What if the totalitarian regime led by AI banned simulation technology? What if you are forced to live underwater due to a climate disaster? What if our emotions are no longer private, but something that everyone can see?
These are just some of the provocative questions that promote speculative design, a discipline that dares to use alternative futures to blend creativity with research. It challenges traditional thinking, transcends aesthetics and functions, turning design into a powerful tool for critical reflection.
At IED Firenze, students of Master’s degree graphic design delve into this forward-looking approach as part of their research and trend forecasting courses. Guided by professors and course coordinators Isabella Ahmadzadeh embraced the role of a future thinker, creating personal “if” scenarios rooted in emerging trends.
Located in the heart of Florence, Firenze is a hub of innovation, culture and creativity. It provides an international environment where students from all over the world come together to push the boundaries of design. The school combines traditional Italian craftsmanship with a contemporary vision, thus facilitating bold interdisciplinary experiments.
Each student establishes a unique and thought-provoking premise, from dystopian predictions to criticism of current social problems, the conceptual basis of a 32-page visual paper. These papers become an immersive space for experimentation, where collages, personal artworks, typography and AI-generated images are fused into visual speculative futures.
The result is a collection of visual narratives that go beyond the scope of displaying design skills. They question the trajectory of our world, study future cultural and technological transformations, and ultimately remind us of the power of design, not just reflecting reality, but reimagining it.
To learn more about the IED Firenze Graphic Design Course, visit ied.edu.
