Speculative Perspectives: Navigating Liminality

Schneider, Ákos and Vissonova, Karina and Mitrović, Ivica (2024) Speculative Perspectives: Navigating Liminality. In: P/References of Design. Cumulus conference proceedings series, 1 . Cumulus Association, Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest, Budapest, pp. 1027-1029. ISBN 978-952-7549-02-5

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Abstract

This year's Cumulus theme began with the understanding that, in an age of polycrisis (Morin and Kern, 1999), refining existing practices is not enough; we must also critically reevaluate the foundational preferences and references of modern design at a systemic level. Our track aimed to gather diverse perspectives on speculative design, pushing the conversation beyond its traditional limits. Designers have long been seen as problem-solvers, addressing a wide range of human needs and desires. However, as ecological and technological shifts challenge the market-driven, user-centered paradigm (Norman, 1988, Verganti, 2009), designers are increasingly exploring the complexities that arise when acknowledging that design's spatial and temporal dimensions extend far beyond the human scale. This change in perspective serves as a catalyst for new enquiries, in which design ventures into the realm of the speculative, the unconventional, and the transformative. Can design's role extend beyond its established boundaries? Can we consider distant futures, parallel timelines, or alternate pasts? Can we embrace a more expansive design philosophy? These questions guided our thinking about the track.

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