Within the design industry there has been much promotion of how designers can engage
with future oriented projects yet, there has been little investigation within academic design
research of the methods employed. In some ways much of the discourse coming out of
design practice is commercial propaganda - with the sole aim of generating new business.
The design industry is good at communicating what future focussed services it is able to
offer yet the methods employed are shrouded in a similar level of mystery (and scepticism)
as those employed by a magician or shaman. Commercial sensitivities mean that the design
industry is good as say what they can do in terms of creating future oriented ‘next-next
generation’ products and services yet they do not convey how this is achieved with the
same level of enthusiasm. A design led futures framework is presented to support designers
in the development of next-next generation products (and services) and provides a
mechanism to underpin future oriented design projects. Based upon analysis of empirical
evidence drawn from 40+ expert interviews, the study identifies the growing need for
organisations to engage designers to consider the future within an increasingly complex
and competitive product and service developmental landscape.
DRS 2012 Bangkok
with future oriented projects yet, there has been little investigation within academic design
research of the methods employed. In some ways much of the discourse coming out of
design practice is commercial propaganda - with the sole aim of generating new business.
The design industry is good at communicating what future focussed services it is able to
offer yet the methods employed are shrouded in a similar level of mystery (and scepticism)
as those employed by a magician or shaman. Commercial sensitivities mean that the design
industry is good as say what they can do in terms of creating future oriented ‘next-next
generation’ products and services yet they do not convey how this is achieved with the
same level of enthusiasm. A design led futures framework is presented to support designers
in the development of next-next generation products (and services) and provides a
mechanism to underpin future oriented design projects. Based upon analysis of empirical
evidence drawn from 40+ expert interviews, the study identifies the growing need for
organisations to engage designers to consider the future within an increasingly complex
and competitive product and service developmental landscape.
DRS 2012 Bangkok
