Design Fiction 4 Critical Thinking: Designing Consciously Technological Artefacts to Tackle Aware Behaviours_research

“Design Fiction 4 Critical Thinking: Designing consciously Technological Artefacts to tackle aware behaviours” is a PhD research that aims at researching and defining new and more critical approaches for the design of technological artefacts, able to trigger and support aware behaviours. This research defines and sets a new theoretical approach for designing technological artefacts, founded on Design Fiction principles to trigger critical thinking regarding the possible ethical and societal implications of technologies and human behaviour.

The approach proposed within this research implies operationalising the design fiction principles into the protocol ready for use by design researchers and practitioners. The protocol is a set of rules and procedures to follow to design more consciously technological artefacts and suggests using the future as a space for critical inquiry, exploiting different theoretical concepts and tools that can help researchers and designers build anticipatory scenarios.

In parallel with the Protocol, this research introduces the envisioning tool Tech Inspiration Cards (TICs) and Societal Inspiration Cards (SICs) – the library of SCI-FI titles in the form of cards exploring diegetic prototypes, aiming at triggering discussion about how we perceive the future, ethical and societal implications, to suspend disbelief, stereotypes and myths about the future, technological and scientific development. 

The protocol and envisioning tool can be used in different design activities, from brainstorming and short-term workshops to implementing it transversally in design and design research projects.

The protocol and envisioning tool are protected by the Trademark at Technology Transfer Office at Politecnico di Milano [deposited to the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP)]: 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

***The outputs of this research aim at supporting the processes toward sustainable development (Sustainable Development Goals), and it supports the objectives of building more thriving, resilient, and sustainable societies and conditions, exploring both micro (local) and macro (global) levels. It is founded on the values of the EU such as Human Dignity, Democracy, Human Rights, and goals oriented toward promoting the well-being of the citizens, sustainable development, social progress, promoting scientific and technological growth, and others, and it raises the questions on how the design discipline and design knowledge can contribute and support these processes.