Design Futures
This note is an outline of topics that are important for the futures of design.
It serves as an outline for the graduate subject on this topic.
Objectives
Ecocentric, more-than-human, interspecies design
Significance: Key Concerns and Needs
- The state of the world
- The role of design
- The likely trend
- The need for change
Gap
Key disciplines Literature on the Topic
Future studies Design theory
Speculative evolution Technological forecasting
Influential Approaches
Technology driven Economy driven Human-culture driven Ecology-driven Ethics driven
Examples for the contrast:
- animal-computer interaction
- animal-driven design
- human-centred design
- etc...
Methods
- understand the context (finality, time, evolution)
- understand the need (values, priorities, thriving, justice)
- adopt a relevant worldview (the universe story)
- adopt appropriate techniques (participation, compassion)
- understand limitations (limits of individual knowledge, cultural and physical limits of humanity, limits of living systems, limits of information systems, limits of physical systems)
Provide alternative definitions/re-definitions of typical concepts such as:
- technology
- life
- knowledge
- design/engineering/expertise
Ways to Study
The Context: Place and Time
Long time Place, place transformation, place and life
Relevant Worldviews
The universe story
Key Relationships
- Ontology
- Design
- Justice
- Wellbeing
Subnotes