Black Mirror “Playtest” Dir. Dan TrachtenbergZeppotron, 2017
sciencefictiondesign
akseli anttila14.03.2017
why science fiction?
test the extreme implications of a new situation
Soylent Green. Dir. Richard Fleischer. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1973. Film.
overpopulationsituation
Soylent Green. Dir. Richard Fleischer. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1973. Film.
cannibalismimplication
Films with significant mainstream appeal and decent production value.
focusmainstream
Alien. Dir. Ridley Scott. Brandywine Productions, Twentieth Century-Fox Productions, 1979. Film.
noyes
scope
Ender’s Game. Dir. Gavin Hood. Summit Entertainment, OddLot Entertainment, 2013. Film.
The Thing. Dir. John Carpenter. Universal Pictures, Turman-Foster Company, 1982. Film.
Films that portray everyday environments and show examples of design solutions that are close to the questions encountered in normal design practice.
focusrealistic worlds
Star Trek. Desilu Productions, Norway Corporation, Paramount Television 1966-69. TV Series.
A Clockwork Orange. Dir. Stanley Kubrick. Warner Bros., Hawk Films, 1971. Film.
Moments in the life of the protagonists that are every day occurences a normal viewer can identify with.
focusnear future mundane
Saturn 3. Dir. Stanley Donen, John Barry. Incorporated Television Company, 1980. Film.
three eras
modern utopiascience noirdigital intangible
modern utopiaera
2001: A Space Odyssey. Dir. Stanley Kubrick. MGM, Stanley Kubrick Producions , 1968. Film.
thememodern
Visiona I Joe Colombo, Inneneinrichtung des experimentellen Interieurs Visiona I auf der Kölner Möbelmesse für die Firma Bayer, Leverkusen, 1969 Ignazia Favata/Studio Joe Colombo, Milan
progress and evolution
star trek 1966-69
Star Trek. Gene Roddenberry. Desilu Productions, Norway Corporation, Paramount Television 1966-69. TV Series.
Star Trek is one of the most influential science fiction serials in the modern age. Running for four years, it inspired a generation of designers, engineers and scientists.
Space station Hilton hotel interior. Striking example of space age modern in the form of Djinn chairs by Olivier Mourgue.
2001 1968
2001: A Space Odyssey. Dir. Stanley Kubrick. MGM, Stanley Kubrick Producions , 1968. Film.
“Plastics.” “Exactly how do you mean?”“There is a great future in Plastics. Think about it.”
The Graduate. Dir. Mike Nichols. 1967
idiomspace age modern
Space 1999. Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Group 3, Incorporated Television Company (ITC), Radiotelevisione Italiana. 1975-77. TV Series.
science noirera
Blade Runner. Dir. Ridley Scott. The Ladd Company, Shaw Brothers, Warner Bros., 1982. Film.
visionmodern hangover oil crisis
urban terrorism
ecology
themedystopia
Demolition of the Pruitt-Igoe housing estate St-Louis Missouri 1972-1976
“The modern mind reversed this perception, replacing the certainty of progress with the fear of the coming apocalypse... The nightmare of consciousness and science fiction were the central laboratories of this reversal.” Franco Berardi Bifo. After the Future 2011.
clockwork orange 1971
A Clockwork Orange. Dir. Stanley Kubrick. Warner Bros., Hawk Films, 1971. Film.
(Top) Thamesmead housing estate. Photo by by Jon Bennet 2006.
A dysfunctional world as a candid look at brutalist architecture and pop art.
THX 1138 1971
THX 1138. Dir. George Lucas. American Zoetrope, Warner Bros., 1971. Film.
Clinical technology embodies the utter inhumanity and desolation of the world.
soylent green 1973
Soylent Green. Dir. Richard Fleischer. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1973. Film.
A world in the middle of an ecological disaster is divided between the affluent few and the destitute masses.
alien1979
Alien Dir. Ridley Scott.Brandywine Productions, Twentieth Century-Fox Productions., 1979. Film.
Lived-in modern environments and the biological other.
blade runner 1982
Blade Runner. Dir. Ridley Scott. The Ladd Company, Shaw Brothers, Warner Bros., 1982. Film.
Iconic masterpiece, post modern soup of multicultural ingredients.
idiomurban decay
Stalker. Dir. Andrey Tarkovsky. Mosfilm, 1979. Film.
idiomtechnology laid bare
Futureworld. Dir. Richard T. Heffron. American International, Aburey Company, 1976. Film.
idiomtechnologyvs.organic
Space 1999. Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Group 3, ITC, RAI. 1975-77. TV Series.
Alien Dir. Ridley Scott.Brandywine, 20th Century-Fox, 1979. Film.
digital intangibleera
Minority Report. Dir. Steven Spielberg. Twentieth Century Fox, 2002. Film.
