For my M1.1 project, my goal was to learn how to actively engage users in a fictional world through speculative design. I was eager to create learn how it functions as a tool for critique and envisioning possible futures.
Throughout the project, I gained a good understanding of speculative design through studying the work of Dunne and Raby’s Speculative Everything and designing a speculative artifact myself. I learned how speculative design can highlight social and ethical aspects of a new technology, and how the designer’s vision shapes the message.
The hands-on process also helped me refine my technical skills in 3D modelling and printing, allowing me to create a digital twin of the prototype with moving parts. Furthermore, I discovered the importance of scenario development and worldbuilding in immersing users to enable a rich experience.
This project reshaped my view of speculative design, creating new searches about its actionability and applications beyond the context of technology, into more societal critique.
