What will be the impact of synthetic biology and gene therapy on relationships and families 25 years from now? How might global warming affect human populations living under the sea? What subcultures might arise with the advent of ubiquitous artificial intelligence? These are all questions that can be interrogated through the lens of Speculative & Critical Design. Sometimes sensational, this work can be used to spur debate about critical issues and decisions we may have to face around policy surrounding new technology.

In this workshop we’ll harness this method of Design Thinking and use it as a tool to surface and address social, cultural, and ethical issues. We’ll introduce design lenses that will allow participants to investigate signals in the present, project them into a point in the future, and manifest a product or service with considerations of the state of the future environment.

This event is part of the SXgood Hub, a creative content venue that is curated and produced by SXSW Eco. Learn more and see the Hub’s full schedule of events here.