Chapter 4: Introduction to Speculative Design
In this chapter, the text introduces the concept of Speculative Design as a progressive alternative to mainstream design culture. Benjamin Bratton challenges the notion that design is a magical solution and asserts that design can either reinforce or undo pathological relationships to material culture. The importance of speculation in the global economy and the role of speculative models in exploring actual possibilities are discussed. The chapter emphasizes the need for a more rigorous approach to futurity and questions the idea of making all design "human scale.
Speculative Design, as presented by Bratton, offers itself as a departure from conventional design thinking, challenging the belief that design processes involving tools like stick-up notes and colored beanbags inherently lead to improvements. Instead, the chapter posits that design is a dual-edged tool, capable of making both efficient and delightful the pathological relationships humanity has with material culture. There is a suggestion that the role of design in the 21st century may involve not only the creation of new objects but also a reclamation and re-launching of frustrated Modern impulses.
Speculation, as a key component of this alternative perspective, is characterized not as ephemeral but deeply embedded in the global economy. Bratton argues that speculative models are essential tools for exploring possibilities beyond predicting likely outcomes. The text challenges the conventional view that the future is solely about prediction, advocating instead for the rotation of speculative models