Design Fiction

Design fiction is a design approach emerging out of the formal disciplines of Industrial Design and ubiquitous computing (Dourish and Bell 2008, Bleecker 2009a, Grand and Wiedmer 2010, DiSalvo 2012, and Sterling 2013b, 2016). Other design fields are starting to consider the value of this approach, including architecture and urban design (Knutz et al 2014). However, it might be claimed that both architecture and urban design have long involved the production of fiction and fictional environments in their pursuit of novel or aspirational project outcomes. The architectural design ideas competition can be traced back as far as the documented history of architecture-at least two and a half thousand years (Kreiner 2010, Lipstadt 1989)-and has been focused on reimagining our built context through visionary futures. Architectural environments are a staple in media representations of future-orientated imaginings. All design can be defined as exploring possible futures through formal outcomes as the products of a design process do not yet exist but will possibly come into being. This begs the question of a more precise understanding of design fiction and its role as both a positioning approach as well as a methodology for its use in architectural design. As such, this paper examines the nature of design fiction and reveals its close relation to a group of design approaches related to future-forecasting but also the growing consolidation of its definition through a design research structure, recurrent method frameworks, the translation of literary tactics and focus of diegetic environments.

Mollon, M., & Gentes, A. (2014). The Rhetoric of Design for Debate: triggering conversation with an “uncanny enough” artefact (pp. 1–13). In the proceedings of the Design Research Society International Consortium (DRS), Umeå, Sweden. (June 18th).
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http://bit.ly/talkDRS14 – PDF presentation
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Abstract: Design exploration research refers to various interaction design research practices that explore tensions issued from the interplay of science, technology, culture and society. Most of them explicitly trigger discussions and debates in the audience, for instance “critical design”, which raised the interest of members of design research communities. However its generalization suffers from a lack of shareable methodology. This paper aims at clarifying it practically and theoretically.
We claim that these practices trigger people’s reactions using a specific narrative strategy which provoke an “uncanny feeling”. By producing “uncanny enough” artefacts that embed a subtle entanglement of familiarity and unfamiliarity, designers can elicit responses from viewers. First, a review of literature on critical design texts presents the “uncanny balance” as being a recurrent design principle for the creation of these artefacts. We then present an exemplary case study produced by one of the authors, exploring communication technology—called Dog&Bone. Using classical rhetoric, we present a theoretical overview of the project. The outcome consists of a conceptual framework based on the narrative dimension of the uncanny plus the rhetorical dimension (composed of three elements: legitimacy, emotions, argumentation). We conclude that Design is a form of communication between designers and their audience.

"Intervention présentant le design fiction – sa provenance, ses méthodes, quelques exemples et une partie de mon travail comme introduction – au DSAA Design d'interaction du Pôle supérieur design Villefontaine (France). 

http://dsaa.designvillefontaine.com"

Debbie Maxwell, Toby Pillatt, Liz Edwards and Rachel Newman

This paper presents a case study describing the use of design fiction in a cross-curricular project with four classes across two primary schools in inner-city Sheffield. The project combined elements of a Mantle of the Expert dramaticinquiry approach with design thinking and design fiction, to explore the world of the honey bee. We worked with the schools and children during half a term, leading them through a set of activities (including drama, design, creative writing, and 3D prototyping) to enable the children to discover and understand the threats facing bees, beekeeping, pollination, and the global environmental ramifications of a world without bees. This paper describes the approach adopted and the created design fictions. We discuss the value and limitations of our approach and conclude by offering suggestions for researchers and teachers wishing to engage young people with complex problem spaces.

Video : http://bit.ly/DFmarabout
More info about,
Tiphaine Kazi-Tani : https://esadse.academia.edu/TiphaineKaziTani
David Benque : http://davidbenque.com
Max Mollon : http://designfictionclub.com | http://maxmollon.com

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Following the principle of the “marabout, bout de ficelle…” (a children play with words connecting the end of a word, with the sound of the following one), this new conference cycle wish to explore the future fields of design in curiosity and an open mind. The first peaker bring the next one, this concatenation, or “marabout-chain”, will bring to the light approaches that are less visible to the general public, more underground, or even minority, but which constitute the breeding ground of tomorrow's design. This is the first curation to be constructed on this self-generative principle, a way to not giving room for voices in the centre, but to the margins, and as JL Godard said, “the margins hold the page together”.

