DYN910 Speculative Design and Futuring
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | DYN910 |
|---|---|
| Assumed Knowledge: | DYN900 |
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
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| Domestic tuition unit fee | $3,216 |
| International unit fee | $4,452 |
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2025, Kelvin Grove, Internal
| Unit code: | DYN910 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Assumed Knowledge: | DYN900 |
| Coordinator: | Heather McKinnon | h.mckinnon@qut.edu.au |
Overview
This unit offers a profound exploration of speculative design, scenario-based design, futuring, and anticipatory research methods. In an era marked by rapid change and uncertainty, understanding and shaping possible futures is essential. Through this unit, students will gain the knowledge and skills to engage in speculative design processes, employing creative methods to envision and articulate future scenarios across a utopia – dystopia spectrum. This is a vital capacity for professionals in design, innovation, and strategy.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Employ speculative design methodologies to envision alternative futures and strategic possibilities, demonstrating a profound understanding of their application in real-world scenarios.
- Critically analyse and evaluate speculative design scenarios through the application of anticipatory research methods and backcasting techniques, and communicate these insights effectively.
- Synthesise your knowledge and skills in speculative design and futuring to develop original, impactful, and ethical design scenarios, positioning you as a competent and innovative design thinker.
Content
This unit delves into the cutting-edge realms of speculative design, scenario-based design, futuring, and anticipatory research methods. Students will explore key concepts, methods and cases within the overarching domain of shaping potential futures through strategic design. The unit immerses students in the realm of creative and forward-thinking design. Students will learn to envision alternative futures – both utopian and dystopian – and craft tangible and compelling scenarios using innovative research methods. This unit equips students with the skills to become visionary problem solvers and strategic thinkers.
Within these overarching areas, specific topics that will be addressed include, but are not limited to:
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Speculative Design Fundamentals: Understand the foundations of speculative design, including its historical context and the role it plays in envisioning potential futures.
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Scenario-Based Design: Explore the principles of scenario-based design and its application in formulating strategic responses that address complex problems.
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Futuring and Future Studies: Delve into the field of futuring, examining its key concepts and methodologies for thinking critically about future possibilities.
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Anticipatory Research Methods: Gain insights into various research methods aimed at anticipating trends and identifying emerging opportunities.
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Envisioning Alternative Futures: Develop the skills to create compelling narratives and visual representations of potential future scenarios.
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Ethical Considerations: Discuss the ethical implications of speculative design and the responsible use of anticipatory research.
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Integration with Real-World Practice: Learn how to apply speculative design and futuring in practical contexts, bridging the gap between theory and professional applications.
The unit will also expose students to UN Sustainable Development Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns, and Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
Learning Approaches
In this unit, you will learn by engaging in a dynamic studio environment. This immersive approach fosters a creative, hands-on learning experience, allowing you to explore and master the complexities of speculative design, scenario-based design, futuring, and anticipatory research methods. The core learning methods and activities encompass the following:
- Studio Immersion: Studios are your creative playgrounds, simulating authentic, real-world environments where you will encounter the unpredictable, much like professional practice. These immersive sessions form the heart of your learning, providing the space to experiment, prototype, and innovate within the realm of speculative design and futuring.
- Collaborative Workshops: Engage in collaborative workshops that challenge your creative thinking and problem-solving abilities. These interactions allow you to harness collective intelligence, pushing the boundaries of speculative design.
- Online Discussions: Foster critical thinking by participating in online discussions, where you will exchange ideas, challenge assumptions, and engage with your peers. This collaborative space promotes the exploration of alternative futures.
- Self-Guided Research: Self-driven research and exploration are integral. You will be expected to independently delve into speculative design anticipatory research methods and learn how to use them to anticipate trends and emerging opportunities.
Key Expectations:
Your active participation in studio sessions, workshops, and discussions is crucial. It is essential to come prepared and ready to explore imaginative solutions to complex problems. You will be encouraged to experiment, take calculated risks, and embrace creative ambiguity. Furthermore, rigorous self-guided research is expected, where you independently explore the depths of speculative design and futuring.
These learning approaches will provide you with the tools, methods, and mindset to become a visionary strategist, capable of shaping potential futures. As you hone your creative and strategic skills, you will be equipped to excel in speculative design, scenario-based design, and futuring, preparing for real-world applications in design, innovation, and strategic thinking.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
In this unit, feedback is not just a mechanism for evaluation; it is a crucial part of your learning journey. To ensure your development as a speculative design and futuring expert, we employ a range of feedback strategies. These strategies are designed to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of your progress and guide your improvement throughout the unit.
1. Studio Critiques: Your studio sessions are a dynamic space for the exchange of ideas and feedback. You will actively participate in critiques, presenting your work and ideas to peers and academic staff. These interactive sessions offer constructive insights, diverse perspectives, and suggestions for refining your speculative design and futuring projects. It is an opportunity to learn from others, adapt your strategies, and refine your creative visions.
