Co-Creating Futures – A Practical Guide to Speculation Workshops Connecting Research, Design, and Society
Open Access Publication by Antje Nestler and Kristin Werner
How can public engagement foster creative exchange between science and society? Matters of Activity Science Communicator Antje Nestler and former CollActive Materials Coordinator Kristin Werner explore science communication through collaborative speculation. From foundational concepts to practical workshop tools and worksheets, this guide for public engagement practitioners and curious researchers offers tested methods for bringing together academic research, design, and society in co-creating pathways into a sustainable future.
The open-access publication can be found here:
https://doi.org/10.18452/31342
We also have a supply of printed copies. If you are interested, please get in touch with antje.nestler [at] hu-berlin.de!
Introduction
Speculation – the process of imagining uncertain future outcomes – is a fundamentally human endeavor. Throughout history and at many moments in our lives, we have wondered what the future might hold. We engage in speculation to make decisions, prepare for possible events, and adjust our actions to ensure the best possible outcomes. The future, however, seems increasingly difficult to imagine. Human-made crises, globalization, and technological developments with far-reaching implications have made our current challenges more and more complex and interconnected. Research and researchers make an enormous contribution to understanding our world and its difficulties. However, research alone will not be able to find solutions to today’s complex problems. The inextricably linked nature of these challenges means that all fields of knowledge must contribute to finding sustainable practices. To achieve this, we need new ways for research and all sectors of society to meaningfully engage in co-creating the future.
With CollActive Materials, an experimental laboratory for science communication, we have explored speculation as a method for public engagement. CollActive Materials, funded by the »Berlin University Alliance« and established by the Berlin Clusters of Excellence »Matters of Activity« and »Science of Intelligence«, has invited over 300 participants to engage in creative dialogue through speculation. Running from 2022 to 2025, the project has combined participatory co-creation – inspired by speculative design – with current research content, making it a unique space for public engagement.
In this guidebook, we summarize tried-and-tested methods for co-creative speculation with research. This book is designed for science communicators, public engagement practitioners, public debate initiators, and, of course, researchers who want to co-create and stimulate discussions on possible futures and to find new approaches, ways of thinking, and applications to further their own research. It is our hope that speculation can help identify pressing problems and needs, share concerns and desires, and cultivate new pathways for knowledge exchange between research and society, thereby ultimately paving the way for more sustainable solutions.
In the first chapter, we introduce key concepts underpinning our approach to speculating with research. The second chapter sets out a series of questions that will help you prepare any speculative format from the (initial) ideation stage. The heart of this book is the third chapter, which presents a wide selection of tools for speculation and co-creation, which we have tested in various formats, some of which we highlight in the fourth chapter. With the preparation tools, workshop methods, worksheets, and sample workshop schedules presented in this guidebook, we hope that we will inspire you to use speculation in your field and find your own speculative practices.