Design fiction

This concept has been explored in Matthew Ward’s article Design Fiction as Pedagogic Practice which I read this week. I’ll be honest, even simply looking at the title boggled my mind a little. Pedagogic what ? After some extensive research, (by that I mean Wikipedia-ing), I discovered that Pedagogy is the science and art of education, specifically instructional theory. I’m going to explore my uneducated understanding of the concept. When I think of the term ‘design fiction’ a few things spring to mind. I think about how to me, a person who doesn’t like designing/creating/arty things that much, I consider much of design to be fictional. But then I think a little deeper, and realise that those who design the roads in place aren’t doing it for just a bit of fun and fiction; those designing university course structures aren’t designing them for fiction. Design is more than just a hobby or creative act. But then I think, is it? Fiction is generally defined as something invented or made up. So, now that I think more into it, maybe all design is originally fiction, but then may develop into non-fiction… For example, a fashion designer invents a new style of a dress for a new clothing range. Fiction. A course coordinator invents ideas to include in the lectures that semester. Fiction and non-fiction. Fiction, as it is the designing of something new, that is, the course structure. Non-fiction, in terms of the content. I like the sentence by Matthew,

Whether a week, month, year or decade away, designers produce propositions for a world that is yet to exist.

I do agree, as demonstrated through my examples above. However, I also believe that design, whilst it may be launched as fiction, can often become non-fiction.