Consumer Insight

Design Strategies:
Speculative Design

As innovation becomes
fundamental to brands, we explore
London Arts News

how companies are future-proofing

themselves with speculative design.
Analysis
S p ecula tiv e d esig n is a n emer g ing d esig n
a p p r oa ch tha t uses ima g ina tion a nd cr itica l
Possible q uestioning to b uild b est-ca se scena r ios for
b usinesses, g ov er nments a nd society, tha t
Futures
a r ticula te w ha t they w a nt the futur e to look
like.

Or ig ina lly a d op ted a s a for m of d esig n

Plausible cr itiq ue in cultur a l institutions such a s a r t
g a ller ies a nd univ er sities, sp ecula tiv e
Futures
d esig n a d d r esses technolog ica l p r og r ess,
p olitica l systems a nd constr ucted socia l
le
Preferab b eliefs to stimula te d eb a te for b uild ing
Probable b etter collectiv e systems a nd mor e
Present p r og r essiv e futur es.
Futures
As innov a tion d r iv es r a p id cha ng e a cr oss
a ll ind ustr ies, the a b ility to for esee a nd
a d d r ess futur e cha lleng es ha s b ecome
fund a menta l to success. The fictiona l
scena r ios, or " cor p or a te v isions" , cr ea ted
ca n a llow b r a nd s to r ea ch a mor e d esir a b le
a nd r esp onsib le futur e. We exp lor e how
sp ecula tiv e d esig n is b eing used in
incr ea sing ly commer cia l setting s to help
for g e new b usiness mod els, str a teg ies a nd
p r od ucts, w hile b a la ncing the tr a d itiona l
r eq uir ements of a comp a ny.
A problem-solving approach
Ed ucat i o n
L ond on-b a sed S p ecula tiv e Desig n stud io
S up er flux w a s inv ited b y Va r key
F ound a tion, a g lob a l cha r ity a d v oca ting
b etter ed uca tion for d isa d v a nta g ed
child r en, to p r ov oke " a lter na tiv e thinking "
on the futur e of ed uca tion a mong the
a ud ience of the Glob a l Ed uca tion & S kills
F or um in 2 018.
S up er flux d esig ned " S ta r k Choices" , tw o
hig hly immer siv e, thea tr ica l simula tions –
one d ystop ia n a nd one utop ia n – tha t
exp lor ed the futur e of ed uca tion in r ela tion
to a utoma tion. The simula tions a llow ed
ed uca tor s, d ecision-ma ker s, jour na lists a nd
stud ents to exp er ience fir st-ha nd the
imp lica tions tha t this emer g ing technolog y
could ha v e on their w or k a nd life.
In the fina l sta g e of the p r oject, the
a ud ience took p a r t in a w or kshop to
p r ocess their emotiona l r esp onses a nd
r ea ctions. Insig hts g a ined fr om the
w or kshop w er e then used a s d a ta sour ces
to infor m the Va r key F ound a tion' s futur e
str a teg y.
And Also Too
G o vern men t
And Also Too is a Ca na d a -b a sed stud io
a d v oca ting socia l justice thr oug h d esig n.
Its w or k is g r ound ed in the p r incip les of
d esig n justice, follow ing a non-linea r
d esig n method olog y tha t p r ior itises
colla b or a tion w ith communities a ffected b y
injustice.
A p r oject b y the stud io entitled " The Vision
Ar chiv e" inv ited cr ea tiv es a nd the g ener a l
p ub lic to co-cr ea te a n a lter na tiv e v isua l
id entity for socia l mov ements of the futur e,
using the p ow er of sp ecula tiv e ima g ina tion.
The ima g er y cr ea ted d ur ing the w or kshop s
g a v e life to a n op en-sour ce v isua l a r chiv e
for insp ir ing the new a esthetics of socia l
a ctiv ism.
F or the Ha r v a r d S hor enstein Center ’s
Pr iv a cy Desig n F or eca st 2 019 , a
p a r ticip a tor y d esig n p la tfor m d ed ica ted to
a d v a ncing p r iv a cy in p r od ucts, And Also
Too d ev elop ed a ser ies of sp ecula tiv e
concep ts for integ r a ting consent in the
Desig n Justice Netw or k' s w eb site r ed esig n.
“
"Specu lative design th r ives o n

imagin atio n an d aims to o pen u p n ew

per spectives o n w h at ar e so metimes

called ' w ick ed pr o blems' , to cr eate

spaces fo r discu ssio n an d debate abo u t

alter n ative w ays o f bein g, an d to in spir e

an d en co u r age peo ple’s imagin atio n s to

flo w fr eely."

Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby

Authors, Speculative Everything
Rutger Paulusse
Commercial applications
S ciF utur es is a n innov a tion a cceler a tor tha t
uses sp ecula tiv e na r r a tiv es a nd fictitious
p r ototyp es, such a s g r a p hic nov els,
a nima ted v id eos a nd v ir tua l r ea lity
simula tions, a s str a teg ic tools to help
comp a nies ima g ine a nd cr ea te their futur e
b est-ca se scena r io.
The b r a nd ' s netw or k of sci-fi a uthor s a nd
sp ecula tiv e d esig ner s d ev elop s stor ies for
a b r oa d r a ng e of clients includ ing Visa ,
F or d , Pep si, S a msung , a nd the Nor th
Atla ntic Tr ea ty Or g a nisa tion (NATO).
In one of their most nota b le p r ojects,
S ciF utur es colla b or a ted w ith L ow e' s, a
F or tune 500 US ha r d w a r e r eta iler , to g iv e
life to HoloR oom, a n AR customer
exp er ience tha t ena b les user s to v isua lise
p r od ucts in the context of their home.
L ow e' s w a s a p ioneer in the use of this
emer g ing exp er ientia l tech, a s sev er a l
other b r a nd s, such a s IK EA, follow ed
a fter w a r d .
Futures Space
F utur e S p a ces is a d ig ita l netw or k tha t
connects ind ep end ent sp ecula tiv e thinker s
a nd fr eela nce futur ists w ith b r a nd s
a p p r oa ching or g oing thr oug h d ig ita l
tr a nsfor ma tion a nd innov a tion.
Memb er s of the comp a ny colla b or a te w ith
other or g a nisa tions to for esee a nd r ea ct to
futur e cha lleng es r ela ted to technolog y,
a nd to constr uct str a teg ies for ov er coming
emer g ing p otentia l issues, tr a nsfor ming
them into op p or tunities for innov a tion.
With a v er y for w a r d -looking a p p r oa ch,
F utur e S p a ces' mission is to incor p or a te
sp ecula tiv e thinking a nd fictiona l
stor ytelling into the d a y-to-d a y r outine of
cor p or a tes, a nd its p la tfor m is d esig ned to
fa cilita te this shift, connecting skills w ith
d ema nd .
“
"By specu latin g mo r e, at all levels o f

so ciety, an d explo r in g alter n ative

scen ar io s, r eality w ill beco me mo r e

malleable, an d alth o u gh th e fu tu r e can n o t

be pr edicted, w e can h elp set in place

to day facto r s th at w ill in cr ease th e

pr o bability o f mo r e desir able fu tu r es

h appen in g.”

Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby

Authors, Speculative Everything
Speculative Everything by Dunne & Raby
Click by images to set captions order

Room Y by John Lewis

F utur olog ist John Va r y is the b r a ins b ehind
R oom Y, the John L ew is Pa r tner ship ' s
innov a tion a cceler a tor , w hich is d ed ica ted
to p r ototyp ing a nd exp er imenting w ith new
id ea s for the futur e of r eta il.

" [R oom Y] is a p la ce w her e p eop le ca n

op enly sha r e id ea s, a nd then b uild , " Va r y
exp la ined in a 2 017 Wir ed UK a r ticle.

His tea m, comp osed of d esig ner s a nd

thinker s, comb ines sp ecula tiv e a p p r oa ches
a nd exp er imenta tion w ith techniq ues such
a s 3D p r inting a nd la ser cutting , to
integ r a te emer g ing technolog ies into the
b r a nd ' s p r od ucts a nd ser v ices. The la b is
a lso a sp a ce to q uickly test consumer
r ea ctions to new tech imp lementa tions in
John L ew is' offer , using the insig hts to
innov a te q uickly.

