The Co-ordinates of Design Fiction

Mark Blythe, Enrique Encinas

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaper

51 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper argues that design fiction is a powerful term in part because it is malleable. A wide range of differing design fictions are emerging and we pursue a spatial metaphor to provide a map based on literary approaches. Following Margaret Atwood we trace design fiction back to marvel and wonder tales such as the Arabian Nights through to the science fiction of the nineteenth and twentieth century. We suggest science, magic, ambiguity and irony as the cardinal points of design fiction. We then apply these four different approaches to design fiction to the concept of a divorce app for older people. We argue that currently design fiction is dominated by scientistic and ironic design fiction and suggest that magic and ambiguity are currently under explored.
Original languageEnglish
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 13 Nov 2016
EventGROUP 2016 - ACM Conference on Supporting Group Work - Sanibel Island, Florida
Duration: 13 Nov 2016 → …

Conference

ConferenceGROUP 2016 - ACM Conference on Supporting Group Work
Period13/11/16 → …

Keywords

  • Design fiction
  • well being
  • older people
  • magic

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