In this Deep Dive video Emilia Tikka, researcher, designer and filmmaker and Léa Perraudin, post-doctoral researcher at the Cluster of Excellence Matters of Activity at Humboldt Universität zu Berlin and co-leader of the project CollActive Materials, take us to their first speculative design workshop to envision new ways of material production and discuss how speculative design can contribute to bringing science and public together.

The processes of mass-production and mass-consumption passivated the materials we use everyday. How would our perception of the world change if we look at them as active and alive? To envision this alternative future Emilia Tikka and Léa Perraudin collaborated on the first speculative design workshop that took place at the Berlin Science Week Campus. The project aims at co-creating a space to promote equal exchange between science and the public.

An an all-evolving rebel alternative to commercial design, speculative design is not about finding the solutions, but asking new questions. By taking scientific research that is not yet developed as a technology, the act of speculation accelerates it into the future and helps imagine what kind of societal impact it could cause. This innovative approach proves especially beneficial for science communication: instead of the top-down knowledge transfer, it starts with a research finding and invites every participant, nevermind the scientific background, to freely speculate and take part in the discussion.

Emilia Tikka and Léa Perraudin were present at Berlin Science Week with workshop called “What is the Future made of?” on Saturday, 5 NOV 2022 at the Berlin Science Week CAMPUS in the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin.