How I use speculative design
I use Speculative design methods to inquire different questions.
In a world that often embraces a linear view of progress, it is essential to question the dominant systems and explore alternative ways of thinking and existing. Speculative design provides a powerful framework for challenging the status quo and envisioning diverse futures. By engaging in speculative practices, we can unravel the complexities of our present and shed light on the untapped possibilities that lie beyond.
Unveiling the Illusions of Linear Progress:
The notion that we’re constantly moving forward on a straight line of progress is a convenient but deceptive framework. What emerges as dominant in our technological landscape isn’t necessarily superior – it’s often just what existing power structures and random chance have elevated. When we pause to consider the alternatives that never materialized, we open ourselves to radically different possibilities for how things could have been. Speculative design invites us to question these assumptions. It challenges us to imagine the presence of other paths, other technologies, other systems that society neglected or abandoned. By exploring these neglected alternatives, we break free from the constraints of believing our current reality is the only possible or natural one.
Drawing from Jacques Derrida and Mark Fisher’s concept of hauntology, we can recognize how absent futures and unrealized possibilities continue to shape our present. These “ghosts” – the technologies and systems that never came to be – still influence how we behave and how society evolves. Through speculative design, we can reconfigure these patterns and imagine how both past and future might manifest differently.
Personal Explorations
In my work as a design researcher, I use speculative design to envision alternatives for the Global South. By curating digital history archives, examining data privacy concerns, exploring language and translation, and working alongside marginalized communities, I’m attempting to illuminate potential futures for digital cultures in these regions.
Working directly with communities, I initiated “Fertile Technofutures from Bidar” to understand the realities and aspirations of community networks in areas with limited connectivity and digital literacy. By amplifying local voices and studying grassroots initiatives, we’re empowering these communities to shape their own digital futures. This project also tackles questions about building and maintaining equitable technologies and establishing repair networks within the Global South.
”[[2020-01-01-The-Imposter-Among-Us]]” was a panel conversation I facilitated with Paul that investigates how digital livestreaming platforms impact politics. By examining how digital technologies have enabled manufactured consent and large-scale fabrication of truth, we’re gaining insights into how future platform capabilities might affect political landscapes. This work helps us anticipate and critically engage with emerging digital platforms, promoting more informed and responsible adoption.
Open Source Hacking as Pedagogy recognizes the power of open-source technology. The “Jingle Tales” project explores how open source hacking can serve as a teaching tool for community changemakers. By leveraging accessible technologies and encouraging DIY approaches, we’re working to bridge the digital divide and empower communities to address local challenges, highlighting how open-source collaboration can foster community-led solutions.
