New Kind of Design

Evening lecture/ 23 July 2019

J. Paul Neeley

J. Paul is a London based designer and researcher with expertise in Speculative Design, Service Design, Design Research, and Strategy.

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Gemma Jones

Interdisciplinary cultural researcher and strategist specialising in semiotics and futures thinking

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December 17, 2020

Current business & design practices optimize for profit and fail to consider the larger cumulative impact of these activities over time, which inevitably lead to catastrophic collapse of systems, like the opioid & obesity epidemics, global political & financial instability, and climate & ecological breakdown.

J Paul Neeley's New Kind of Design is a new approach to design practice that seeks to find new frames and approaches that address computational irreducibility in design and business.

Featured Courses
Further Reading
Beyond Academia: Why Professional Speculative Design Training Outpaces Traditional University Programs
The field of speculative design has moved from experimental academic studios to boardrooms of Fortune 500 companies, government policy labs, and innovation centers worldwide. As organizations increasingly recognize the strategic value of futures thinking, a critical question emerges: where can professionals gain the skills to apply these methods effectively in real-world contexts?While several prestigious universities now offer speculative design programs, the landscape of professional education reveals a significant gap between academic theory and applied practice. For professionals seeking to master speculative design methodologies and create organizational impact, understanding this distinction is essential.
February 4, 2026
Navigating Tomorrow: How Design Strategy Consultancies Shape Future-Focused Innovation
In an era of accelerating technological change and mounting uncertainty, organizations face a critical challenge: how do you prepare for futures that don't yet exist? Enter the world of speculative design, critical design, and futures thinking—disciplines that help companies move beyond incremental improvements to envision and design for multiple possible tomorrows.
February 2, 2026