Abstract
This paper explores the use of diegetic prototypes as critical design interventions to provoke reflection on human values in technology use. We present Anima, a speculative digital twin service designed as a commercial product website. Designed to feel both plausible and unsettling, Anima simulates a future of total optimization—raising ethical questions around privacy, autonomy, critical thinking, and human connection. Informed by interviews with older adults, we identified four core values and translated them into exaggerated product features intended to surface tensions and provoke discomfort. A second cohort of younger participants engaged with the prototype through asynchronous surveys and follow- up interviews. Rather than evaluating usability or desirability, we assessed the depth and quality of participant reflection. Findings suggest that Anima effectively made visible value tensions and contradictions between participants’ behaviors and beliefs. Key themes included heightened awareness of personal boundaries, discomfort with cognitive outsourcing, and recognition of current dependencies on AI systems. The prototype also inspired design critiques and alternative proposals, demonstrating its capacity to move beyond critique into creative speculation. We conclude by outlining a five-step framework for using diegetic prototypes to support value-centered design reflection. As speculative and critical design methods move from niche practice into mainstream applications, this approach offers a scalable model for engaging diverse publics in shaping ethical technological futures. In a time of rapid tech adoption, diegetic prototypes offer a pause—inviting users to rethink what kind of futures we are designing, and for whom.
Keywords
Design futuring; Speculative design; Diegetic prototype; Value-driven design
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.823
Citation
Omori, M., Angeles, L., Lim, Y.,and Angeles, L.(2025) Design Futuring through Diegetic Prototypes: Provoking Value Reflection on Emerging Technologies, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.823
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 2 - Design Futuring
Design Futuring through Diegetic Prototypes: Provoking Value Reflection on Emerging Technologies
This paper explores the use of diegetic prototypes as critical design interventions to provoke reflection on human values in technology use. We present Anima, a speculative digital twin service designed as a commercial product website. Designed to feel both plausible and unsettling, Anima simulates a future of total optimization—raising ethical questions around privacy, autonomy, critical thinking, and human connection. Informed by interviews with older adults, we identified four core values and translated them into exaggerated product features intended to surface tensions and provoke discomfort. A second cohort of younger participants engaged with the prototype through asynchronous surveys and follow- up interviews. Rather than evaluating usability or desirability, we assessed the depth and quality of participant reflection. Findings suggest that Anima effectively made visible value tensions and contradictions between participants’ behaviors and beliefs. Key themes included heightened awareness of personal boundaries, discomfort with cognitive outsourcing, and recognition of current dependencies on AI systems. The prototype also inspired design critiques and alternative proposals, demonstrating its capacity to move beyond critique into creative speculation. We conclude by outlining a five-step framework for using diegetic prototypes to support value-centered design reflection. As speculative and critical design methods move from niche practice into mainstream applications, this approach offers a scalable model for engaging diverse publics in shaping ethical technological futures. In a time of rapid tech adoption, diegetic prototypes offer a pause—inviting users to rethink what kind of futures we are designing, and for whom.