Max Mollon is out first “marabout”. He is designer, teacher and Ph.D. candidate in the SACRe programme at ENSAD and at Telecom ParisTech. He questionnes the “Design Fiction” practice, and explore new forms which seats between anticipation and social critique, between contestastion and counter-power.

Does design fiction fast-forward innovation, straight into the wall?
Facing complex crisises and polarised opinions in contemporary society debates, can one resist problem-solving, one of design's usual mission, to rather question issues deeper?
This is Max Mollon's intention, which conflictual artefacts open a breach: a spaace for confrontation to others and to dominant visions; a space for attention and mutual-understanding. For this, he pushes the Critical Design, Speculative Design and Design Fiction practices out of the contemporary art world. However, what are the role for such practices in society? Come and join the debate!

Talk by Max Mollon followed by a debate with Tiphaine Kazi-Tani (designer researhcer, Cité du design de St-Etienne) and David Benqué (designer researcher, Royal College of Arts, London) and a dialogue with the audience.

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by Max Mollon (SACRe/ EnsadLab, Telecom
@Pompidou Centre, The conferences “Design Marabout” n°1
May 3rd 2017, 19:00–20:30
Petite salle - Pompidou Centre, Paris
Moderation: Romain Lacroix
Info: Romain Lacroix, romain.lacroix@centrepompidou.fr
Organiser: DDC / J-M Colard
Partners: Intramuros https://intramuros.fr/agenda/les-designers-marabout-du-centre-pompidou



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Le Design Fiction relance-t-il l'innovation… droit dans le mur ? @Centre_Pompidou
Sur le principe du « marabout, bout de ficelle… » ce nouveau cycle souhaite explorer le champ prospectif du design dans un esprit d’ouverture et de curiosité. Un invité en amenant un autre, cette concaténation ou chaine « maraboutesque » mettra en lumière des démarches moins visibles du grand public, plus souterraines, voir minoritaires mais qui font la richesse et le terreau du design de demain. Il s’agit de la première programmation à se construire sur un principe d'auto-génération, moyen de ne plus donner la parole au centre mais aux marges, et comme le disait JL Godard, « c’est la marge qui tient la page ».

Max Mollon est notre premier « marabout ». Il est designer, enseignant et doctorant au programme SACRe à l'ENSAD et à Télécom ParisTech. Il questionne cette nouvelle pratique qu’est le « Design Fiction » à la frontière entre anticipation et critique sociale, entre contestation et contre-pouvoir.

Le Design Fiction ne relance-t-il pas l'innovation… droit dans le mur ? Face aux crises complexes et aux opinions polarisées des débats de nos sociétés, peut-on résister au problem-solving, mission usuelle du designer, pour questionner les enjeux en profondeur ? C'est l'intention de Max Mollon dont les objets conflictuels ouvrent une brèche : un espace de confrontation aux autres et aux visions dominantes ; un espace d'écoute et d'inter-compréhension. Pour cela, il pousse les pratiques du Design Critique, Design Spéculatif et Design Fiction hors des milieux de l'art. Mais quelle est leur place dans la société ?
Venez en débattre.

Conférence de Max Mollon suivie d’un débat avec Tiphaine Kazi-Tani (designer chercheur.e, Cité du design de St-Etienne) et David Benqué (designer chercheur, Royal College of Arts, Londres) en dialogue avec le public.

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par Max Mollon (SACRe/ EnsadLab, TelecomParis Tech)
@Centre Pompidou, Cycle : Design Marabout n°1
3 mai 2017, 19:00–20:30
Petite salle - Centre Pompidou, Paris
Modération : Romain Lacroix
Renseignement : Romain Lacroix, romain.lacroix@centrepompidou.fr
Organisateur : DDC / J-M Colard
En partenariat avec Intramuros : https://intramuros.fr/agenda/les-designers-marabout-du-centre-pompidou
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Plus d'info sur,
Tiphaine Kazi-Tani : https://esadse.academia.edu/TiphaineKaziTani
David Benque : http://davidbenque.com
Max Mollon : http://designfictionclub.com | http://maxmollon.com

