speculativedesign

Speculative design is a design approach that uses imagined futures and speculative artefacts to explore the social, ethical, and political implications of emerging technologies. Rather than predicting what will happen, it aims to question assumptions and stimulate discussion about who or what futures might affect.

Originating with Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby at the Royal College of Art in the late 1990s, it is associated with the broader Critical Design movement. Dunne and Raby argued that design should critique everyday life and invite debate rather than simply deliver new products. The practice has been developed through design fiction and by studios such as Superflux, as well as through the work of Julian Bleecker, who helped popularize the term.

Practitioners create speculative artefacts, scenarios, and narratives that make potential futures tangible. Methods include counterfactual products, future advertisements, and imagined services presented as if real. The aim is to reveal consequences of technologies and social trends, provoking reflection rather than proposing turnkey solutions.

Speculative design seeks to widen public discourse, inform education, and influence policy by foregrounding contested futures and challenging taken-for-granted assumptions about technology, governance, and daily life.

Critics argue that it can be esoteric or politically inert if it lacks pathways to action. Others contend it risks sensationalism or elitism. Proponents respond that its strength lies in revealing blind spots and fostering critical literacy about technology and society.

Key figures and projects include Dunne and Raby's Design Interventions, Julian Bleecker's design fiction, and Superflux's speculative installations and films. The field has influenced design education, museums, and future-studies communities.