The Quality of Speculation

Speculative design has become a key approach in Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) for exploring the “not-yet.” Yet, what counts as good speculation and how its quality can be conceptualized remains contested. This CHI2026 workshop invites researchers, designers, and practitioners to collectively explore questions of quality in speculative design.

Building on a recently published descriptive taxonomy of nine quality criteria, the workshop offers this framework as an initial common ground for shared reflection and critique. Participants will:

• examine how notions of quality in speculative design are constructed and negotiated across practices and contexts;

• critically assess where the taxonomy offers guidance, where it falls short, and how it might be adapted; and

• explore whether—and how—common ground for quality in speculative design can be achived.

Unlike other workshops on speculative design that focus on creating and investigating specific futures or artefacts, this workshop turns the focus to methodology and quality. Its concern is not to generate speculations, but to co-create the vocabulary needed to justify their value.