The growing role of digital technology in everyday food practices offers promising yet questionable food futures. Human-food interaction technologies such as quantified diet trackers and smart kitchenware present opportunities for efficient data-driven food practices but also challenges to socioeconomic frameworks of food production and consumption. Addressing the ambiguities in contemporary food-technology innovation, we designed Food Tarot deck-a speculative design artifact provoking discussions about possible food-tech futures. The deck presents 22 speculative diet tribes such as Monsanta[n]ists, Petri Dishers, and Turing Foodies that reflect existing food-tech trends and controversies and extend them into an extreme form. At the workshop, we will use the deck as a design prop to support a critical food debate and scenarios imagining various versions of a future food-tech apocalypse.

Reseña del libro Speculative Everything: Design, Fiction and Social Dreaming de Anthony Dunne y Fiona Raby. Se explora su contenido y estructura detectando posibles articulaciones con el activismo político y la filosofía contemporánea que los autores no exploran explícitamente. Se argumenta que el diseño especulativo y ficticio implican un nuevo paradigma que tendrá un impacto significativo en la disciplina del diseño y las industrias creativas en general.

In this Science-Fiction Prototyping article, I present an imaginative forward look at how artificial intelligence and virtual environments might change the nature of future education. The discussion is intended to be a somewhat speculative and thought provoking journey into what may be possible. At its root, it imagines a future time when the technological singularity has been reached, and machine intelligence and interaction is equal or surpasses that of people. I do this by means of a fictional reflection on how life might be in the future, a set of four small vignettes and a discussion of the factual research inspiring these views.

The prerogative of identity design has always been to manage the visual representation of an object, individual, organisation. Traditionally, a visual identity revolves around a prime signifier, which is said to stand for a specific entity. Its objective is to fulfil the four fundamental functions of visual communication – to identify, to inform, to present and to promote – and to conform the perception of the audience.

While all the visual identities share the same objective, they employ different methods to achieve it. The design process, whether the identity is fixed or flexible, is generally focused on the appearance of a predetermined result. On the other hand, the human sense of the word identity can be achieved only by showing change over a period of time balancing between sameness and difference, repetition and variation. Consequently, an identity shouldn’t be defined merely statically or dynamically, but also behaviourally.

Thus a meta-approach, whose outputs aren’t determined in advance but are generated through a dialectic process, might be a viable option. The term ‘meta-identity’ has been coined to describe the typology of visual identity which ranges between parametric values theorised in the research. In particular, this project addresses the design process of typographic logo solutions and investigates how type design methodology could positively affect it.

Video: https://vimeo.com/183538660.

The Sentient House project is an investigation into approaches that the artist- designer can take to better involve the public in developing a critical perspective on pervasive technology in the home and the surrounding environment. Using Interaction Design approaches including workshops, surveys, rapid-prototyping and critical thinking, this thesis suggests a framework for developing a more participatory atmosphere for Critical Design.
As the world becomes more connected, and ‘smarter’, citizen’s concerns are being sidelined in favour of rapid progress and solutionism. Many of these initiatives are backed by government and commercial concerns who may not have the public’s best interest at heart.
The designs and approaches generated from this public participation seek to provide an outlet for a more agonistic debate and to develop tools and approaches to engage the public in questioning and addressing how technology affects them in the future.
The outcomes of this research suggest that the public is receptive to a more active involvement in designing their digital future, and that the designer can be a critical component in revealing hidden consequences and alternative pathways for a more transparent and desirable future.

Toutes les organisations ont pour obligation, si elles veulent survivre, d'anticiper ce que sera demain.

À une époque où les évolutions technologiques, économiques et sociales sont radicales et de plus en plus rapides, l’exercice – qui était déjà complexe – représente un véritable défi !

Au lieu de chercher à prédire le futur de son organisation, il est plus que jamais nécessaire d’envisager l’avenir au-delà des tendances et des prophéties.

