Speculative Design Studio

Design can do more than solve problems. It can also be a way to imagine and explore future possibilities. This helps designers and the public to grapple with emerging technologies and the social realities they unleash, and develop informed critiques about how the world could and should be.

The Speculative Design Studio centres DfI theme 3: Design for Emerging Sustainable Futures. Speculative design is an approach to manifest and critically explore possible and preferable futures. The course offers students an opportunity to create rich, convincing experiences of future possibilities in a grounded and thought-provoking manner. These allow the public to ‘try on for size’ alternative futures and form a critical position in regards to the current social, political and environmental situation.

The course is based on three pillars:

• Creative and rigorous worldbuilding through the development of future scenarios based on concrete issues, and in light of future technologies and trends;

• Technological storytelling that brings alternative futures to life as interactive experiences developed through iterative prototyping, testing, and evaluating

• Experiential enactments of alternative futures that convey key insights in critical and compelling ways

Students will work in groups, with a focus on exploration, creativity and experience.

The first part of the course introduces speculative design and futuring methods alongside technological and experiential techniques in a guided journey. The second part supports a more open, autonomous process of design with coaching and peer critique, providing students with the space to suggest guest lectures or topics for discussion.

At the end of the course, students will have created compelling visions of a possible future, showcased through interactive technology in an exhibition setting.

The study goals of this course will be assessed by:

Course assessment includes individual and group components, and is pass/fail.

Feedback is given in the studios throughout the course, with particular emphasis on the halfway presentations (E2), and peer review by other students/groups.

Individual work is assessed through a) a small portfolio of explorations (E1) and b) an evaluation of another group’s work that demonstrates both knowledge of core concepts and ability to use them in evaluation (E3)

Group work is assessed formatively through a written report (E4)

and a final exhibition/presentation (E5)

Complete list of deliverables:

Exam 1: Exploration portfolio of enactments and storytelling practice, and context brief (group, summative, short report), Week 8

Exam 2: * Midpoint presentation/exhibition, (group, formative, showing of practice), Week 10

Exam 3: Peer evaluation of others' first draft of worldbuilding report, (group, summative, checkbox), Week 15

Exam 4: Worldbuilding Report, (group, summative, report) Week 16

Exam 5: Final exhibition showcasing futures through enactments and storytelling, (group, summative, showing of practice) Week 19