Design for Future Discourse: Creating the Speculative Design-inspired Exhibition MODULATION: Rewiring the Self
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Studio Art, emphasis in Graphic Design
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Gregory Scott Cook; Sarah Martin; Antje Gamble, PhD
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
Humans have long combined speculation and design. Early examples like General Motors’ Futurama at the 1939 World’s Fair introduced Americans to the idea of expressways and invited them to imagine possible futures. While intriguing, this mix of design and future thinking stood to benefit corporations overall, which is where speculative design comes in. Pioneered by design duo Dunne & Raby, speculative design uses design not as a way to engineer solutions to difficult problems, but “as means to explore the cultural and technological potentials of design, effectively blurring material and conceptual boundaries” (Mitrović et al. 2021, 175). Designing objects or scenarios from potential futures allows viewers to engage with possibilities tactilely and come up with their own personal interpretations. Partially inspired by my own experience with chronic illness, as well as interest in human technology interaction through writers like Charlie Brooker, my exhibition focuses on telling the story of neuromodulation, a technology that uses stimulation to alter nerve activity, typically to fight drug-resistent pain and chronic conditions. Product design, advertisements, and other future objects are used to envision a world where this technology is as prevalent as smart phones. Through the use of speculative objects, as well as the institutional authority of museums to present narratives and information, MODULATION: Rewiring the Self will show a compelling vision of future technology and human integration told through a curated, speculative design-focused lens. My thesis explores the history and use of speculative design, the creative process through which I created the objects, and expanded explanations of the future scenarios presented.
Spring Scholars Week 2026
Honors College Senior Thesis Presentations
Design for Future Discourse: Creating the Speculative Design-inspired Exhibition MODULATION: Rewiring the Self
Humans have long combined speculation and design. Early examples like General Motors’ Futurama at the 1939 World’s Fair introduced Americans to the idea of expressways and invited them to imagine possible futures. While intriguing, this mix of design and future thinking stood to benefit corporations overall, which is where speculative design comes in. Pioneered by design duo Dunne & Raby, speculative design uses design not as a way to engineer solutions to difficult problems, but “as means to explore the cultural and technological potentials of design, effectively blurring material and conceptual boundaries” (Mitrović et al. 2021, 175). Designing objects or scenarios from potential futures allows viewers to engage with possibilities tactilely and come up with their own personal interpretations. Partially inspired by my own experience with chronic illness, as well as interest in human technology interaction through writers like Charlie Brooker, my exhibition focuses on telling the story of neuromodulation, a technology that uses stimulation to alter nerve activity, typically to fight drug-resistent pain and chronic conditions. Product design, advertisements, and other future objects are used to envision a world where this technology is as prevalent as smart phones. Through the use of speculative objects, as well as the institutional authority of museums to present narratives and information, MODULATION: Rewiring the Self will show a compelling vision of future technology and human integration told through a curated, speculative design-focused lens. My thesis explores the history and use of speculative design, the creative process through which I created the objects, and expanded explanations of the future scenarios presented.