2. Peer Assessments: Embracing the philosophy of peer-to-peer learning, you will engage in peer assessments. These assessments involve reviewing the work of your peers based on specific criteria. This process not only sharpens your critical evaluation skills but also provides you with valuable feedback from different angles. Learning from your peers can be as enriching as learning from your instructors.
3. Written Feedback: Expect to receive written feedback from academic staff. This feedback will be provided in response to the Written Critique assessment item and is designed to empower you to identify your strengths, recognise areas for improvement, and align your work with the core concepts and expectations of speculative design and futuring.
4. Self-Reflection: Self-assessment is a vital feedback tool. You will be encouraged to reflect on your own work and growth throughout the unit. Through self-reflection, you can assess your progress, pinpoint areas where you can improve, and set goals for the future. Self-assessment fosters independence and self-awareness, qualities essential for success in speculative design and futuring.
Feedback in this unit is not just about the present; it is a bridge to your future work and learning. It is intended to provide you with the skills and insights necessary to excel in both your future units and your professional life as a forward-thinking speculative designer and futurist.
Assessment
Overview
Assessment in this unit is intentionally designed to provide you with opportunities for critical thinking, innovation, and the development of practical skills in speculative design and futuring. Each assessment task is a building block, guiding you towards a comprehensive understanding of the unit's learning outcomes.
Throughout the unit, various formative assessment activities will support your engagement with the summative assessments. These activities encompass studio sessions, peer critiques, and regular reflections on your work. They are designed to nurture your skills in speculative design and futuring and will guide you in preparing for the summative assessments.
To excel in these assessments, active participation in debates and consistent engagement with peer feedback and formative assessment activities are essential. Each assessment offers a distinct opportunity to apply your theoretical knowledge and practical skills to real-world scenarios. Embrace these tasks as chances to showcase your creativity and critical thinking. In the debate, it is crucial to observe formal rules and engage constructively with your team. In the written critique, originality, effective written communication, and content depth are paramount.
As you progress through these assessments, remember that the learning journey is as valuable as the destination. Feedback from both peers and academic staff is a valuable resource; use it to iterate and refine your work. By fully engaging with these assessments and associated activities, you will leave this unit not only with a strong foundation in speculative design and futuring but also with the capability to thrive in future academic and professional pursuits.
Research academics and industry partners and mentors will attend the debate and provide additional feedback.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Debate
In the spirit of collaborative learning, the debate task encourages you to delve into critical issues within speculative design and futuring. Working in teams, you will construct arguments for or against specific topics. This assessment aligns with the unit's learning outcomes by promoting your ability to explore multiple perspectives, formulate compelling arguments, and verbally communicate your ideas effectively in a group debate setting.
Assessment: Written Critique
The written critique task requires you to create a speculative design scenario, emphasising originality, and then provide a constructive, in-depth judgement based on established criteria. This multifaceted task links directly to the learning outcomes by sharpening your skills in scenario development, critical analysis, and effective written communication.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
You will be provided with a number of required readings that will be accessible via the Canvas site and/or the QUT Library. You will also have access to a range of software applications and online tools and platforms.
The unit Canvas site will provide a central repository for digital resources as well as documentation on unit housekeeping. You are expected to both review the unit Canvas site and check your QUT student email account at least daily.
Risk Assessment Statement
All commencing CIESJ students are required to complete the mandatory CIESJ Student HSE (Health, Safety and Environment) Inductions.
There are no extraordinary risks associated with the learning and teaching activities in this unit.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.DE88 Graduate Diploma in Strategic Design
- Demonstrate ethically and socially responsible judgement and decision making in individual and collaborative modes.
Relates to: Debate, Written Critique - Evaluate and incorporate sustainable practices in the context of Strategic Design.
Relates to: Debate, Written Critique - Develop an understanding of the international landscape by evaluating diverse cultural, economic, and geopolitical perspectives in the context of Strategic Design.
Relates to: Debate, Written Critique
DE99 Master of Design (Strategic Design)
- Demonstrate ethically and socially responsible judgement and decision making, recognising the importance of personal accountability, acumen and reflective practice when working in individual and collaborative modes
Relates to: Debate, Written Critique - Assess, integrate, and champion sustainable practices in the context of Strategic Design, demonstrating a commitment to environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and economic viability
Relates to: Debate, Written Critique - Develop a nuanced understanding and sensitivity of the international landscape by synthesising diverse cross-cultural, economic, and geopolitical perspectives for effective Strategic Design leadership and approaches
Relates to: Debate, Written Critique - Demonstrate an ability to research and apply established theories and plan and execute a substantial research project, cultivating and communicating designerly thinking
Relates to: Written Critique