Abstract
This paper introduces a research project investigating the role of design fiction prototypes in design research and practice to tackle the Grand Societal Challenges, sustainable user behaviours, and the role of technologies in supporting the process of building thriving futures. Dealing with the pervasive technological development and increased demand on societal challenges, there is a need to imply critical reflection and take equal action at all levels of transformation. The potential of design research and practice to tackle societal challenges and influence human behaviour is well established. Technological artefacts actively shape ones being in the world, actions, experiences, and habits. The current tools and methods used in the design research and practice concerned with designing technologies to tackle human behaviour frame the user as merely an executor of a specific behavioural programme without considering the broader context in which an individual exists. The author describes a new critical approach used to generate two design fiction prototypes, engaging experts from different fields of study (neurosciences, social psychology, design research, behavioural design, digital design, and design for sustainability). This paper shows how such an approach can be integrated into design research and practice to anticipate unintended behavioural outcomes and the ethical implications behind using technology to trigger sustainable behaviours. The critical approach aims to shift the attention from purely cognitive aspects of human behaviour to experiential ones to understand how people make sense of the world and explore new social and interaction rituals that may lead users to adopt and preserve sustainable behavioural patterns and practices. The design fiction prototypes delivered throughout this research were tested in focus groups. In conclusion, the author reports the results from focus groups and discusses the benefits and limitations of such an approach. Finally, this paper introduces possible future developments.
Keywords
Sustainable Behaviours; Grand Societal Challenges; Technologies; Design Fiction Prototyping; Conscious Design
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/eksig2023.154
Citation
Stepanovic, M.(2023) Design Fiction Prototyping to tackle Societal Challenges and support Design for Sustainable Behaviours, in Silvia Ferraris, Valentina Rognoli, Nithikul Nimkulrat (eds.), EKSIG 2023: From Abstractness to Concreteness – experiential knowledge and the role of prototypes in design research, 19–20 June 2023, Milan, Italy. https://doi.org/10.21606/eksig2023.154
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Design Fiction Prototyping to tackle Societal Challenges and support Design for Sustainable Behaviours
This paper introduces a research project investigating the role of design fiction prototypes in design research and practice to tackle the Grand Societal Challenges, sustainable user behaviours, and the role of technologies in supporting the process of building thriving futures. Dealing with the pervasive technological development and increased demand on societal challenges, there is a need to imply critical reflection and take equal action at all levels of transformation. The potential of design research and practice to tackle societal challenges and influence human behaviour is well established. Technological artefacts actively shape ones being in the world, actions, experiences, and habits. The current tools and methods used in the design research and practice concerned with designing technologies to tackle human behaviour frame the user as merely an executor of a specific behavioural programme without considering the broader context in which an individual exists. The author describes a new critical approach used to generate two design fiction prototypes, engaging experts from different fields of study (neurosciences, social psychology, design research, behavioural design, digital design, and design for sustainability). This paper shows how such an approach can be integrated into design research and practice to anticipate unintended behavioural outcomes and the ethical implications behind using technology to trigger sustainable behaviours. The critical approach aims to shift the attention from purely cognitive aspects of human behaviour to experiential ones to understand how people make sense of the world and explore new social and interaction rituals that may lead users to adopt and preserve sustainable behavioural patterns and practices. The design fiction prototypes delivered throughout this research were tested in focus groups. In conclusion, the author reports the results from focus groups and discusses the benefits and limitations of such an approach. Finally, this paper introduces possible future developments.