This blog is dedicated to Dunn and Raby's book "Speculative Everything".
It is based on my deep reading of the book. I also brought some examples of design works, mostly from Dr. Austin Houldsworth, for each section.
Speculative everything is about dreaming. . the role of dream in forming our life. The world we are living in now, one day was dreamed of by some people. Dreams can inspire us that the world can be different, and we can make it different. Dreams change on and on. the question is what the role of design is. many things in our life are unchangeable and we can not do anything about so better we accept maybe we need to change our opinions occasionally. Although I am not always in agreement, our beliefs and values are difficult to alter since they are tied to our culture and ethnicity.
Forget how things are
Imagine How THINGS could be
Usually, design is a way to find a solution to a problem. Speculative design is about imagination, creating space for discussion and debates. to think what it would be if ?. To feel free in design and bring imagination into finding solutions.
What I like about the speculative design, it is not about predicting the future:
What I like about the speculative design, it is not about predicting the future:
"What we are interested in though, is the idea of possible futures and using them as
tools to better understand the present and discuss the kind of future people want"
(Dunn & Raby, 2013)
Austin made an example from General motors in 1939. They basically imagen what America would be like if was connected by motorways and Highways. Describing a Highway couple of years before it was officially built. First, it was dreamed then was real.
When we talk about imagination the first thing that comes to my mind is Fery tails cartoons and movies and these are exactly the material for creative design. Austin gets inspired by …that design ......
To make it more comprehensive,
one side is a priest and the other side is a prophet. priest delivers rules, while the prophet challenges the states, and In makes questions.
What if.....
what if....
what if...
One of my design Ideas is to investigate how daily objects at home can motivate individuals to listen and read classic literature as a day-to-day experience in order to increase attention span.
WHAT IF DAILY OBJECTS COULD TALK TO US??
fictional worlds cautionary tales
what- if scenarios counterfactuals
reductio ad absurdum experiments
prefigurative futures
If we want to predict what would be like living on the moon, for example, Speculative Design helps us to explore alternative ways and possible scenarios for living on the moon. Even if entirely fictional, We need a plan and a feasible series of events leading up to
living on the moon is essential. it brings an opportunity for people to talk in speculative ways. to fantasy.....
It is important to talk about possibilities in term of future. h
These concepts are separated from market. It brings questions in politic in society, it provokes thinking, more dialogs. these all happen when designers are free from market. to appreciate unreality . Design in one side is about the pure idea that comes with material . on the other side can be fictional that explore possible technological future. We often struggle to get the idea that relied beyond the concept of the design.
Jurgen Bey is a critical designer .He uses conceptual design to talk about political and social issues. ّ
a set of drinking glasses with a total volume of 70 liters, the amount of water in Jurgen Bey’s body.
A designer, in my opinion, should not be passive and indifferent to what is going on around them.In my own country, Iran, a revolution against the Islamic regime is already ongoing. Many conceptual artworks and installations have been created in the last two months by Iranian communities all over the world, not just in Iran. The blood pools were particularly impressive. After about two weeks of protests, people in Tehran noticed that all pools within parks were red by an unknown artist in the morning.
I believe a designer should embrace the values of the culture they come from.
Among Jurgen bey designs, The Cheese Maker was interesting for me because it is a cultural project.
The Cheese Maker is a collection of handcrafted objects used to make homemade cheese. The design is based on similarities between the Netherlands and India. The designers were inspired by the long tradition of cheese making in both countries, as well as the history of handworks such as ceramics in a tradition of stacking houses and goods.
the whole concept is comparable with NENDO studio`s Breakfast facility.
NENDO is a Japanese design studio.
The kitchenware collection implies a sense of silence and attention recognizable in the Japanese tea ceremony.
NENDO designs reflect the identity and values of Japanese culture.
In terms of food facilities, the Idea of Marti Guixe also was very interesting. A restaurant that powered by solar energy, invite people to be patient flexible and forgiving because of rain or a cloudy sky! 2011
speculative design and mass production?
is it possible ??
Yes, Designer Ryota Kuwakubo is one of the most well-known practitioners in this field. His work, like that of many others in the field of interactive devices, falls somewhere between design and art. The devices frequently appear to be industrially produced, but they are typically displayed in galleries.(Dunn & Raby)
Japanese believe every object has spirit. Kuwakubo believes today we have more scientific and objective view on things around.
He designs an electrical stick , when you plug in the TV , it will show an endless animation of a famous Japanese character.
https://www.kontejner.org/projekti/device_art-festival/device_art-6/nintendo-vs-koncar-gorenje/video-bulb-nicodama/
REDUCTIO AD ABSURDUM
"a type of logical argument in which one assumes a claim for the sake of argument and brings a ridiculous outcome by taking it to its logical conclusion, concluding that the original claim must have been incorrect because it resulted in such an absurd result." ( Dunn & Raby)
the 3000 £ Toaster
project by Tomas Thwaites
First He purchased a typical toaster from the store, the chipset one. He separated the parts of the toaster.
When he discovered it was made up of 404 different parts, he decided to concentrate on five materials: copper, iron, nickel, mica, and plastic.
He visited mines across the country in 9 months like Scotland and eventually created a working toaster!
He wishes to say:
How relying people are nowadays on technology and how disconnected people are today from the process that underlies advanced technology, the devices, and machines made by companies
In addition, the project outlined what goes into making even the most basic of products, such as a toaster. talking about the values of everyday goods.
"The Idea is Old packing the values that associate with our every day good."(Austin)
Questioning buying a 6-pond toaster from Argo's distorted notions of value. Questioning what we are doing?
When we think about what material has been used, their values, and the profit.
The important thing about this toaster was that a company later designed a mobile phone based on the toaster project. A phone in which all of its components are visible. We can see speculative design in mass production here."The Idea is Old packing the values that associate with our every day good."(Austin)
Questioning buying a 6-pond toaster from Argo's distorted notions of value. Questioning what we are doing?
When we think about what material has been used, their values, and the profit.
Whirlpool, and especially Philips Design, are two companies that have consistently used conceptual projects to explore alternative visions for everyday life. (Dunn & Raby)
Critical design
CRITIQUE is one of the applications for conceptual design. I believe a design means to be something. To have something to say, whether a social issue or political one, To help for building a better society and it will not be possible unless we critic the current situation. By critic, I do not mean being pessimistic and negative.
it means to question, Challenge things. It can be a desire, a dream
It is an attitude.
But the main question for me here is:
Does the critical design provide a solution?
Dunne and Raby created the term critical design in the mid-1990s while working as researchers in the Computer Related Design Research Studio at the Royal College of Art.
It is not the same as being anti-everything. Every good critical design provides an alternative to how things are. Creating space for discussion. things can be better.
"An intellectual journey based on challenging and changing values, ideas and beliefs."(dunn& raby)
For Money's sake!
Dr Austin Houldsworth
Dr Austin Houldsworth
in this system Austin was inspired by Axioms , behavior psychologists also used
cultural science fiction. In this project, Money ends after the transaction And gets destroyed here turns to the sound.
Although the concept of the money system things frightens me, what is interesting to me, his money system was designed based on a psychological theory. I believe a product designer should have concerns about psychology as well as culture.
this is what I learned and consider in my design:
how everyday object design can motivate people to listen to and read classic literature on a daily basis in order to enhance their attention span. The concept is based on James Clear's theory, author of Atomic Habits.
Many of us drink coffee or tea at least twice a day, we pour the water into the kettle and press the bottom. What if, the kettle acts like an audiobook player, reading you a novel while you're waiting for 2 or 3 minutes for the water gets boiled? it connects to the user's phone and reads a novel on the related app, every time it starts reading from where it had left before. the purpose of the design is for a user to keep in touch and make the user familiar with the vocabulary, to motivate the user toward literature
Last year, by chance, I came across a TED talk by James Clear on a YouTube channel. He discussed how to develop positive habits. He explains in his book Atomic Habits (2018) the "four laws of behavior change" that any habit, positive or negative, has four components. And he believes that engineering each of these four components in a specific way is the best way to make positive behavior stick:
"1. Cue: Make it obvious 2. Craving: Make it attractive 3. Response: Make it easy. 4. Reward: Make it satisfying." (Clear,2018)
This book was a cue for me to investigate the psychological effects of products on individuals. Based on "the four laws of behavior change," a portion of my research will look into how to make listening to and reading classic literature more of a habit at home, as well as design ideas for making the home a place that motivates us to do so. My main emphasis will be on the first and second lows:
1. Cue: Make it obvious: According to James Clear, Creating a habit requires you to redesign the space around you (home/work). He argues the things that are on our desks at home our kitchen, and in the office at work, influence our behaviors He states that "If you can restructure your physical environment, your digital environment, you are more likely to actually stick with the right habits."(Clear,2018). For example a lot of people feel like they watch too much television; In living room typically all chairs are facing the TV. Therefore the first step is to take chairs and turn them away from the television and face a coffee table with a book on it. Stop viewing your surroundings as a collection of objects. Consider it as a place full of relationships.
The thing is We DONT HAVE TO BE THE VICTIM OF OUR ENVIRONMENT (Clear,2018)
we can design our home and place in order to make good habits easier and make it difficult for bad habits.
James Clear tells us in the book that motivation is highly overrated. We are more influenced by our environment than our willpower or motivation. "Environment is the invisible hand that shapes our environment"(Clear,2018)
2. Craving: Make it attractive: When we expect to be rewarded, we take action. The more pleasurable an action is, the more likely it is that we will repeat it until it becomes habitual. Making our habits attractive is vital because it is the expectation of a rewarding experience that drives us to act. Here, we can use a strategy known as "Temptation bundling". The temptation bundling process makes a habit more attractive by combining an action we need to do with one we want to do.
