2030 International RHIZomatic Assembly (IRHIZA)

In an interactive design fiction performance we ex- plore the notion of non-human intelligences and their active agency in political discourse. Through speculati- ve means a future context serves as both backdrop and design space for debates between humans and plants, exploring how the scientifically envisioned increased means of communication between the two could sha- pe new solutions and realities. The performance hence deals with an expanded notion of “participation” and debate beyond mere human actors. In a multidiscipli- nary setting, participants stemming from both design and other fields of research (e.g. (ethno)botany, (neuro) biology, anthropology, etc.) will engage in a role-play and joint speculative storytelling effort aimed at explo- ring new questions regarding the challenges and oppor- tunities shaped by such a future world

Design for Togetherness

The study of community life has long been an area dom­ inated by fields such as sociology and urban planning. Increasingly however also the field of design steps in to actively uncover latent needs and potential within communities in order to jointly develop solutions and plant seeds of positive change. When assessing to­ day’s neighbourhoods’ challenges, a crucial ingredient for resilience appears to be a positive sense of togeth­ erness. Socio­cultural megatrends such as the individ­ ualization of Western society and the loss of social cohesion are frequently mentioned as threats to this sense of togetherness and consequently to healthy community life. Furthermore, both community mem­ bers as well local authorities are rediscovering the ben­ efits of resilient communities built around a positive sense of togetherness in contrast to those delegat­ ing responsibilities and problem solving strength to third parties. During a 3 month case study, product design and communication & multimedia design stu­ dents from the KHLIM Media & Design Academy in Genk, Belgium, went out into the surrounding former mining neighbourhoods.Their core challenge: How can we – designers and community together – stimulate togetherness through design

Welcome to_

hose familiar words of greeting to a place have a universality that everyone recognises. This sense of recognition is essential when it comes to the bot- tom-up actions that social design generates. If an area is being regenerated and public consultation has largely been an aspirational concept rather than an authentic exchange, even the most well-mean- ing projects can feel alien. Fragility is part of any human relationship or social fabric, and even when you engage sideways with a community, humility is key. Places undergoing transformation often expose frictions in identity, the perspective of residents at odds with those outside their own community. Rather than prescribing fixes, collaborative and open-ended projects leave space for activities and mutual under- standing to emerge

Foresight for debate: Reflections on an experience in conceptual design

Among the various reasons to engage in foresight activities, one encountered often is to stimulate dialogue on imminent issues and inspire innovations aimed at the challenges they bring along. The authors' studio, Pantopicon, was asked to carry out a (near future) foresight desk study investigating the changing role between people and their home/office interiors. Furthermore they were asked to render tangible the challenges brought forward by this study and create a thought-provoking experience for an audience of professionals and general visitors within the context of a trade fair (i.e. the Biennale Interieur in Kortrijk, Belgium). The article will zoom in on the particular way in which this challenge was taken up, i.e. by creating an immersive experience embodying imminent future changes by means of five fair booths. Each represented a fictitious company with products or services aimed at new needs, opportunities and abilities emerging from changes in the relationship between people and their home interiors. This article describes the follow-up approach, the results obtained and reflects upon a series of key learnings following from the experience in particular and the role and value of conceptual design in enhancing the experience factor in foresight in general. Hence, we aim to illustrate how an immersive conceptual design approach can be used in an applied foresight context and how it raises new questions and opportunities for both research and applied contexts. Through physical evidencing) and open-ended storytelling, futures rendered tangible through design contribute to instilling a sense of wonder in people, in shifting their mindset to render them more susceptible to anticipating some of tomorrow's changes. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd