Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby popularized speculative design through their firm, Dunne and Raby where they challenged the role objects play everyday life. In their book they discuss a model for types of potential futures by futurologist Stuart Candy.

The first being, probable futures, describing what is likely to happen unless a dramatic event occurs. The next is plausible futures, where scenario strategy, preparation and foresight lives. This space is where alternative near-futures are modelled using hypothetical global, political and economic shifts. Then they talk about possible futures, where it is necessary to make connections between today’s world and the speculative one. Creating a believable series of events which could lead to political, social, cultural and economic scenarios. A believable series of events, even completely fictional allows viewers to relate the scenario to their own world’s and use it as a tool for critical reflection. This is where writing, science fiction, social fiction and media help to make speculative futures acceptable. The intersection of probable and plausible futures creates what could be called preferable futures. It is interesting to talk about how preferable is defined, for whom, and who decides. In this chapter Dunne and Raby talk about how currently preferable futures are defined by the interests of a powerful minority and discuss how we can create more socially constructive imaginary futures using design.

This form of collaborative speculation becomes useful when working with experts (ethicists, political scientists, activists, economists etc.) to ground imagination in everyday situations and generate futures which spark public debate and discussion.