Design and production methods became increasingly digital. Computer created graphics replace the practical and optical effects used in the past. Digital services and products were the focus of new business and design opportunities.
breakpointphysical to digital
Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Dir. James Cameron.Carolco Pictures. 1991. Film
Designers and makers are no longer constrained by the limitations of what can be physically manufactured.
visionanything can be done
Silent Running (Making of). Dir. Douglas Trumbull.Universal Pictures, 1972. Film.
I, Robot. Dir. Alex Proyas.20th Century Fox, 2004. Film.
The world is overlaid with constant streams of digital information. Public and private space are filled with spectacles of data.
Children of Men. Dir. Alfonso Cuarón.Universal Pictures, Strike Entertainment, Hit and Run productions. 2006. Film
visioninformation everywhere
minority report2002
Minority Report. Dir. Steven Spielberg. Twentieth Century Fox, 2002. Film.
Designers and futurists team up to create a seminal Science Fiction production.
Oblivion. Dir. Joseph Kosinski.Universal Pictures. 2013. Film.
oblivion 2013A production that plays with audience expectations using the language of modern, nostalgia and dystopian futures.
idiom
info overlay
Iron Man 3. Dir. Shane Black.Marvel Studios. 2013. Film.
idiom
space age modern ...again
Oblivion. Dir. Joseph Kosinski.Universal Pictures. 2013. Film.
science fiction as inspiration
the modern utopia offers a set of idioms to portray positive progress
design idioms
design idiomsmodern utopia
Ericsson Intel Nokia
Microsoft Microsoft Microsoft
science fiction beyond styling
prototypescritique
inspiration
inspiration
“[Douglas Caldwell] was amazed to see a solution to a 2,000-year-old problem that he dealt with every day. In a scene near the climax, the X-Men are gat ed around a large display surface... the map changes
practice
shape, as if it was made of hundreds of tiny pins, each rising and falling to form the topography needed...The reason this speculative technology was so important to Douglas was that he worked for the US
Shedroff, Nathan; Christopher Noessel (2012-09-17). Make It So: Interaction Design Lessons from Science
Fiction (p. 11). Rosenfeld Media. Kindle Edition.
Army Topographic Engineering Center. Part of his job was to create 3D maps and ship them to generals in the field, so they could study the theater of battle and consider tactics.”
inspiration
Police issue taser gun
inspiration
1948 GE Master-Slave Manipulator
inspiration
Motorla StarTac phone
practicesf prototypes
“SF prototypes... endeavour to create science fiction developed specifically on science fact as a way to inspire a conversation about the future and ultimately explore the implications of that science on the everyday lives of people”
Brian David Johnson. Science Fiction Prototyping. 2011
lifeblogs
final cut2004
Final Cut Dir. Omar Naim.Lions Gate Entertainment, 2004. Film.
Examining the ethical and practical questions related torecording everything a person sees and hears.
case study
findingsPrivacy issues related to handling sensitive personal data: What are the responsibilities of the parties that have access to all the experiences of a person.
Relationship between data curation and creating narrative and meaning: The data snippets selected from the entirety can be used to create different narratives.
Interaction design issues when dealing with terabytes of audiovisual data: Lifelogging creates enormous amounts of data that need to be acted upon in order to create meaning.
Importance of thanatocentric design considerations when creating systems of long-term personal data storage: What will happen to personal data when the owner dies, who will inherit it or have access to it.
privacy
truth
really big data
ownership
critical design
“Critical Design uses speculative design proposals to challenge narrow assumptions, preconceptions and givens about the role products play in everyday life. It is more of an attitude than anything else, a position rather than a method... Its opposite is affirmative design: design that reinforces the status quo.”
Dunne and Raby, After Life Euthanasia Device, 2009.
practice
science fiction as innovation toolkit
scenariosexploration
critique
inspiration
different worlds
fiction and reality
however...
Movies are powered by dramatic conflict. Interfaces offer dramatic potential if the user has to struggle to use them. They should be especially difficult to use for critical tasks.
different worldsdramatic factors
Frau im Mond. Dir. Fritz Lang. Fritz Lang-Films, UFA, 1929. DVD.
Creating a real world space suit has a completely different set of design requirements than a movie prop. The audience wants to see the face of the actor, while the real world astronaut has to be protected from radiation and glaring sunlight.
different worldsspace suit
NASA photo. Apollo 13 suit. Star Trek Into Darkness. Dir. J. J. Abrams. Paramoount pictures, 2013. Film.
Transparent information walls are an excellent dramatic vehicle to show both exciting visuals and the actor at the same time. Real world ergonomics are ignored for maximum visual and dramatic impact.
info walls
U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class William L. Vandermate.
Minority Report. Dir. Steven Spielberg. Twentieth Century Fox, 2002. Film.
different worlds
abstracting the reflected
subject from its surroundings
black mirror
what is your agenda?
critical agenda
affirmative agendaprogress
design
drama
Soylent Green. Dir. Richard Fleischer. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1973. Film.