Amphibious scales and anticipatory design

• Published in: Nordic Design Research Conference, Nordes 2021: Matters of Scale
• Main Authors: Morrison, Andrew, Kerspern, Bastien, Dudani, Palak, Steggell, Amanda
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: DRS Digital Library 2021
• Subjects: Amphibious scales; Anticipatory design; Design futures literacies; Speculative design; Design fiction; Art and Design; Arctic; Northern Sea Route
• Online Access: https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/nordes/nordes2021/researchpapers/22; https://doi.org/10.21606/nordes.2021.18; https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/context/nordes/article/1112/viewcontent/550.pdf

This paper considers dynamics between Anticipatory Design and relational ontological scales in imagining, articulating and shaping futures. This spans speculative, experimental and experiential engagement with imaginary futures for rethinking relations to the present and long-term sustainable ones. Such acts are situated as design futures literacies that encompass design fiction, extended choreography and arctic futurescaping. Drawing on three design fictive devices developed across two projects, a set of eight ‘Amphibious Scales’ we developed in the context of the Anthropocene. The scales are amphibious in their slipperiness and dynamic, and emergent status. Their genesis is given via accounts of the design fictive works centring on the persona of an octopus and scenarios on the Arctic Northern Sea Route.