R oom Y' s S ofa S tud io p r oject is a n in-stor e

inter a ctiv e customer exp er ience tha t
ena b les user s to p la y w ith a ser ies of 3D-
p r inted minia tur e fur nitur e a nd fa b r ic
sw a tches tha t, w hen p la ced on a sma r t
ta b le, a r e tr a nsla ted into a thr ee-
d imensiona l on-scr een v isua lisa tion.
Pros and cons
S p ecula tiv e d esig n is a p ow er ful innov a tion Co n s:
tool for b r a nd s fa cing a n uncer ta in futur e,
– B y p ushing b ound a r ies a nd g oing outsid e
b ut ther e a r e a numb er of consid er a tions to
the comfor t zone, sp ecula tiv e d esig n
hig hlig ht w hen a d op ting this method olog y:
inv olv es ta king hig h r isks tha t ca n
P ro s: p otentia lly b e d isr up tiv e w hile b eing
tr a nsfor ma tiv e.
– S p ecula tiv e d esig n is a tool w hich ca n b e
used to d eliv er sma r t innov a tion b eyond – Dystop ia n situa tions a nd p essimism a r e
the d a y-to-d a y op er a tions of a b r a nd , a t often ta ken into a ccount w hen b uild ing
ma na g er ia l a nd b usiness str a teg y lev els. scena r ios thr oug h sp ecula tiv e d esig n, a s
for eseeing the w or st ca n help b r a nd s to
– Desp ite the p otentia l to feel a b str a ct,
a p p r oa ch the futur e fully p r ep a r ed . If not
p r ototyp es d ev elop ed thr oug h
ha nd led str a teg ica lly, these a p p r oa ches
sp ecula tiv e d esig n a r e p la usib le if the
ca n neg a tiv ely imp a ct a b r a nd ' s ov er a ll
r esea r ch b ehind them is r ig or ous a nd
op timism a nd v ision.
they a r e g r ound ed in r ea l, p r ob a b le
d r iv er s a nd tr end s. – If not r eg ula r ly r ea ssessed , the outcomes
g ener a ted fr om sp ecula tiv e d esig n
– S p ecula tiv e d esig n ha s b r oa d
a p p r oa ches a nd w or kshop s ca n ea sily b e
a p p lica tions a cr oss a v a r iety of contexts,
lost.
fr om b eing used b y g ov er nment
institutions to cr itica lly r ethink ur b a n
systems a nd a llow colla b or a tion w ith
citizens, to cor p or a tes a nd b r a nd s
looking to innov a te b eyond their d a y-to-
d a y a nd set p r ior ities for b est-ca se futur e
scena r ios.

Rutger Paulusse
Action points
– S p ecula tiv e d esig n is a str a teg ic tool for
ena b ling q uick innov a tion w ithin your
b r a nd . L ook to John L ew is' R oom Y, a nd
consid er cr ea ting a n inter na l hub to p ush
new id ea s for the b r a nd ' s p r od ucts a nd
ser v ices.

– F or a low -r isk a ction, or for b r a nd s w ith

limited r esour ces, consid er a temp or a r y
colla b or a tion w ith a sp ecula tiv e d esig n
p r a ctitioner or stud io, to fa cilita te a n
env ir onment w her e sp ecula tiv e d esig n
ca n ta ke p la ce, a nd w her e futur e
scena r ios a nd p r ior ities ca n b e ma p p ed .

– Gr ound your sp ecula tion in p r ov a b le

insig hts, d a ta a nd tr end s to b uild up
p r ob a b le futur es tha t w ill ena b le you to
ev a lua te up coming r isks.

– With its a b ility to constr uct futur e

scena r ios, sp ecula tiv e d esig n is a r isk-
p r ev ention tool. Ad op t it a s a p r ocess to
for esee p otentia l b usiness issues,
p a r ticula r ly those r ela ted to emer g ing
technolog ies such a s a utoma tion.

Vincent Schwenk
Resources
Read i n g :

S p ecula tiv e Ev er ything , Anthony Dunne &

F iona R a b y, 2 013

Ja mes Aug er in conv er sa tion w ith Anthony

Dunne a nd F iona R a b y

S p ecula tiv eEd u – Ed uca tiona l R esour ce

Toolkit

P ract i t i o n ers:

The Wor ld B uild ing Institute

Nea r F utur e L a b or a tor y

Cir cumflex S tud io

F oa m Collectiv e

Co n f eren ces an d n et wo rks:

Pr ime Confer ence 2 019

Plur a lity Univ er sity Netw or k

Vincent Schwenk
 Related reports

Top 10: Key Ideas 2019 Sustainable Futures: Ethical Design

Ethical Futures: Co-creating Democracy

Design Strategies: Democratic Design Design Strategies: Designing Activism

The Design Thinking Toolkit

Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)