Approach to designing consciously technological artefacts
The critical approach proposed by this research is integrating future thinking, the building of scenarios and dietetic prototypes as a part of design research and practice to trigger to deliver a more conscious design of technological artefacts and enable critical reflection regarding the possible implications of what is designed. The critical approach advocates that the Future can help design research and practice to open up to a broader range of interests and contexts to enable critical reflection, envision and prototype not-yet-existing artefacts and scenarios, and anticipate possible implications of what is designed. The author argues that such an approach can help deliver a more conscious design of technological artefacts by enabling the design researchers and practitioners to adopt the pluriversal perspectives and think of the technologies as active social actors concerning the human and non-human actors, environment, and society.
_Protocol for Designing Consciously and Envisionig Tool (TM)
The author shapes the idea behind the critical approach into the Protocol for Designing Consciously to provide practical tools for design researchers and practitioners to deal with the complexity. The Protocol for designing uses the Future as a space for critical inquiry and is framed into four phases. It integrates different theories, methods and tools from design theory and practice, social sciences, behavioural sciences, and philosophy of technology. Through these methods and tools, design researchers and practitioners can establish the connections between various elements and actors constructing the society and analyse the interactions between the human-non-human-environment and technologies.
In parallel with the Protocol, the author develops an Envisioning Tool exploiting Sci-Fi films and how the popular narratives represent future visions and treat the topics of societal issues and pervasive technological development and use. These popular narratives often represent the Future from the perspective of dystopic or utopic scenarios such as the world's destruction, environmental catastrophes, emerging inequalities, technological overtake, and many others. Nonetheless, these narratives are not always accurate or 'exaggerated' or tend to undergo style executions rather than provide a realistic possibility. They can be an essential source for analysing how the people and creative industry perceive the Future, which are disbeliefs about the Future, and reflect upon how to prevent these disbeliefs and inspire real-world action. The Envisioning Tool is a library of Sci-Fi films classified into Tech Inspiration Cards (TICs) and Societal Inspiration Cards (SICs). Each category was clusterised according to how the technologies and societal issues are present in popular narratives (what kind of issues they are treating, how the technologies are integrated into the society). The Envisioning Tool can be used with the Protocol for designing or separately to trigger the discussion among teams and inspire scenarios.
The critical approach with the Protocol for designing can be integrated into any design and research activity dealing with technologies, societal challenges, and human behaviour. The approach can be used during the entire design and research activity or at specific stages such as brainstorming, analyses of design briefs, idea generation, and others. During the last three years, the Protocol for designing and Envisioning tool was implemented in different design and research activities, from research projects to educational activities and workshops with researchers and experts.
*** The Critical Approach is protected by the European Trademark Benelux Office: Trademark for the Protocol for Designing consciously and Envisioning Tool by Benelux Office, N. 132761, Date:09-07-2021, Reference: 36930CO/DG, Title: Protocollo per progettare artefatti tecnologici