La construction de visions alternatives et de scénarios, démarche stratégique essentielle, est ici enrichie par de nombreux exemples issus des domaines de la bande dessinée, de la science-fiction, ou encore des jeux vidéo. En effet, s’appuyer sur des fictions permet d’envisager les futurs en s’autorisant de nouvelles manières de regarder les enjeux de son marché ou de son activité.

L’histoire montre que la rupture et l’innovation, qu’elles soient managériales, business ou stratégiques, viennent de ceux qui ont su se projeter autrement dans l’avenir. Premier ouvrage dédié à la construction des futurs, Jouer avec les futurs puise dans la créativité des cultures populaires et dans la pratique du design fiction. Il offre une combinaison des meilleurs outils pour appréhender l’avenir de son organisation et participer à sa transformation.

This paper considers how design fictions in the form of 'imaginary abstracts' can be extended into complete 'fictional papers'. Imaginary abstracts are a type of design fiction that are usually included within the content of 'real' research papers, they comprise brief accounts of fictional problem frames, prototypes, user studies and findings. Design fiction abstracts have been proposed as a means to move beyond solutionism to explore the potential societal value and consequences of new HCI concepts. In this paper we contrast the properties of imaginary abstracts, with the properties of a published paper that presents fictional research, Game of Drones. Extending the notion of imaginary abstracts so that rather than including fictional abstracts within a 'non-fiction' research paper, Game of Drones is fiction from start to finish (except for the concluding paragraph where the fictional nature of the paper is revealed). In this paper we review the scope of design fiction in HCI research before contrasting the properties of imaginary abstracts with the properties of our example fictional research paper. We argue that there are clear merits and weaknesses to both approaches, but when used tactfully and carefully fictional research papers may further empower HCI's burgeoning design discourse with compelling new methods.

Qual è il legame tra Design Fiction e Futures Studies? Nel primo capitolo sarà approfondita la teoria e le differenti metodologie dei Futures Studies, che si occupano di studiare, esplorare e prevedere futuri prossimi alternativi che siano essi possibili, probabili o desiderabili. L'intento è di indagare i punti di forza e di criticità di questi studi, che rimangono tutt'oggi incastrati nel limes tra scienza e creatività
individuale. Nel secondo capitolo sarà analizzata la natura multidisciplinare del Design Fiction, che si presta all'utilizzo in differenti ambiti, dalla speculazione critica scientifica fino alla creazione di universi finzionali per l'intrattenimento, oscillando tra scienza e arte. Immaginare l'impossibile, costruire l'impensabile, renderlo realtà in un universo narrativo finzionale: questo è ciò che fa il Design Fiction, ovvero utilizzare consapevolmente prototipi diegetici per sospendere l’incredulità e ragionare su cambiamenti prossimi. Il terzo capitolo sarà inquadrato sul case study di “Casa Jasmina”, un prototipo di
abitazione totalmente integrata e connessa open source attraverso la filosofia dell'Internet of Things. Saranno analizzati alcuni oggetti particolari che incarnano il tema di “Casa Jasmina” (connessione e condivisione continua di informazioni in un ambiente smart) e indagati i punti di forza e di debolezza dell'abitazione domotica.
In appendice sarà approfondita, attraverso tre esempi di analisi, la relazione tra Design Fiction e Futures Studies nel campo cinematografico.

A few decades ago, a transfer of ethnographic approaches to design and design research started to appear. It generally aimed at helping designers to understand people, their culture, and their usage of technologies in order to design better products. Over the years, designers in their work have repurposed a large array of theoretical concepts, methods and tricks. This chapter reflects on this evolution, and describes the notion of “design ethnography” in order to highlight the specificity of this approach. A project that speculates on the future of gestural interactions with technologies exemplifies this approach.

Video S#01: https://youtu.be/39qeDEpyWcQ + http://bit.ly/DFC-video
Facebook event #01: https://www.facebook.com/events/121808771809781/
Venue Page: https://gaite-lyrique.net/design-fiction-club-1-0
2017.09.21 Session #01 — Opening angle of views and uncover one's own dead angles.
2017.09.21 Session #01 — Ouvrir les champs de vision et dénicher ses propres angles morts. 

