Scratching the Surface 274. Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby
Sep 30, 2025
Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby, esteemed designers and educators, dive into their latest book, Not Here, Not Now. They discuss how major events like Brexit and COVID reshaped their views on design and reality. The duo emphasizes the importance of using impossible designs to ignite imagination and challenge the limits of traditional futures thinking. They also explore how objects can tell stories and provoke thought while critiquing the constraints of design practice. With plans to return to hands-on work, they share insights on evolving design philosophies in a rapidly changing world.
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Reality Is A Shifting Design Frame
- Dunne and Raby argue instability in reality prompts deeper examination of the frameworks that define possibility and impossibility.
- They drew on philosophy and quantum physics to rethink design's acceptance of a fixed reality.
Value Lies In The Impossible
- Embracing the impossible helps shift mindsets because what seems impossible can become possible over time.
- Dunne and Raby value impossible designs for their capacity to stimulate new thinking rather than solely for realizability.
Use Temporary Speculation Exercises
- Use a 'not here, not now' period in teaching to let students inhabit speculative worlds without forcing implementation.
- Bring the shifted perspective back to practical work after the temporary speculative immersion.
