In the Loop №2: Speculative Design x AI
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Speculative Design is based on critical thinking and dialogue. Like its name, this form of design supports a theory or hypothesizes about a topic without firm evidence. Speculative Design, in its broad range, can be used to design future products or systems. This term was coined by Anthony Dunne in the 90s, and, he, alongside Fiona Raby, pioneered this work which they formulated at the Royal College of Art’s Designing Interactions programme.
In this newsletter, we will be exploring the intersection of AI and Speculative Design — how each domain influences one another and how they can benefit from one another, along with managing expectations when setting up AI projects. Here are some relevant material related to this intersection.
Machines to Enhance Humanity
What if AI could enhance the qualities of what it means to be human? In an exhibition from IDEO, five interactive prototypes were installed, allowing people to experience how machines could become collaborators that can help to augment some of humanity’s greatest strengths: purpose, creativity, empathy, belief, and expertise.
“We’re at the dawn of an AI revolution, when clever machines will accelerate us to a more meaningful society: Freeing up our potential so we can focus on what’s important, guiding us so we can tackle what matters to us, and expanding our horizons so we can achieve what was once impossible.”
Future Human by Design
Futures process invites inspiration and exploration of opportunities in the future that may or may not happen. The blog post attempts to demonstrate, and hopefully popularize the opportunity of Design Thinking at the overlap with Futures Thinking.
Hello, 2050
What will design jobs look like in the year 2050? Visualizing an even more interconnected future when AI systems are well integrated into society at all levels, this project introduces 6 possible job advertisements.
“Design as a skill in 2050, no longer exists as a discrete skill. Rather, design is acknowledged as a natural trait among intelligent beings.”
Speculative Methods for Real Engagement
Nik Baerten is a knowledge engineer with a focus on AI and founder of Pantopicon, a foresight and design studio. In this interview, he explains his mindset when approaching his work in foresight and design, the goals for using speculative approaches, and three metrics for evaluating if a project is successful.
“Some of these projects can be extremely poetic, works of utter beauty. That in itself is an almost Trojan attack on people’s understanding, opening up new pathways to engage with themes and each other.”
Thing-Centered Design Toolkit
Thing-Centered Design (TCD) is an open-source research & design toolkit initiated by Elisa Giaccardi at TUDelft. This toolkit helps generating creative solutions of the Internet of Things, including speculative methods like Interviews with things.
Thanks to Karolina Thakker, Fred Wordie, Viraj Joshi, Chris Butler, and Pedro Gil Farias for their contributions of articles. If interested in more articles, check our resource library!
August Workshop: Preferable AI Futures
This month we did a workshop in collaboration with Speculative Futures Rotterdam. The workshop aimed to explore the anxieties and prejudices we have around this technology and instead of imagining the easy-coming-to-mind dystopia, focus our gaze on preferable AI futures. In the span of the workshop, we aimed to imagine how AI technologies could positively contribute to the pursuit and realization of Sustainable Development Goals.
Working in 3 small teams, we wrapped up our visions by materializing them in a rapid prototyping session to capture our fictional AI-driven solutions for better futures. We had loads of fun and want to thank all the participants for their contributions! The interest was overwhelming and unfortunately, we couldn’t host everyone on the waiting list so if you’re interested to stay up to date on future workshops with this bunch, drop your email here. And for now, take a sneak peek reading about the event in our Medium post by the facilitators Karolina Thakker, Erik Peters, and Nadia Piet.
Upcoming: Data Science in User Research
Today’s world generates data at unbelievably rapid rates. It is important to leverage the available data to better understand the bigger picture. Data Science is changing the world and UX research needs to get onboard to better understand business and user needs.
This talk gives an overview of how Data Science can complement UX research, including quantitative and qualitative methods. It introduces the Data Science pipeline along with describing useful applications for UX research like identifying users to interview, finding different segments of customers and generating data for usability studies.
📖 Read: Speculative Everything
Speculative Everything offers a complex overview of the landscape of design ideas, ideals, and approaches in this domain. Considered the pioneers of Speculative Design, Dunne & Raby continuously raised awareness on this subject by providing examples from their own design and teaching and from other projects from various domains, mostly connected to the consumer society. One main recurring idea which the authors are supporting is that speculative design increase the odds of achieving desirable futures
👁 Watch: Speculative Design Thinking
Phil Balagtas, the founder of the Design Futures Initiative (and Speculative Futures chapters around the world), shares his views on speculative design and how companies are applying this approach to business strategies or articulating visions for emerging technologies. They are speculating on everything from the future of their products to eliciting communities for input to developing new services.
🎧 Listen: Artists as an Algorithm
In the world of rising automatization, it may seems like creativity is a last defense of humanity. But what does actually mean to make art? Rose Eveleth, the host of Flash Forward podcast, argues that the development of AI technologies will force us to rethink what we understand by “art” and “humanity”.
Monthly Question
We want to pick your brain and share the knowledge! Drop your answer in the following form and check back next issue, where we will be highlighting some of our favorite answers.
What is one thing you’ve learned about working at the intersection of AI x Design?
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