Design Fiction Club is the monthly rendez-vous of Gaîté-Lyrique (Paris) dedicated to gather, discover, think, and practice Design Fiction. It is an initiative by Max Mollon, invited by Marie Lechner and Clémence Seurat of Gaîté-Lyrique, in Paris.
Open to all kinds of public, it proposes different sessions formats:
Between the cine-club and the fight-club, sessions will feature a series of projects, of which one will serve as a start for a collective debate. Not far from the pony-club and the club-sandwich, some sessions will propose hands-on workshops and every session ends with a meetup. — https://www.designfictionclub.com

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21/09 Séance #1 — Designer la critique et la spéculation, des présents alternatifs aux futurs pluriels.
Invitée S#01 : Léa Lippera
Après une brève introduction, la “fiction”, par le design, sera présentée comme moyen de confrontation au changement.
Cette séance d’ouverture débute par la présentation des intentions du Design Fiction Club : pérenniser le Design Fiction en l’établissant en tant que (in)discipline, plutôt qu’un mouvement artistique ou qu’une mode éphémère. Nous verrons comment ces pratiques sont apparues en réaction aux interactions entre la société, les nouvelles technologies et le design, en crise. Les limites de ce qui est appelé “Design Fiction”, ou non, sont floues. Ces 3 premières séances nous aideront à les délimiter ensemble, via l’analyse de plusieurs projets.

Missions du Design Fiction Club
Découvrir :
Entre le ciné-club et le fight-club : chaque séance propose d’en découdre lors d’un débat ouvert à tou-te-s, démarré à partir de la présentation d’un projet de Design Fiction et des questions qu’il soulève. La séance est aussi nourrie par l’introduction de projets phares, alternatifs ou historiques, qui font réponse au premier. Ensemble, nous questionnerons ainsi les limites du genre. Une discussion collective sur la démarche globale clôture chaque séance.
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Se rassembler :
Chaque séance se prolonge par un meetup: un moment pour se rencontrer, échanger, détourner la séance ou prolonger les joutes du débat.
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Penser :
En 2018, à la manière d’un séminaire, une série de thèmes et d’invités nous permettront d’identifier collectivement les questions principales qui accompagnent l’établissement de la discipline.
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Pratiquer :
Envie de mettre la main à la pâte, juste curieu-x-se ou désireu-x-se d’affiner vos capacités ? Des ateliers seront proposés au cours de l’année.

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Mardi 21 @La Gaîté Lyrique
18:45-20:45 Séance #01 du Design Fiction Club
20:45-21:45 Bière-Fiction (meetup)

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Le Design Fiction Club est le rendez-vous (tous publics) mensuel de la Gaîté Lyrique pour se rassembler, découvrir, penser et pratiquer le Design Fiction — Séminaires-débats | Workshops-formation | Meetup
Mené par Max Mollon sur une invitation de Marie Lechner et Clémence Seurat. Contenu des séminaires partagé sous licence ©©Max Mollon 2017 (CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0). | Invitée S#01 : Léa Lippera (séminaire) | Vidéo ©Gaîté-Lyrique, Cycle des rencontres "Sur un plateau".
#designfictionclub #designfiction #criticaldesign #speculativedesign
http://designfictionclub.com/

This book offers a contribution to the theory, method and techniques involved in the use of animation as a tool for temporal design sketching. Lifted from its traditional role as a genre of entertainment and art and reframed in the design domain, animation offers support during the early phases of exploring and assessing the potential of new and emerging digital technologies. This approach is relatively new and has been touched upon by few academic contributions in the past. Thus, the aim of the text is not to promote a claim that sketching with animation is an inherently new phenomenon. Instead, the aim is to present a range of analytical arguments and experimental results that indicate the need for a systematic approach to realising the potential of animation within design sketching. This will establish the foundation for what we label animation-based sketching.

A disgruntled manifesto attempting to
a) clarify the difference between Design Futures, Design Fiction, Speculative Design and Critical design
b) argue that all these different modes of designing must be made to be part of professional designing rather than sectioned off as academic research, or worse art, projects.

