Freddie Sukprasong

Design

Illustration

About

Role:

Speculative design student

School:

IADT

Responsibilities:

  • Signal scanning

  • Scenario building

  • Futures thinking

Synopsis:

A speculative design project exploring the future of afforestation in Ireland. Our team focused on rethinking afforestation policies, forest empathisation, and creating a resilient, community-driven model.

Reimagining Ireland's Afforestation: A Speculative Design

Design for content discovery for Europe's largest learning platform at StudySmarter

Introduction


Our speculative design project explores the future of afforestation in Ireland, aiming to address environmental, social, economic, and cultural challenges tied to forestry. Our team—comprising a foresight and strategy consultant, an interaction designer, a UX designer, and a graphic designer—focused on rethinking afforestation policies and practices to create a resilient, community-driven model.

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StudySmarter aims to enhance its content discovery experience to provide users with a personalised and engaging learning journey. However, the current content discovery mechanisms lack efficiency and effective content organisation, resulting in low user retention and frustrating learning experiences.

Context


Ireland faces significant environmental challenges, with agriculture contributing to 34% of national emissions and forest cover at only 11%, one of the lowest in Europe. The government's afforestation goals, including an 18% broadleaf cover by 2050, are at risk due to falling short of planting targets and reliance on non-native species.

StudySmarter aims to enhance its content discovery experience to provide users with a personalised and engaging learning journey. However, the current content discovery mechanisms lack efficiency and effective content organisation, resulting in low user retention and frustrating learning experiences.

StudySmarter aims to enhance its content discovery experience to provide users with a personalised and engaging learning journey. However, the current content discovery mechanisms lack efficiency and effective content organisation, resulting in low user retention and frustrating learning experiences.

Process

Signal scanning

We conducted research on social and behavioural changes as well as factual data on afforestation in Ireland. This helped us understand the current landscape and identify emerging trends that could influence the future of afforestation.

Scenario building

Using tools like Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) and the STEEP framework (Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Political), we analysed deeper systemic issues and explored potential alternative futures.

Future cone

After mapping out various "what-if" scenarios, ultimately selecting a preferable future that emphasised community-led afforestation and ecological resilience. This vision informed the development of our prototype.

Problems

Environmental Impact: Carbon sequestration, biodiversity loss, and soil and water degradation.

Community Disconnection: Local farmers and residents feel alienated by top-down afforestation policies.

Problems

Environmental Impact: Carbon sequestration, biodiversity loss, and soil and water degradation.

Cultural and Heritage Loss: Traditional landscapes and cultural narratives are being eroded.

Economic Barriers: High land prices and limited resources hinder small farmers from participating in afforrestation.

Research & insights

11%

is the current forest cover in Ireland, in comparison to 38% of European average

30.6%

of trees planted from afforestation initiative are non-native species, threatening biodiversity.

51%

of greenhouse gas emissions is set to be reduced by 2030 by the Irish Government

Concept prototyping & future vision

Core principles of Dara Village

Core principles of Dara Village

Interactive experience

Visitors empathise with nature by learning about native tree species and their ecological importance

Community ownership

Local residents manage the village, ensuring a sustainable and participatory approach to afforestation.

Research driven

A hub dedicated to ongoing research into tree communication and afforestation sustainability.

Core principles of Dara Village

Interactive experience

Visitors empathise with nature by learning about native tree species and their ecological importance

Community ownership

Local residents manage the village, ensuring a sustainable and participatory approach to afforestation.

Research driven

A hub dedicated to ongoing research into tree communication and afforestation sustainability.

The forest map

Visitor jounrney

Demos

Ethical and social implications

Equity and Inclusion

Large-scale afforestation policies risk marginalising small farmers and rural communities, limiting their agency in land-use decisions. Our project emphasises participatory decision-making to counteract these disparities.

Equity and inclusion

Large-scale afforestation policies risk marginalising small farmers and rural communities, limiting their agency in land-use decisions. Our project emphasises participatory decision-making to counteract these disparities.

Cultural sensitivity

Afforestation should respect local traditions and historical land relationships. Native woodland restoration is not just an environmental effort but a means of preserving cultural heritage.

Commodification & technology

Emerging technologies in forestry, such as AI-driven monitoring and genetic modification of trees, must be carefully managed to avoid unintended ecological consequences and ethical dilemmas related to nature commodification.

Equity and Inclusion

Large-scale afforestation policies risk marginalising small farmers and rural communities, limiting their agency in land-use decisions. Our project emphasises participatory decision-making to counteract these disparities.

Equity and Inclusion

Large-scale afforestation policies risk marginalising small farmers and rural communities, limiting their agency in land-use decisions. Our project emphasises participatory decision-making to counteract these disparities.

Personal reflection

Equity and Inclusion

Large-scale afforestation policies risk marginalising small farmers and rural communities, limiting their agency in land-use decisions. Our project emphasises participatory decision-making to counteract these disparities.

Cultural sensitivity

Afforestation should respect local traditions and historical land relationships. Native woodland restoration is not just an environmental effort but a means of preserving cultural heritage.

I am struck by the open-endedness that speculative design embodies as both a practice and a mindset. It has deepened my understanding of design’s role in shaping not only products but also systems, narratives, and values.


I am rather cautious about the broader implications of the approach to Speculative Design taken in the course. Optimism as an approach to speculative design, and even in design in general in my opinion, has both its strength and disadvantage. On the one hand, it allowed us a space to imagine alternatives to complex problems and provides glimpses of hope that things can be better. On the other hand, we had a major risk of creating a Eurocentric utopianism where complexities of multiple realities are ignored.

Although through the project I was deeply interested in challenging anthropocentric narratives, upon more reflection I found that our project might rather be doing the opposite, imposing our own human values onto diverse and contested landscapes and even species. As
anthropomorphism can obscure the intrinsic value and agency of non-human entities by framing them in human terms (Morton, 2010), I believe the act of anthropomorphising trees to foster (human-led) empathy should raise ethical concerns.

While our project imagined a more just and sustainable afforestation strategy, I recognise the need for deeper engagement with diverse perspectives, particularly from marginalised communities. Moving forward, I aim to incorporate more participatory research methods to ensure that speculative futures are inclusive and representative.

Commodification & technology

Emerging technologies in forestry, such as AI-driven monitoring and genetic modification of trees, must be carefully managed to avoid unintended ecological consequences and ethical dilemmas related to nature commodification.

I am more than a sum of pixels.

I love facilitating collaboration, understanding different points of view and taming chaos.


When I’m not designing, you’ll find me surrounded by plants, expanding my reading list, or experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen.


Recently, I've been exploring alternative design approaches. Need book recommendations or just fancy a chat? Hit me up anytime!

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