DESIGN FUTURES LEXICON

THEMES AND UNITS

About the LEXICON

The DESIGN FUTURES LEXICON presents a set of thematic learning activities, futures design devices and instances of their use. The LEXICON is designed to assist design students and designer researchers to engage productively and critically with how language may work in shaping futures design.

THEMES AND UNITS

The THEMES AND UNITS contain a variety of learning resources for students of design and design research. They address relations between existing and emerging vocabularies of futures design. Each UNIT is connected to learning activities on relations between words, design materials, disciplines and uses.

INDEX OF THEMES AND UNITS

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. ON THIS LEXICON

An overview of the aims, content and methods of the LEXICON and its workings.

1.2. WHY WORDS MATTER FOR DESIGN

On the roles and of words in design, practice and use, and shared futures vocabularies.

1.3. WHAT IS A LEXICON?

Background, aims and characteristics of the LEXICON and ways it may be used.

1.4. FUTURES DESIGN AND TIME

Presents key aspect of time, words, futures design
and literacies.

2. LANGUAGING THE FUTURE

2.1. LANGUAGE IS DYNAMIC

Language is flexible and dynamic, and related futures design vocabularies.

2.2. LANGUAGE AND DISCOURSE

On language, discourse terms, moves and practices and futures design language.

2.3. SPECIFYING DESIGN FUTURES LITERACIES

About definitions and design futures literacies and relations between words.

2.4. FUTURES DESIGN AND MULTIMODALITY

Covers language, multimodality, discourse, futures design and multisensory futures.

2.5. FUTURES DESIGN WORDS AND TIME

A guide to placing and connecting time,
motion, space and force.

2.6. FUTURES DESIGN AND MOVEMENT

Movement words are explored in the shaping and performing of Design Futures Literacies.

3. IDENTIFYING FUTURES DESIGN TERMS

3.1. FRAMES FOR TOUGH TIMES

On different frames of contexts, conditions, complexities and communication in futures design work.

3.2. WHAT ARE FUTURES DESIGN WORDS?

How language works in designing and forming a vocabulary for design future literacies.

3.3. MAPPING FUTURES DESIGN WORDS

Using key terms in design centred futures, and relating and mapping them.

4. WORKING WITH FUTURES DESIGN TERMS

4.1. LANGUAGE AND METAPHOR (Master’s)

Positioning a futures design project, metaphor, words and concepts in a Master’s thesis.

4.2. LANGUAGE AND METAPHOR (PhD)

On a project’s futures focus in the early phase of a design PhD and shaping its concepts.

5. UNDERSTANDING FUTURES DESIGN TERMS

5.1. WORDS AND MEANING

Working with semantic categories in design and how they may be activated and sorted.

5.2. BEGINNING WITH SEMANTIC CATEGORIES

On 12 Semantic Categories to sort out what words do and placing futures terms in your work.

5.3. WORKING WITH SEMANTIC CATEGORIES

Working with Semantic Categories and the content to identify and sort design futures terms.

6. MEDIATING ON FUTURES DESIGN TERMS

6.1. FUTURES DESIGN WORDS AND IMAGES

On relations between words and futures, mapping and multimodality in verbal-visual design.

6.2. LANGUAGE, IMAGE, FUTURES AND MEDIATION

On relations between words and futures, mapping and multimodality in verbal-visual design.

6.3. LANGUAGE, DISPLAYS AND SCENARIOS

On posters, gestures, scenarios and time and place relations and visual and verbal textures.

6.4. LANGUAGE, FUTURES DESIGN AND VISUAL TOOLS

Links and reflections on futures design visual tools and images and their description and analysis.

7. REFLECTING ON FUTURES DESIGN TERMS

7.1. REFLEXICON (Master’s)

A reflexive, critical game to review your designing and to how futures design words work.

7.2. REFLEXICON (PhD)

A reflexive, critical game to review your designing and to how futures design words work.

8. SHAPING FUTURES DESIGN TERMS

8.1. ON NEW FUTURE DESIGN WORDS

Awareness of the importance of words in shaping futures and creating new words or ‘neologisms’.

8.2. MAKING NEW FUTURES DESIGN WORDS

Neologisms as part of everyday language and how to shape them in your work as design material.

8.3. DESIGNING FUTURES LANGUAGE

Working with radical futures and imagining and naming and their potential in your designs.

8.4. HYBRIDISING FUTURES LANGUAGE

On hybrids in futures design and playful generation fantastic, absurd terms in futures design.