This dissertation explores how we can both imaginatively and practically build another world, another future. Infrastructures of the imagination means using imaginative techniques to design new cities that are sustainable, pluralistic, and democratic. It also involves building better infrastructures for everyday citizens to collaboratively participate in the process of envisioning, designing, testing, and implementing the future. By working directly with everyday citizens and urban residents, designers not only gain novel ideas but also develop a diversity of conceptual models for development. The chapters within this dissertation lay out an interdisciplinary theory and history of media arts, technologies, and urban designs related to the collaborative creation of alternative futures, utopic impulses, and political interventions. The analyses showcase a spectrum of forms, from time-based media (film, games, and VR) to place-based designs (mobile media, community art, and urbanism), in order to reveal a range of complementary and overlapping strategies. In addition to historical examples, I weave in my own ongoing community-driven speculative design projects in order to ground the more theoretical discussions and provide pragmatic methodologies and lessons learned. The final dissertation research stems from six years of community engagement work in South Los Angeles, in the historic African-American music and arts neighborhood of Leimert Park. My co-researchers and I have facilitated teams of community members and university students to create a range of real and speculative urban designs tied to local culture. In the final chapter, I provide a methodological and theoretical framework for “anticipatory design” in order for other practitioners and researchers to gain insights for their own ongoing and future projects.  Infrastructures of the imagination is not about imagination in a pure whimsical sense, but is rooted in real-world issues and wicked problems, problems such as gentrification, affordability, and sustainability. These problems are multifaceted and require a diverse collaboration across disciplines, generations, cultures, and ethnicities. By working in conjunction, we are able to bring unique insights and expertise that complement one another and create more holistic solutions for building a better future.

Living in a democracy or working in a group requires the use of deliberative processes to agree and decide on ways of living together and projecting ourselves into common desirable futures. However, these processes remain an illusion, according to the political philosopher Chantal Mouffe. Because, decision by consensus often marginalises minority opinions, but also, rationality does not make it possible to overcome conflicts. They are rather often rooted in affects. Consequently, how can we open spaces for debate that are participatory, inclusive and that mobilise the affects? What methods and roles for such an agnostic design (from the Greek Agon, adversary)?
My first contribution is the definition of a group of practices (and its 6 common properties), and of the research field that studies them (and the typology of its research objects). These are the “group” and the “research field” of design for debate. Among these practices, my study focuses on “Discursive Design” for debate, in which programmes such as Critical Design, Speculative Design and Design Fiction participate.
To answer my questions, three fieldworks have been explored iteratively (a series of five projects), among stakeholders (e.g. an ethics commission, and a research laboratory), using qualitative methods borrowed from action research, ethnography and Information and Communication Sciences.

The analysis revealed how design can stimulate interpersonal debate when it generates a ‘dissonance’ among the social values of the public, by presenting an ambivalent artefact (which juxtaposes discordant social values). I have called this form of ethnomethodology through design, the bridging experiment. As a second result, beyond the simple design of an artefact, design can reach and mobilise a “public” (in the sense of John Dewey) concerned by a latent issue, by joining it in its own context. And, by orchestrating a whole communication situation where audiences and artefacts meet. I offer a descriptive model called the Discursive Design Communication System.
Thus, when it thwarts the polarisation of opinions, the artefact takes on the role of a non-human diplomat, which intensifies conflicts in order to connect worlds that do not speak to each other. But also, as a media, design adopts the role of an “agnostic mediating artefact,” which opens up multidimensional communication situations— between human, non-human and fictional actors.

The contributions of this thesis are conceptual (a glossary of concepts related to the ‘tactic of dissonance’), practical (a method of design-driven ethnometodological research, and a communication model of Discursive Design), empirical (six case studies and the analysis of a systemic and longitudinal experience of one year of design residency in an ethics commission) and theoretical (discussions on design’s specific contribution to the political—defined by Mouffe as the very condition of the confrontation of opinions that is intrinsic to the endeavour of living together). I start with the analysis of a Critical Design project pre-dating the Ph.D. research (Dog & Bone, 2010-2011). Its limitations—its provocativeness and the strategy of the exhibition, which did not allow debate to occur—lead me to question the concept of ‘provocation,’ and instead, to explore ‘dissonance’ (drawing on Festinger 1957). Following this first experience, I fine-tune my central research object, which includes practices that draw on Reflective (Sengers et al., 2005), Discursive (Tharp & Tharp 2008), Adversarial (DiSalvo 2009) and Participatory design. Throughout a review of the literature, I refine my understanding of what designing for debate means, elaborating on the concept of agonism (a situation of constantly renewed confrontation. Mouffe 2000). In seeking ways of dissemination other than the art and design exhibition, I come to examine how to orchestrate a “communication situation” (Goffman) that includes humans and non-humans.
I finally outline potential roles offered to the political designer in contemporary societies.
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Download at Designfordebate.fr

