PREFACE
The completion of my studies as a student at the Hochschule should not be the end of our connection. For the third time already, I took on a project in the study programme UX design as a lecturer at Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt.
introduction
Every student has to take part in a project in cooperation with a company as part of their studies, in which a specific topic is worked on. I represented my employer, MediaMarktSaturn, as a cooperation partner in order to work on the topics we specified. In the first two projects an User Centered Design approach was chosen for the elaboration, while the third project was about Speculative Design.
The following provides an overview of the my teaching part, the given tasks for the students and the results of the study projects.
specualtive design
Based on the Speculative Design approach of Fiona Raby and Anthony Dune, we dealt with questions about the future together with the students and tried to predict events and things in order to discuss them with an audience afterwards. The aim was to speculate and develop future worlds and product ideas with the potential of new technologies.
There were few limits to the process and the students were able to give their creativity free rein. The result was product ideas and services ranging from the most beautiful utopia to absolute dystophy.
future scouting
We used the Future Scouting method for our development process. Future Scouting is a method that draws on the great work of past and present futurologists and speculative design practitioners.
FUTURE SCOUTING COMBINES...
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Product Design
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Design Thinking
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Life-centered Design
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Sience Fiction World Building
... TO A SPECULATIVE DESIGN METHOD
Project step by step
1. Align with values
Speculative Design took shape in the 1990s as designers questioned their role in relation to the impact of consumption on the planet. Future Scouting aims to advocate for this foundation and empower designers by embedding core values into the process.
Teaching part: Teach methods to work out what the real values are that every student stands for
3. Signal tracing
Signals are indications of emerging phenomena that have the potential to bring about change. They are sources of information that point to a potential for innovation and/or disruption, whether in the form of an alternative or an extreme amplification of the current development.
The task for the students was to find these signals and create an interest in following them up.
Teaching part: Training to identify signals
5. hunt invention
Based on the recognised and evaluated signals and the link with their own personal key values, the concrete development of product ideas takes place in this step.
Teaching part: Ideation workshop to develop product ideas
7. personas & business
Elaboration of „personas“ that are linked to or influenced by the respective invention. These are not necessarily only people, but also the environment, companies, animals and many more.
Teaching part: Building personas
2. assumptions
Make assumptions for the future to identify own personal interests.
How do you envisage the future for:
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Social issues/themes
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Technology
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Environment
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Economy
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Politics
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Art and Entertainment
Subsequently, an estimate is made of when these assumptions could occur over a period of approximately 5-20 years.
Teaching part: Teaching methods and sources for Future Scouting
4. pestel research map
The PESTEL analysis evaluates all relevant information from different areas and shows potentials as well as risks of different trends and signals.
The students have thus subjected their identified trends and signals to this analysis.
Teaching part: Introduction to creative methods for generating ideas, showing how to evaluate and select ideas and translate them into concrete approaches.
Teaching part: Introduction to the PESTEL methodic and support for the analysis
6. invention blueprint & future wheel
Ideas developed are formulated in detail. In addition, a common (project took place in groups) future universe is defined in which a coexistence of the products is possible.
Teaching part: Show how to use a invention blueprint and the future wheel method
8. future location
The last step is to describe the future with all other important aspects such as infrastructure, economy, location, politics and much more.
Teaching part: Storytelling
final results
As part of the Speculative Design project, groups of 3 students each worked on speculative futures. Each student has developed an artefact that provides information about this future. Each artefact has an instruction manual that explains exactly what the product is and how to use it. Since the elaboration of the various artefacts was very extensive, it is not possible to present all the results in detail here. Therefore, under the short presentation of the results, you will find a link to the pdf with the detailed project and concept documentation in German.
Have fun diving into new worlds!