The OpenAI research on Speculative Design

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Open sidebar — This is an experiment. This one has a boring, but correct result.

Rob Tyrie
What is speculative product design?

OpenAI

Speculative product design is a design approach that involves creating concepts for products or services that may or may not be feasible or even possible to create with current technology. This type of design is often used to explore what the future might look like and to spark discussions about the implications of new technologies and design approaches. Speculative product design can be a valuable tool for designers, businesses, and researchers who are looking to push the boundaries of what is possible and to imagine the future in new and exciting ways.

Rob Tyrie
Write the 12 steps of the speculative design approach

1. Identify a design challenge or problem to be addressed.
2. Conduct research on the current state of technology and the potential future developments that may impact the design challenge.
3. Develop a set of design principles or guidelines to guide the design process.
4. Generate ideas for potential solutions to the design challenge.
5. Evaluate and refine the ideas based on their feasibility, potential impact, and alignment with the design principles.
6. Create conceptual designs for the selected ideas.
7. Develop prototypes or mockups to test and refine the concepts.
8. Evaluate the prototypes and make any necessary changes or adjustments.
9. Create a final design that incorporates feedback from the prototype testing.
10. Develop a plan for implementing the final design, including any necessary technical development or collaboration with other teams or organizations.
11. Test and evaluate the final design to ensure that it meets the design objectives and addresses the original challenge.
12. Communicate the design and its potential impact to relevant stakeholders, such as customers, investors, or regulators.

The following is an adjustment to the Speculative Design Approach mixing in Snowden’s Cynefin Framework .

Visual of Snowden's Cynefin Framework

The Cynefin Framework from the Sensemaker company is a valuable tool for product designers who are facing complex and uncertain design challenges. By understanding the complexity of a situation and determining the appropriate approach to take, designers can more effectively navigate the design process and develop solutions that are both feasible and impactful.

One example of a product design method using the Cynefin framework might involve the following steps:

1. Identify the design challenge or problem that needs to be addressed. This could be anything from developing a new product or service to improving an existing one.
2. Conduct research to gather information about the current state of technology and potential future developments that may impact the design challenge. This can help designers understand the complexity of the situation and determine which category it falls into according to the Cynefin framework.
3. Develop a set of design principles or guidelines to guide the design process. These principles should be based on the research conducted in step 2 and should reflect the of the situation and whether it is clear, complicated, complex or chaotic.
4. Generate ideas for potential solutions to the design challenge. This could involve brainstorming sessions, idea generation tools, or other creative techniques.
5. Evaluate and refine the ideas based on their feasibility, costs, time scale,risks, potential impact, and alignment with the design principles. This step is critical for ensuring that the ideas being pursued are both feasible and impactful.
6. Create conceptual designs for the selected ideas. This could involve sketching, modeling, causal diagrams, abstract layers, flow diagrams , business canvases or other visualization techniques.
7. Develop causal diagrams, platform canvas, simulations, prototypes or mockups to test and refine the concepts. This step is important for ensuring that the designs are functional and effective.
8. Evaluate the prototypes and make any necessary changes or adjustments. This could involve user testing, focus groups, or other forms of feedback.
9. Create a final design MVP that incorporates feedback from the prototype testing. This should be a refined and polished version of the initial concept.
10. Develop a plan and estimates (money, time, risks) for implementing the final design, including any necessary technical development or collaboration with other teams or organizations. This step should outline the specific steps that need to be taken to bring the design to life.
11. Test and evaluate the final design to ensure that it meets the design objectives and addresses the original challenge. This could involve deeper research, simulation, field testing, market research, or other forms of evaluation.
12. Communicate the design and its potential and probability of impacts and second order results to relevant stakeholders, such as customers, investors, or regulators. This step is important for ensuring that the design is understood and appreciated by those who will be impacted by it.

Overall, this product design method using the Cynefin framework provides a structured and comprehensive approach to tackling complex and uncertain design challenges. By understanding the complexity of the situation and applying appropriate design principles and techniques, designers can develop solutions that are both feasible and impactful

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