This catalogue is published on the occasion of the exhibition “Tomorrows: Urban Fictions for Possible Futures” organized by Onassis Cultural Centre at the Diplareios School Athens (May 16 - July 16, 2017). The exhibition hosted works by artists, architects and designers that tell stories about how the future might unfold. Their narratives refer to the emergence of post-natural environments, the appearance of new types of shells and co-habitats, the sovereignty of networks and infrastructures, the rise of a new algorithmic society and the challenges of a new condition beyond the primacy of the human. Offering a contextualization, presentation and documentation of the exhibition, this catalogue seeks to spotlight how future can be used as a tool to critically understand present itself.
Among the contributors: Aristide Antonas, James Bridle, Cathryn Dwyre & Chris Perry, Design Earth, Adam Harvey, Lydia Kallipoliti & Andreas Theodoridis, !Mediengruppe Bitnik, Metahaven, Shannon Mattern, Tobias Revell & Georgina Voss, Bruce Sterling, Point Supreme, Liam Young. Featuring the historical works of Constantinos A. Doxiadis and Takis Ch. Zenetos.

We tried to answer “Speculative – Post-Design Practice or New Utopia?” question through a series of interviews with the authors of the presented works together with the prominent international practitioners in the filed of speculative design. We have also incorporated a discoursive view of the eminent experts in the field of speculative (and general contemporary) design practice.

Released in 1976 and directed by Nicolas Roeg, "The Man Who Fell to Earth", has many of the semantic elements of a science fiction film. There are scenes from far-off worlds, a visiting alien, and technology that could only come from a society more advanced than ours (King and Krywinska 9). In an interview about the film, Roeg states:

"[science fiction] is an extraordinary thing, because you have total freedom of the imagination" (Gregory).

This paper explores the definition and conventions of the science fiction genre in film and how it is used and subverted in the film "The Man Who Fell to Earth" starring David Bowie and Directed by Nicholas Roeg.

Science fiction often misses its chance to create a message with any impact because it is caught in a framework that forces it to explain things scientifically (Leach 373). Roeg systematically omits explanations of vital details that are crucial to the suspension of disbelief, he alters the flow of time and forces the audience to keep asking questions, and reminds us that we are watching a film by breaking the continuity of the story with Brectian devices. Roeg, by refusing to allow the audience to get lost in the film, subverts the genre of science fiction and succeeds where most science fiction fails, in conveying a human story where we can learn from an alternate reality.

The term design fiction was originally coined in 2005 by the
Science Fiction author Bruce Sterling. In the 10 years since,
design fiction has received considerable interest from a range
disciplines most notably HCI which increasingly draws upon
generative methods and creative practices. In this paper we
consider examples of recent HCI research that refers to design
fiction in order to highlight commonalities and ambiguities in how
the term is interpreted and used. We argue that design fiction is a
compelling and powerful concept but is inherently ambiguous.
We therefore suggest strategies to disambiguate communications
‘about design fiction’ in order to strengthen applications ‘of
design fiction’.

A response to the 3 questions about Speculative Critical Design I was asked by curators of 'Design after Design' at the Triennale di Milano (http://www.21triennale.org/en/). A shorterned version will be published as part of the exhibition. The answers comprise another critical statement about the 'style of ambiguity' fetishized by SCD and a demand for more responsible and diverse envisioning of future sociomaterial risks.

This dissertation looks into the usage of Design Fiction as a research method to facilitate the creation of diegetic prototypes that explain a device that can detect and/or measure empathy in an individual. It attempts to examine and explore a potential fictional near future where such a device could exist, defining its boundaries in terms of creation, and the world it would occupy. The basis for this research is rooted in science fiction, a field having proven to blur the line between fact and fiction through technological advancements that don’t exist in the real world.

