*I take this guy with such extreme seriousness that I even admire his photography.
Nicolas Nova is a multi-disciplinary researcher working at the intersection of anthropology, computer science and design who studies what people do with technology. He is the co-founder of the Near Future Laboratory, a research agency based in Europe and California, and Associate Professor at the Geneva School of Arts and Design (HEAD – Genève). He is interested in observing and documenting digital and new media practices, as well as creating design fictions, i.e. speculative designed objects exploring the experiences of near future. Nicolas has given talks and exhibited his work in venues such SXSW, EPIC, the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference, O’Reilly Emerging Technology Conference, NEXT, the design week in Milan, and the Institute for the Future. He holds a PhD in Computer Science (Human-Computer Interaction) from the Swiss Institute of Technology (Lausanne) and another PhD in Social Sciences from the University of Geneva.
In your view, what is the current state of Speculative Design (and education in Speculative Design)?
I guess the situation is different depending on the country. For instance, here in Switzerland, I would say that there isn’t much interest in that, beyond student projects, unlike France, the UK, or North America. One can definitely see a split though between speculative projects produced in the context of cultural organisations such as design museums, applied art exhibits, or design schools (proper “Speculative Design” following the RCA DI lineage), and the use of Design Fiction by service design or design strategy studios for commercial clients and public organisations. Few design studios do both, while people like Superflux, or us at the Near Future Laboratory, do not see a clear distinction between these two paths.
Additionally, while Speculative Design is certainly not as mainstream as “design” to the general public, it feels like the “design thinking” trend (and its subsequent fad) paved the way for the circulation of Design Fiction approaches in commercial circles. It’s as if it’s the “next new tool” for consultants. The good side of this phenomenon is that it publicised Speculative Design and the idea that design can play a role in futures research. The limits are clear though: as with “design thinking”, it gives the impression that it’s just a method, a series of formal steps, and following them would lead to a perfect result. There is also a common confusion between “design thinking workshops” and “group creative workshops” which means that, for some clients, the very idea of entrusting a fictional design project to a studio seems strange, since for them it would rather be a large collective workshop where all participants can express themselves to create scenarios. This is a phenomenon I often encounter with partners. I don’t know if it’s related to design thinking and these ideas around collective intelligence at heart, and I don’t mean either that designers have to work alone in their corner, but there’s something surprising about that.
In terms of education, I guess this split isn’t reflected yet in the curricula, but it may happen pretty soon. Speculative Design seems to be taught in the context of design/design research workshops in lots of design schools but there aren’t many programs (BA/MA) specifically devoted to that. And I don’t see that necessarily as a problem, since SCD/DF can be seen as a tool in the designer’s toolbox. However, as with design thinking, there’s a growing interest from business schools to use Design Fiction approaches, especially in the US and in France.
Do you think it’s becoming more of a trend? Do you think that dystopia is also becoming a trend? How to escape from this “temporal loop” (domination of dystopian scenarios which influence our ability to imagine more positive futures)?
Speculative Design with a dystopian twist certainly became a design trope, a way of expressing things with a certain aesthetic, and a focus on the dark implications of social or technological change. However, various commentators and pundits showed the limits of such scenarios and formats (Cameron Tonkinwise, Luiza Prado).
Speaking of “temporal loops”, this notion reminds me of what the French historian François Hartog calls “historicity regimes”, i.e. the fact that human societies have “built” various ways of experiencing time over the course of history....
