·
6 to 7 hours
HD·R3·01 Research

Design Futures & Speculative Design

Designing artifacts from futures that haven't happened yet.

Speculative design uses design artifacts to provoke discussion about possible, probable, and preferable futures, rather than to solve an immediate present-day problem. This course covers speculative design methodology, the ethics of provocation, and how to build a rigorous futures argument rather than mere science-fiction styling.

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LEARNING OUTCOMES

  1. 01 Distinguish speculative design from both product design and science-fiction concept art
  2. 02 Apply the possible/probable/preferable futures framework to a design brief
  3. 03 Build a speculative design artifact grounded in a defensible futures argument
  4. 04 Evaluate the ethics of provocation in speculative and critical design work
  5. 05 Situate a speculative design project within existing futures discourse
  6. 06 Present speculative work in a way that provokes genuine reflection rather than spectacle alone
01

Speculative Design vs. Product Design vs. Sci-Fi Concept Art

Speculative design provokes critical reflection on present assumptions through a designed artifact, distinct from product design's goal of solving a real near-term problem, and from concept art's goal of visual spectacle alone.
01 ▶ present
02

The Possible / Probable / Preferable Futures Cone

Futures work distinguishes what could conceivably happen (possible), what is likely given current trends (probable), and what a given group would want to happen (preferable), three distinct and often conflated categories.
02 ▶ present
03

Building a Grounded Speculative Artifact

A rigorous speculative artifact is grounded in a defensible extrapolation from present trends, technologies, or social dynamics, not an arbitrary imaginative leap.
03 ▶ present
04

The Ethics of Provocation

Speculative and critical design deliberately provokes discomfort or controversy to prompt reflection, a technique that carries real ethical responsibility toward audiences and any communities represented.
04 ▶ present
05

Situating Work Within Futures Discourse

A speculative design project gains credibility and depth when situated explicitly within existing futures studies and speculative design discourse, rather than presented as an isolated creative gesture.
05 ▶ present
06

Presenting Speculative Work for Reflection

The presentation format of speculative work should invite genuine audience reflection on the underlying argument, not just admiration of production values or shock value alone.
06 ▶ present