Speculative design and experiential futures are practices for influencing what is possible by materialising the imaginary. This is an edited version of a presentation by design futurist Stuart Candy to the Stanford d.School class "Decay of Digital Things" (http://decay.io) at the invitation of Elizabeth Goodman (@egoodman) on May 1, 2014.

1. Speculative design
and
experiential futures
Stuart Candy, Ph.D | @futuryst
Director of the Situation Lab | @sitlab
Asst Prof, Faculty of Design, OCAD University | @OCAD
Stanford d.School
1 May 2014

2. “Always design a thing
by considering it
in its next larger context
– a chair in a room,
a room in a house,
a house in an environment,
an environment in a city plan.”
- Eliel Saarinen (1873-1950)

3. Source: Candy 2014, based on Wendy Schultz /
Hawaii Research Center for Futures Studies
planning
admin/ops
foresight
TIME
SCOPE
PARTICIPATION
What should happen in orgs: Planning for alternative futures
‘Outside in’
thinking;
foresight
informing
action today

4. Source: Candy 2014, based on Wendy Schultz /
Hawaii Research Center for Futures Studies
TIME
SCOPE
PARTICIPATION
What usually happens in orgs: Planning for the present
planning
admin/ops
(foresight?)
‘Inside-out’
thinking;
extrapolation of
the present

5. Source: Candy 2014, based on Wendy Schultz /
Hawaii Research Center for Futures Studies
TIME
SCOPE
PARTICIPATION
How design should work: informed by experimentation from both sides
‘Inside-out’
thinking and
‘outside in’
simultaneously
design
making
foresight

6. the present
moment
time 

7. Chess:
After one player moves: 20
After 1 move each: 400
After 2 moves each: 72,084
After 3 moves each: 9,000,000+
After 4 moves each:
288,000,000,000+

8. Source: Candy 2010
Based on Hancock & Bezold, 1994

23. Setting
Story
Situation

30. Arc
Terrain
Object

31. Arc
Terrain
Object
Mood

33. #futurething
@futuryst | futuryst.com
@sitlab | situationlab.org