We are poised to embark upon commercialization of a novel neurosynaptic substrate for cognitive computing. Neurosynaptic systems promise a new capability for distributed sensing and processing to deliver enduring value for science, technology, government, business and society. Realizing this potential requires a fundamental departure from conventional understandings and expectations about computing. We enlist design thinking and design methods to interpret key points of technological differentiation, harnessing the communicative power of tangible artefacts to engage stakeholders in envisioning possible futures. We present a combination of artefacts and abstractions as a basis for boundary objects to support communication about the benefits of the technology. Composable concepts, rendered vividly and intuitively understandable in this manner, are better suited to the inherent unpredictability of radical innovation.