Researching design fiction with design fiction

The term design fiction was first used in 2005 by Bruce Sterling [18:30] and in 2009 Julian Bleecker built on the idea by combining it with various other characterisations [cf. 1,2,10] and catalysed a step change in design fiction discourse. Since then design fiction has gained significant traction across academic contexts; at symposia and conference events; and through its practice within commercial design studios and industry. Despite becoming a popular way of framing speculative design, the characterisation of design fiction as research approach still remains “up for grabs” [19:22] as it is “enticing and provocative, yet […] remains elusive” [7:1]. In 2013 Bleecker remarked in terms of his studios own practice “I don’t think we’ve figured it out” and that “studying it, understanding it and trying to devise some of the principles - of what we’re calling design fiction - is what we’re trying to do” [1]. Adopting a research through design approach [5,6], this doctoral research intends to shed light on the questions raised by Bleecker by researching design fiction, with design fiction

Repairing the fictional fractures between art and science

“When are you going to stop playing around painting pictures and do some real work, Joey?” asks Luke, a friend of 15 years. There is no point replying with reason though, Luke is a steely civil engineer and his tittle­tattle is part of an old school­friend bonding ritual. The painted pictures to which he refers do not truly exist; but I did study for a degree at an art college and I guess that’s what he is referring too. Ironically though, I’m incredibly amateurish at practicing visual arts. I cannot paint or draw, at all. Despite Luke’s disparaging tone, I wish I could have been painting pictures. That’s a skill that really would come in useful for the research I’m currently doing at the HighWire Centre for Doctoral Training at Lancaster University

A pragmatics framework for design fiction

Design fiction, is often defined as the “deliberate use of diegetic prototypes to suspend disbelief about change” (Sterling 2012). Practically speaking design fictions can be seen as “a conflation of design, science fact, and science fiction” (Bleecker 2009, p. 6) employing fiction as a medium “not to show how things will be but to open up a space for discussion” (Dunne & Raby 2013, p.51). The concept has gained traction in recent years, with a marked increase in published research on both the meta-theory of the practice itself and also studies of using it in a variety of contexts. However, the field is in a formative period. Hales talks about the term design fiction as being “enticing and provocative, yet it still remains elusive” (2013, p.1) whereas Markussen & Knutz sum up this epoch in the history of design fiction by saying “It is obvious from the growing literature that design fiction is open to several different interpretations, ideologies and aims.” (2013, p.231) So, it seems then that design fiction currently occupies a liminal space between the excitement of possibility and the challenges of divergence. In this paper I will highlight sites of ambiguity and describe the disparate nature of design fiction theory/practice in order to illuminate the inherent complexities. Alongside I suggest elements of a ‘pragmatics framework’ for design fiction in order to strengthen foundations by facilitating a reduction in ambiguity, while being careful not to over specify and therefore constrain the ability to grow and adapt

Back to the future:10 years of design fiction

The term design fiction was originally coined in 2005 by the Science Fiction author Bruce Sterling. In the 10 years since, design fiction has received considerable interest from a range disciplines most notably HCI which increasingly draws upon generative methods and creative practices. In this paper we consider examples of recent HCI research that refers to design fiction in order to highlight commonalities and ambiguities in how the term is interpreted and used. We argue that design fiction is a compelling and powerful concept but is inherently ambiguous. We therefore suggest strategies to disambiguate communications ‘about design fiction’ in order to strengthen applications ‘of design fiction’

Operationalising design fiction for ethical computing

Design fiction is a type of speculative design, where story worlds are crafted to then be used as a canvas upon which so-called diegetic prototypes can be sketched [9]. Because these prototypes exist only within story worlds they are not constrained by currently available technology; because of this design fictions are excellent means to open up space for critical conversations about the future [2,6]. This project experiments with using design fiction as a novel way to explore the complexities of technology and ethics. We focus on one specific case to demonstrate the method we adopted, however the contribution is general in nature and may be applicable to other cases too. The work consists of two parts, this paper and a ‘design fiction documentary’ film, ‘Care for a Robot’. The paper and film are intended to be viewed together

Game of drones

In response to the recent European Directive the UK government sanctioned the use of drones by commercial providers subject to pilots holding an approved Drone Pilot Proficiency Certificate (DPPC). As the government anticipated the main use has been in providing services to local authorities that aid in the enforcement of local by-laws. Whilst many commercial providers have followed the traditional path of employing dedicated enforcement officers to pilot the drones, in this paper we present on-going research that ‘gamifies’ the enforcment activities to allow members of the local community to act as enforcement officers. In particular we have worked with retired members of the police and armed services as drone pilots in relation to the enforcement of by-laws relating to parking offences and dog fouling in a small UK city. The initial results indicate that not only does this age group find the game-like activity enjoyable they feel that they are providing an important service to their community

Pushing the limits of design fiction:the case for fictional research papers

This paper considers how design fictions in the form of ‘imaginary abstracts’ can be extended into complete ‘fictional papers’. Imaginary abstracts are a type of design fiction that are usually included within the content of ‘real’ research papers, they comprise brief accounts of fictional problem frames, prototypes, user studies and findings. Design fiction abstracts have been proposed as a means to move beyond solutionism to explore the potential societal value and consequences of new HCI concepts. In this paper we contrast the properties of imaginary abstracts, with the properties of a published paper that presents fictional research, Game of Drones. Extending the notion of imaginary abstracts so that rather than including fictional abstracts within a ‘non-fiction’ research paper, Game of Drones is fiction from start to finish (except for the concluding paragraph where the fictional nature of the paper is revealed). In this paper we review the scope of design fiction in HCI research before contrasting the properties of imaginary abstracts with the properties of our example fictional research paper. We argue that there are clear merits and weaknesses to both approaches, but when used tactfully and carefully fictional research papers may further empower HCI’s burgeoning design discourse with compelling new methods

Modelling design fiction:what’s the story?

This paper is intended to be read alongside the design fiction film Heating Britain’s Homes. It uses the film to explore questions relating to the methods employed when creating a design fiction. Design fictions are “deliberate use of diegetic prototypes to suspend disbelief about change” by employing a “conflation of design, science fact, and science fiction”. Design fictions do not aim to present or develop ‘finished’ designs, but rather they use design methods to “create a discursive space within which new forms of cultural artefact might emerge” . As a design fiction piece, the ‘discursive space’ that this film addresses relates to disruptive possibilities associated with cryptographic currencies such as Bitcoin. However, for the purposes of this paper the film and its concern with cryptographic currency are secondary and subservient to a discussion of design fiction practice itself. A three- layered model of design fiction is proposed as a communication device to help contextualise the various ideas used in the film, and as a tool to be applied in the creation, and analysis, of design fiction more generically. The paper concludes by positing questions with a view to taking steps towards formal design fiction methods

An ethnography of the future

In this paper we describe conducting an ‘anticipatory ethnography’ inquiry, using Spike Jonze’s 2013 sci-fi film Her as the source material. Anticipatory ethnography strives to apply the methods, theories and ideologies of design ethnography, to works of design fiction, in order to produce actionable insights. Thus far the practice has been explored only in theory, this is the first ever application of it in practice, as such the work has been contingent and exploratory. The paper begins by introducing the relevant constructs in general terms; next we describe our method; we conclude by discussing the analysis, pursuit of actionable insights, and reflect on the process and findings