Designfiction

Design fiction is a design practice that uses speculative artefacts and narrative to explore possible futures and provoke discussion about the social implications of emerging technologies.

Practitioners create artefacts such as prototypes, product concepts, packaging, manuals, websites, or film fragments set in plausible future contexts. These artefacts are embedded in short narratives or scenarios that describe how people might interact with the design and what issues might arise.

The term design fiction and its approach emerged from the broader field of speculative design in the late 2000s, with early contributions from designers and researchers such as Julian Bleecker and the tradition of critical design associated with Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby.

Design fiction is related to, but distinct from traditional science fiction. It blends design method with storytelling to surface questions about technology, power, privacy, and everyday life. It aims to widen the design space, not to predict the future.

In practice, design fiction is used in design research, product development, policy design, and education to test assumptions, communicate futures to stakeholders, and critique current trends. It often takes the form of short interactive installations, websites, videos, or packaging that imagine future services or devices, with emphasis on critique rather than feasibility.

Critiques include concerns that design fiction can obscure real policy options or rely on aesthetic illusion, though supporters argue it stimulates reflection and cross-disciplinary discussion.