Design Encounters: Inviting Speculation in the Here-and-Now

In times of (eco-social) crisis, calls for change are often framed as demands for disruption and radical transformation. This chapter challenges such narratives by arguing that possibilities for new beginnings already emerge within the mundane practices of everyday life. Drawing on more than three decades of participatory design research, the chapter explores how design encounters - situated, material and collaborative engagements - invite speculation in the here-and-now. Through empirical accounts from long-term collaborations with municipal actors and citizens, the authors show how design encounters operate as rehearsals of the possible, where alternative relations, roles and practices are enacted rather than prescribed. These rehearsals unfold through material speculation using formats such as anecdotes, design games, doll scenarios and live enactments, allowing participants to explore what futures might feel like when performed in everyday settings. The chapter argues that the transformative potential of design lies not in delivering ready-made solutions, but in freeing everyday speculation and enabling participants to take ownership of emerging practices. By foregrounding the strangely familiar as a site of agency and change, the chapter contributes a nuanced understanding of design as an open-ended mode of engagement capable of supporting sustainable and socially responsive futures.