- Question
Can speculative design provide value in corporate settings?
Speculative design (closely related to design fiction, design futures, or critical design) is the practice of designing future products or services as a way to explore the potential impacts of emerging technology or social or cultural trends. The practice shows up in art galleries and academic settings, but can it provide value in corporate settings where most incentives exist around the near term success of the organization?
Yes, speculative design can provide value in corporate settings
This position holds that speculative design can add real value in corporate settings. It argues that by countering decision-makers' fixation on the present, it widens the range of futures a company weighs — focusing on technology's long-term impact and improving strategic decisions.
No, Speculative design cannot provide value in corporate settings
The approach needs freedom from current constraints to work and cannot provide monetary value to an organization in the near term