Design Fiction

The School of Design has played a key role in establishing Design Fiction as a distinctive form of research that enables researchers, designers and citizens to explore possible futures and alternative presents through the production of speculative narratives, artefacts and methods. Design fiction enables us to respond to complex problems through equally complex narratives about the ways that design can and does shape the world.

Our researchers have used Design Fiction and other speculative methods to address a broad range of emergent issues such as healthy ageing, trust in the Internet of Things (IoT), smart cities and hate crime. This work is often undertaken with a participatory ethos and our researchers have worked with project partners including the Mozilla Foundation, Oxfam, Newcastle City Council, Northumbria Police and the Elders Council.

Our researchers in this area have a strong track record of publishing in leading Design and HCI venues including CHI, TOCHI, DIS, and Research Through Design. However, Design Fiction has the power to engage publics and our work has been presented in venues such Newcastle City Libraries, Northern Pride and Baltic 39.