Pride And Prejudice
Many approaches and methods of evaluation of critical design is like art. the only different is critical design is for everyday life.
relative clock
The project by Dr. Austin Houldsworth was concerned with the impact of his work on people in the world. Which is what almost all artists and designers basically think about. He devised an archive of people that created fantastic inventions throughout their lives. it is based on the age at which, the invention every inventor was. you put your age on one side ad it shows the names of other people who had done at the same age as yours.
One area of using the critical design is the science to predict an idea's result before it becomes a product. We can see speculative design being used to discuss the future ethical and cultural significance. Design can democratize changes in technology through debates and discussions about advanced scientific research.
To do this, we need to move design beyond products. for useful fiction, the material for dialogs. "A good writer does not think about only automobiles but also the traffic jam."
To do this, we need to move design beyond products. for useful fiction, the material for dialogs. "A good writer does not think about only automobiles but also the traffic jam."
when we buy a product, it enters in our life and has effects. speculative design helps people face their complex emotions and responses by presenting them with a fictional product before a product officially releases into the market. it can help companies to predict many possible effects as well as side effects a product can have on individuals.
debate about biotechnology.
Carnivorous Domestic Entertainment Robots (2009) by designers James Auger and Jimmy Loizeau is an example of this in the book. But I believe it happens rarely that these kinds of designs go to the market, they mostly remain as an idea!
Carnivorous Domestic Entertainment Robots (2009) by designers James Auger and Jimmy Loizeau is an example of this in the book. But I believe it happens rarely that these kinds of designs go to the market, they mostly remain as an idea!
It is more of a way to examine ethical and social issues to make better choices,
Scientists and artists can work together. like Mathieu Lehanneur and David Edwards.
Eduardo Kac works with living material. bio art to create a new life ;
Asking Questions Rather than answering problems
Do you enjoy eating apples from your grandmother's tree?
BCL proposed a service name living memory where people can insert DNA in a tree as a memory.
Wanna Deliver a Shark (2012) by Ai Hasegawa is about a woman who prefers to give birth to an animal than a human being. she believes the world is not a good place for humans. Although this project appears absurd on the surface, it raises interesting questions about the reproductive power of a woman's Body." (Dunn & Raby)
dark imaginations
original imaginations
professional imaginations
scientific imagination,
design imagination
technological imagination,
sociological imagination
artistic imagination,
artistic imagination,
When we move away from the present, from how things are now, we enter this kingdom of possible worlds. The concept of creating fictional worlds appeals to us. Not for fun but for reflection, inspiration, thought provocation, Thinking about values, beliefs, ethics, law, and political systems rather than statistic and form,
Utopias
A group of Islamic people in my country, Iran, 43 years ago promised a world where everyone would be equal, there would be no king, no command, and people would archive the highest level of humanity and materiality. Not long after the revolution, people discovered it was all a big lie. George Orwell describes a similar condition, the ability to manipulate people , in his novel Animal Farm. In the real world, there is no such thing as Utopia; people will not achieve democracy unless they work hard and practice democracy.
The concept of utopia is fascinating when used as a stimulation to keep ideology alive, "not as something to try to make real, but as a reminder of the possibility of alternatives, as somewhere to aim for rather than build." (Dunn & Raby)
Unified sphere
Austin completed a project. The concept of money is created within the cultural context of Yevgeny Zamyatin's novel WE. implies that trade is unnecessary, and thus there is no need for a medium of exchange.
In the society, everything is made of glass in order to control people easily!
What money could’ve been in this culture?
Each person is symbolized as a unified sphere, each section of this sphere was held on a long robe that was on one side outside of the city. One section presents one individual from that city d-503 was the protagonist of the novel. If d-503 is loyal to the timetable of the state, and he does what he needs to do, then his section of the sphere stays in the center
However, if he diverges from his duties his section slowly stands out
And his access to the city slowly diminish. Eventually, he is throwing out. In The reality, in China already this monetary system works. The Social Credit System officially dominates chines lives even their private life.
Each person is symbolized as a unified sphere, each section of this sphere was held on a long robe that was on one side outside of the city. One section presents one individual from that city d-503 was the protagonist of the novel. If d-503 is loyal to the timetable of the state, and he does what he needs to do, then his section of the sphere stays in the center
However, if he diverges from his duties his section slowly stands out
And his access to the city slowly diminish. Eventually, he is throwing out. In The reality, in China already this monetary system works. The Social Credit System officially dominates chines lives even their private life.
China's social credit system takes this concept and applies it to all aspects of life, judging citizens' behavior and trustworthiness. People who have been caught jaywalking or who have not paid a court bill have lower social-style scores.(Kobie,2019)
On their phone, there is an application that has three colors light, Green, Yellow, and red. If they refuse the law, it turns yellow, the worse part is, even people who live around them get a yellow light. The disaster is when someone gets a red light which means has to move to compulsory work camps.
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/china-social-credit-system-explained
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/china-social-credit-system-explained
https://www.austinhouldsworth.co.uk/#/iii/
