Studio Programme — A Two-Year Alternative to a Speculative Design Masters

Studio

A two-year alternative to a traditional masters programme — personal tutoring, studio support, and full course access from the SOCD team

2-year programme / Lifetime alumni access

£10,00010 spots /yr

Limited to 10 spots each year

Apply Now

Trusted by 100+ organizations

Overview

The Studio is a two-year alternative to a traditional masters programme. It provides personal support and tutoring from the School of Critical Design team to take your practice and career to the next level — without the institutional overhead, rigid schedules, or tens of thousands in tuition fees.

Where a masters programme gives you a cohort and a curriculum, the Studio gives you something different: direct, sustained access to practitioners who are actively working in speculative design, futures, and cultural strategy at the highest level. You get 1:1 tutorials, group studio sessions, full access to every course we offer (current and future), and lifetime alumni status when you complete the programme.

We accept a maximum of 10 people per year. This isn't a course you sign up for — it's a commitment we make to each other. We're selective because the value of the Studio depends on the quality and seriousness of the people in it. If you're a practitioner who is ready to go deeper — whether you're pivoting your career, building a new practice, or pushing an existing one further — the Studio is designed for you.

At £10,000 for two full years of access, the Studio offers world-class development at a fraction of the cost of a traditional postgraduate programme. And unlike a masters, you keep lifetime alumni access to the community, courses, and resources after your two years are complete.

Details

2-year programme / Lifetime alumni access

Apply Now

AnytimeVirtual

★★★★★

96% of students rate our courses 5 Stars

100% of our past participants would recommend this course to others. (Seriously, it's true!)

Full Access To

•

ArtBar _ A place to chat, share, rant, dream, chill, meet, discuss, time travel, prepare, transcend... A private community space for Studio members and SOCD alumni to connect, share work, and think out loud together.

•

Thinking Collection _ Access to our curated library of readings, references, provocations, and frameworks that inform our teaching and practice.

•

Decoding Culture _ An introduction to Decoding Culture in strategic and creative work. Full access to the complete online course.

•

Place Futures _ Create place identity and imagine new frontiers for places around the world. Full access to the complete online course.

•

Speculative Design Basics _ Building future products & services to understand implications of emerging technology. Full access to the complete online course.

•

Studio _ Dedicated to advancing your practice with studio support. Your home base for tutorials, feedback, and development.

•

Tutorials _ Regular studio style chat to discuss ideas, methods, or get feedback on projects. Scheduled sessions with the SOCD team tailored to your needs and goals.

•

All Future Courses _ As we develop new courses and materials, Studio members get automatic access at no additional cost throughout the programme and as alumni.

Benefits

•

1:1 Tutorials each month with SOCD experts supporting your career and projects

•

Group Studio Tutorials & Lessons on emerging practice

•

Access to all SOCD current and coming courses

•

Priority access to new programmes and workshops

•

Access to the ArtBar community and Thinking Collection

•

Direct feedback on your projects and practice from the SOCD team

•

Career guidance and support for practitioners looking to integrate speculative design, futures, or cultural strategy into their work

•

Lifetime alumni access to the SOCD community, courses, and resources after completing the programme

This course is for

•

Practicing designers, strategists, or researchers who want dedicated support advancing their speculative design or futures practice

•

Professionals looking to integrate speculative design, cultural strategy, or futures thinking into their existing work and organisations

•

Career changers who are building a new practice around critical and speculative design and want a structured alternative to returning to university

•

Independent consultants or studio leads who want expert feedback and thinking partners

•

Anyone who has completed one or more SOCD courses and wants to go deeper with ongoing mentorship and access

•

Practitioners who want the depth of a masters programme without the institutional constraints, rigid timelines, or prohibitive cost

Your Teachers

J. Paul Neeley - Speculative Designer & Researcher

J. Paul has 14 years of experience working with Speculative Design and has focused his practice on its use and impact in industry, organizational, government, and commercial settings. He has worked with companies like Google X, Microsoft, Honda, Target, and many others on speculative design explorations. J. Paul is a regular speaker on the subject at conferences, and lectures on Speculative Design at the Royal College of Art (World's #1 Art & Design School) where he supports the Service Design program and leads the school wide Design Futures elective. J. Paul holds an MA in Design Interactions from the Royal College of Art where he studied with Tony Dunne & Fiona Raby.

Gemma Jones - Cultural Strategist

Gemma is an interdisciplinary researcher and strategist specialising in ethnography, semiotics, and futuring. She has led Cultural Insight capabilities at agencies, and teaches these methods in professional and academic workshops. Gemma has 14+ years of industry experience working with global brands and organisations including Nike, Microsoft, Discord, WhatsApp, IHG, Unilever and Google as well as small start-ups, nonprofits and community organisations.

For Companies

‍For more information on Studio memberships for your team or to discuss a bespoke arrangement please contact hello@critical.design for details.

Want to see how we run this work end to end? Read The Speculative Design Methodology: A Practitioner’s Workflow.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the SOCD Studio programme?

The Studio is a two-year speculative design programme from the School of Critical Design. It offers 1:1 tutorials, group studio sessions, full access to every SOCD course (current and future), and lifetime alumni status — a serious alternative to a traditional masters degree, without the institutional overhead or tens of thousands in tuition fees.

How is the Studio different from a masters in speculative design?

A masters gives you a cohort and a fixed curriculum on an academic schedule. The Studio gives you direct, sustained access to practitioners actively working in speculative design, futures, and cultural strategy at the highest level — on a schedule that works for working professionals, with a curriculum shaped to your practice.

Who is the Studio for?

Working designers, strategists, and researchers who are ready to develop a serious speculative practice. People pivoting their careers, building new practices, or pushing existing ones further. The programme is selective; we accept a maximum of 10 people per year.

How much does the Studio cost?

£10,000 for two full years of access, including 1:1 tutorials, group studio sessions, full course access (current and future), and lifetime alumni status upon completion. This is a fraction of the cost of a traditional postgraduate programme.

How do I apply to the Studio?

Admissions are rolling, with 10 spots per year. Apply via the Studio page — we review applications individually and are selective because the value of the Studio depends on the seriousness of the people in it.