The term ‘design fictions’ is currently being used to discuss a specific format of everyday scenarios about the future, where technology plays a crucial role (Gonzatto et al. 2013). It uses that foundation of science fiction as a leverage to explore the potential of impossible scenarios as viable methods of creating future innovation through design. As a science fictional point of reference for the argument on empathy, this research looks at the Voight-Kampff machine from Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and the possibility of envisioning it as a fact.

I walk through the process of creating a possible reality around a seemingly impossible problem by creating diegetic prototypes of an Empathy Engine SDK as a means of exploring and expanding on current and proposed ideas. I conclude by testing the creations using social media to understand the flaws and benefits of the proposed design for empathy detection, as well as future projections for design fiction as a research method.

A contribution to "Modes of Criticism Vol.1 - Critical, Uncritical, Postcritical" [http://modesofcriticism.org/magazine/]. A series of short stories about various kinds of Speculative Critical Design. The intention is to ask questions about 'what success would look like' for SCD and to point to the Media Ecologies that must be designed if SCD is to any designed affect (let alone effect).

This text aimed to position relevant works within a trio of broad
but complementary domains for the purpose of ontological and conceptual examination. The use of narrative, anthropological and design theory can position the data and its interfaces within narrative discourse and fictional world-building. A comparative ontological study of data  and the interface as an object-artefact for cultural dissemination was conducted. In developing the idea of the data-fiction this text argues for the change in approach and thinking by the authors of fictions. To explore communicative techniques through the inclusion and adoption of data generation, recording and representation within narrative discourse.

Design process is an iterative activity that embodies research and planning, idea generation, evaluation and refinement, and finalization phases. Among these, idea generation is evaluated as having the highest impact on the quality of the final design solution since it is the phase that requires the generation of many (quantity), various (variety) and novel (novelty) ideas that will be further developed and resulted as the final product in the following phases of the design process. For the purpose of guiding and supporting designers in the design process and especially idea generation, various design methods and tools have been developed. However, these methods and tools are being criticized for 1) being ineffective in enhancing quantity, variety and novelty of the generated ideas, 2) not being experimentally tested by the researchers and 3) not being supported with illogical thinking, which is one of the essences of creative thinking.
This thesis aims to identify the needs of the idea generation process and offer a strategy for design students in order to foster the outcomes of the idea generation process. For this purpose, a mixed method research was conducted. The needs of the idea generation process were identified through observation and peer debriefing, a design tool (Fictionation) that integrates design fiction into idea generation was created and further developed through a pilot study, and workshops that adopt a quasi-experimental research model was conducted. The findings were evaluated by using the assessment technique that was developed within this thesis and interviews. The results have shown that the Fictionation tool is promising in terms of fostering the outcomes of the idea generation process by increasing quantity, variety and novelty of the generated ideas and achieving an efficient learning and teaching environment within design education.

When we mark out a ‘real world’ from within the school, we are implicit in the creation of a binary.

School Unrealness excavates a space for potential and critique within the oppositional ‘real world’ and ‘unreal school’, locating a queer potentiality somewhere in between. The study then works towards proposing an unreal school: the Department of Extension.

The four essays are threaded together by conversations with Mariana Pestana, Nina Paim, A Parede (Luiza Prado & Pedro Oliveira), Jack Self, Cathy Gale, Tugce Karatas, Prem Krishnamurthy and Kieran O’Connor. Their insights offer additional perspectives on the real/unreal binary and the potential of speculation within design education.

Taking a current critique of predominant visions of care robotics about 20 years into the future, in this paper, we imagine a world in which robotic technologies have become the predominant mode of care and outline how this came to be. Based on ethnographic experience in care homes and knowledge of robotics, we have developed fictional robots for possible future care scenarios. We describe six facets of caregiving that are rarely discussed in the current discourse about robots: recovery & rehabilitation, death & pallia-tive care, bereavement & remembrance, growth & development, transcendent experiences and intimacy & sexuality. By doing so, we pose the question if and how we could integrate them into our view on technology in care. This fictional review highlights blind spots of current endeavors and thereby this paper contributes new directions for research and design.