Unit 4

Speculative
Design 2
Dr. Will Kurlinkus
Did you turn in your final
project design brief?
Closes at midnight
 Speculative Design
The point of speculative design is to predict and
analyze the future in order to seek change in the
present.
Statement of Need: What’s the
Problem Now?
In this section, you need to do some legwork to establish a
convincing need. You need to think like a researcher
because the burden of proof lies with you. Including
relevant and timely statistics, expert quotes from popular
sources, academic literature on the topic, and stories of
need from your own participants/clients/members, is
essential.
The Future and Your Design: How
Will the Problem Be Fixed or
Exacerbated in the Future?

Expand the problem or ideal into the future--what do you

speculate happening in the future? Describe your design that
either seeks to prey upon that problem (a dystopia), fix that
problem (utopia), or remains morally ambivalent (atopia). You
also want to be sure to describe what you imagine the social
context surrounding your problem is. How do the social,
environmental, political, scientific contexts that you describe in
your statement of need transform in the future?
What are the environmental, political, and social
implications of being able to fly?
User Story
Take the future description that you just gave and transform it
into a short narrative of a person who faces your problem
everyday. Make your utopia or dystopia human.
Sample Brief 1.

Working Well: Design a vision and business case for a way

to promote greater wellbeing when people are at work,
wherever that work takes place, that will contribute to
higher productivity and better overall mental health.

1.  Statement of Need: Current problem description.

2.  The Future and your design
3.  A user story
Sample Brief 2.

Sleep Matters: Design a product, service or system to

improve health and wellbeing by encouraging and/or
enabling better sleep.

1.  Statement of Need: Current problem description.

2.  The Future and your design
3.  A user story
Sample Brief 3.
Eat, Share, Live: Design an inclusive and accessible and multi-
generational kitchen space or kitchen component that works for
all ages, as well as for disabled and non-disabled family
members, so they can prepare, cook and serve food, entertain,
engage in hobbies or work and enjoy life together.

1.  Statement of Need: Current problem description.

2.  The Future and your design
3.  A user story