Spimes and speculative design: Sustainable product futures today

• DOI: 10.4013/sdrj.2017.101.02
• Publication Date: 2017-05-08T13:42:37Z
• Authors: Michael Stead
• Keywords: Obsolescence; Foregrounding; Sustainable Design

This paper unpacks Sterling's concept of spimes and outlines how it can be developed as a lens through which to speculate reflect upon the future more preferable sustainable technological products. The term denotes class near future, sustainable, manufactured objects, unlike disposable products, permeate our society today, spime would designed so that managed sustainably throughout its entire lifecycle. have goal making implicit consequences product obsolescence unsustainable disposal explicit potential users. With current rhetoric associated with so-called Internet Things promoting existing production consumption models, time is right explore in greater depth. In doing so, this examines meaning spimes, distinguishes from today's Internet-connected products posits design criteria for objects. concludes an initial evaluation speculative fiction created by author – Toaster Life seeks embody several order facilitate audiences considering people-product relationships define present day behaviour, also aid reflecting process itself.Keywords: design, internet things, fiction.