public Therapy Buses
Do-It-Yourself
Manuscript fits on disk
Disintermediation (getting rid of middle man)
Instant printing shops
Convenience
Trends that favored this prediction

178. 1975/1980 “Pre-torn Clothing For Sale” Public Therapy Buses 2nd Ed.
1975 1980

179. 1975/1980 “Pre-torn clothing for sale”
Hippy youth shopped at Thrift Stores, “Sal’s”
Children of middle class embraced voluntary poverty
Decline of Eisenhower-era “grey flannel suit”
Torn clothing appeared in 1983 movie, Flashdance
TV exposure to images of world poverty
Trends that favored this prediction

180. Radio-controlled and Joy-Stick-
Controlled Vacuum Cleaners
AutoVacc Robotic
Vacuum Cleaner
(5’-3” tall)
Roomba
Original
Roomba/Wikimedia
1991
1990
2002
1991 “Small Vacuum Cleaner Goes Under Sofa” Public Therapy Buses

181. Ever smaller processors (Moore’s Law)
Reduction in size of video cameras
More women working, seek chore convenience
RC-controlled hobby airplanes and model cars
Drudgery increasingly in disfavor (no servants)
1991 “Small Vacuum Cleaner Goes Under Sofa” Public Therapy Buses
Trends that favored this prediction

182. Whole Mouth Dental Appliance
Blizzident whole mouth
brushing system
1991 2013
1991 “Whole Mouth Dental Appliance” Public Therapy Buses

183. This was primarily a joke!!!
Love of convenience gadgets
More powerful small batteries
Speeded up life; no time for elaborate brushing
1991 “Whole Mouth Dental Appliance” Public Therapy Buses
Ever smaller processors (Moore’s Law)
Trends that favored this prediction

184. Back-To-School Armor
Bullet-proof
Children’s
Clothes by
Caballero
1991
2013
1991 “Back-To-School Armor” Public Therapy Buses

185. Increase in school shootings (pre-Columbine)
Fewer mothers in the home
Violence-as-a-solution depicted in movies, videos
US culture/Constitution favor private gun ownership
1991 “Back-to-school armor” Public Therapy Buses
Increase in divorce rate; alienated, sad kids.
Trends that favored this prediction

186. Newton-receiving Glasses
Loic Le Meur/Wikimedia
Google Glass
Image on inside
of glass
1992 2013
1992 “Computer screen visible on inside of glasses” Desktop Magazine

187. Trends favoring this prediction
People will want these
Proliferation of spying gadgets
Always on, always engaged: news, friends
Powerful PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants)
1992 “Computer screen visible on inside of glasses” Desktop Magazine
Ever smaller processors (Moore’s Law)

188. Camera helmetsCamera helmets
1991 2013
1991 “Camera Helmets” Public Therapy Buses

189. Motorcycle and bicycle helmet laws
Proliferation of spying gadgets
Record your life as you live it
Small enough to fit inside hat
Powerful small still and video cameras
1991 “Camera Helmets” Public Therapy Buses
Trends that favored this prediction

190. 1984 2012
1991 “Pre-crash Inflatable Bruntwear” What The World Needs Now

191. First
Policeperson
in US on a
skateboard,
Green Bay,
Wisconsin
1991
2014
1991 “Police on Skateboards” Public Therapy Buses

192. Getting Serious:
Applying What If
Thinking to The
Growing Wealth Gap

193. Providing for the
Very Rich and
the Very Poor

194. 1991 Max. Security Community Portable Toilet Mfg. Homes Public Therapy Buses

195. 1991 Fear Complex for Seniors (Keep Criminals Out) Public Therapy Buses 2nd
Ed.

196. 1991/2012 Add-A-Room Public Therapy Buses 2nd Ed.

197. 1991 Used Car Lots for Used Up/Useless People Public Therapy Buses
2nd Ed.

198. 1991 Indentured Servants Live Inside Gate Public Therapy Buses

199. 1991 Portable Pullmans Public Therapy Buses, 2nd Ed.

200. 1991 Portable Pullman Park Public Therapy Buses

201. 1991 Portable Office Pushmaster Public Therapy Buses

202. 1991 Motorless Home Public Therapy Buses 2nd Ed.

203. 1991 Motorhome Community Public Therapy Buses 2nd Ed.

204. 1991 Single Family Superhome Public Therapy Buses 2nd Ed.

205. 1991 “Housing” for the Very Poor Public Therapy Buses 2nd Ed.

206. 1991 Underground Hostels for the Poor Public Therapy Buses 2nd Ed.

207. 1991 Tornado- and Hurricane-Resistant Homes Public Therapy Buses 2nd Ed.

208. 1991 Underground Homes Public Therapy Buses 2nd Ed.

209. 1991 Dining-Adapted Dumpster Edible Trash Public Therapy Buses 2nd Ed.

210. Thank you.
Steven M. Johnson
www.patentdepending.com
jnevets@mac.com