Design transforms our current world into a preferred state. Conclusions about what such preferred states are, requires in depth knowledge about ethics, economics and technology. But since these preferred states are situated in the future, they always include a certain amount of speculation.
Science Fiction books and films speculate about possible futures and technological developments. This genre has a rich history of ideas and stories. They often reflect the current trends in our society. The original Star Trek TV series, for example, reflected the cold war. The united earth symbolized America, whereas the Klingons represented the USSR.
Understanding the social and cultural dimensions of Science Fiction, enables the students to make better choices in their designs. Designers are at the pivot point of creating brave new worlds and they require knowledge about what visions of the future exist to be able to avoid a 1984. Continue reading “Visions of the future”