Design for Speculative Worlds

A story is an open space for possibility, it doesn't have to follow the cultural, social and physical constraints of what is. Instead, a story asks what if?

This session will be a playful introduction to the process of designing for a story. For the first hour of this session, I'll share the speculative world I've been designing for the past few years.

For the rest of the session, we will create a collective narrative, sketch, prototype, and test objects and systems from our story.

Speculative design uses storytelling to explore ideas outside of physical constraints. It can be useful for exploring design solutions and reframing socio-economic issues through narrative and story. This kind of storytelling is evident in almost all forms of science fiction and has historically driven how we view the future and the role of technology in our lives. However, media and film have also constrained our expectations of the future and who is valued there.