Speculative Design and the Futures of Everyday - LIF001: Shape Year-one students Learning in AY2526 LIF001 Module

Description

Speculative design encourages students to imagine alternative futures by using design as a tool to question the present. Inspired by the work of designer Balagtas, whose interventions explore social, ecological, and cultural futures through poetic and critical objects, this topic introduces students to design not only as problem-solving but as problem-framing. This approach (implemented in a workshop) guides students to investigate how our assumptions about technology, society, and everyday life can be challenged or reimagined through speculative artefacts and narratives, fostering critical thinking, empathy, and creativity across disciplines.

Potential Real-World Problems (examples for students)

How might design respond to future urban loneliness?

In a world increasingly shaped by automation, digital connectivity, and social isolation, students are invited to explore how everyday objects or spatial experiences could provoke new forms of emotional connection or social interaction in urban life. Drawing from Balagtas' speculative work, they will prototype design ideas that respond to a near-future scenario involving urban solitude, developing speculative artefacts, performative models, or narrative experiences to question and challenge current trajectories.

Participants: 14 Y1 students

Period	16 Oct 2025
Event type	Workshop
Location	suzhou, ChinaShow on map
Degree of Recognition	Local