We see the future as a space of possibilities. We develop scenarios that make desirable futures open to discussion. Speculative objects invite us not only to think about this space, but to experience it – as a starting point for orientation and joint action.
The future we want must be invented, otherwise we will get one we do not want.
Joseph Beuys
We do not see the future as a necessary consequence of the present, but as an open space of possibilities that we can shape together. That is why we use the plural form of the word future: futures. By designing desirable futures, we gain orientation and the ability to act in the present. Because when we know where we want to go, we can consciously plan the path to get there.
Agreeing on a desirable future requires a negotiation process in which all stakeholders should be involved.
Speculative design offers a tool for this: it translates futures into tangible forms that stimulate discussion and make visions of the future tangible. In this way, futures are not only conceived, but also experienced – and thus negotiable.
‘Normal’ objects (left) exist in reality. Speculative objects (right) show possible alternative realities and futures: such as our democracy-strengthening Obliviscis pill, the communicator from Star Trek or the robot by Dunne and Raby.
Speculative design
Speculative design explores alternative realities and futures with speculative objects. These objects are not products in the traditional sense, but rather serve as catalysts for reflection and discussion.
The objects make abstract scenarios tangible and thus open up a space for dialogue. The focus is not primarily on technological visions, but on social issues: What values underlie possible developments? What social tensions arise? What kind of world do we want to live in?
Speculative design thus not only creates new perspectives on the future, but also challenges us to take responsibility for what is possible.
We are not interested in predicting the future, but rather in using design to open up all possible options that can be discussed, debated and utilised in order to jointly define a desirable future: from companies to cities to societies.
Anthony Dunne & Fiona Raby
from the book ‘Speculative Everything – Design, Fiction and Social Dreaming’
Services
Workshop
In the workshop, we develop scenarios together and design speculative objects that visualise possible futures. Using creative methods, we open up new perspectives and provide guidance for action in the present.
Implementing objects
We support the implementation of ideas into concrete artefacts. Speculative objects become tangible stimuli that spark discussion – whether within the company or in the public sphere.
Communication
We provide support in deploying the objects in a targeted manner and embedding them in a larger context. With an appropriate communication strategy, we ensure that they spark debate, arouse curiosity and provide lasting food for thought.
Selection of customers and partners
Our project no1s1, the house that belongs to itself, exhibited at the House of Electronic Arts in Basel. Photo: Franz Wamhof
Speculative objects for your project?
We show how speculative design sparks discussion and makes ideas tangible.
To develop speculative objects, we work with methods from scenario planning, speculative design and applied improvisation.
‘Rarely have I worked on topics in such a concrete way!’
Feedback from workshop participant
1. Understanding the current situation
Before we look to the future, we need to understand the here and now. The first step is to define the field of investigation, the question and the influencing factors.
2. Projections and objects from the future
The identified influencing factors serve as a basis for deriving projections and designing a vision of the future with objects. Methods from applied improvisation are used to explore and further develop the objects.
3. Interpretation and discussion
In the final step, we explore what insights the developed scenarios and objects provide about the present and derive concrete options for action from them. If the objects are physically implemented, the negotiation process surrounding the scenario presented then begins.
Participants in the Winterthurer Musikfestwochen workshop. Photo: Andrin Fretz
Design for Debate
‘Haha! → Aha! → Ahh...‘
Arthur Koestler's process of discovery
The process of insight as described by Arthur Koestler shows how speculative objects work: people first react with amusement, then with amazement, and finally with insight. Speculative objects initially trigger amusement, then astonishment or irritation. This irritation, this disruption of expectations, provokes self-reflection. It is not a side effect, but rather the central goal and method.
We believe that speculation at all levels of society and research into alternative scenarios will make reality more malleable. Even if the future is unpredictable, we can create factors today that increase the likelihood of a desirable future.
Anthony Dunne & Fiona Raby
from the book ‘Speculative Everything – Design, Fiction and Social Dreaming’
Curious?
We would be happy to tell you more in a non-binding conversation.
The scenario technique breaks with linear forecasts by developing different visions of the future. This allows uncertainties to be structured, opportunities to be identified and strategic orientation to be gained. Thinking backwards from possible scenarios to the present gives rise to concrete options for action.
Future experiments test possible scenarios in the here and now. They create empirical values and open up spaces for joint design with different perspectives. When future scenarios are tried out, reflected upon and further developed, lively learning fields emerge for organisations and society.
Speculative artefacts from the town hall of the future
In a one-day speculation format, we teamed up with Smart City Zurich and FutureSense to imagine the town hall of the future. The Imagination Design Sprint produced tangible artefacts from the future – from democracy amulets to congratulatory services.
The future must be actively negotiated and shaped - and in a democratic way. For the Foundation for Technology Assessment, the Dezentrum developed three future scenarios for a digital democracy in the year 2050. In a participatory and interdisciplinary process, three short stories were created, each illustrated by a speculative object.
For its 50th edition, the Winterthur Music Festival dared to look ahead: in a future lab, we worked with 20 participants to develop scenarios and speculative objects from the year 2050. The results show that the future of the festival should be collaborative, sustainable and people-centred.
New technologies allow us to think differently about property, public space and collective goods. With no1s1 (no one's one), we hand over the management of a house to a blockchain-based smart contract. In this way, no1s1 can decide itself about its use and maintain itself autonomously.
How can social innovation be made more visible and accessible? We explore this question and experiment with speculative design to make new narratives of social innovation tangible and easier to understand. For the project Ting, we are designing a speculative object and publishing the process and methodology in a playbook.
Where do we go when we can no longer continue as before? In an era marked by climate crisis and demographic change, technological upheaval, housing shortages and social polarisation, we need new ways of dealing with change. As part of the project ‘No Future? Playing with the Future’, we are collaborating with anundpfirsich and trying our hand at improvisational theatre.
Mobility in Switzerland is to be climate-neutral by 2050. But what exactly will that look like? Together with Expedition Zukunft, we have created five possible future scenarios in the form of postcards. This enabled parliamentarians to immerse themselves in possible futures during a policy sprint.
Satelleth is a blockchain-based autonomous entity that owns, manages, and independently interacts with its environment. Its goal is to travel around the world. For this journey, Satelleth collects money and pays people for their transportation.
A speculative newspaper about the influence of algorithms on democracy and deliberation. All levels of society are challenged: We need citizen empowerment at the personal level, technological solutions that are an alternative to the big technology platforms, and coherent policy-making at the political level.
