Stretching UX Creativity: Crafting a Dystopian-to-Micro-utopian Ideation Tool in the Digital Experience Theatre

Abstract

Abstract. The Digital Experience Theatre (DXT) is a teaching method that embodies a pioneering approach to integrating sustainability into digital product de-sign. Drawing from Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed and Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed, the DXT ideation tool employs a participatory design method to foster micro-utopian ideation and innovation in HCI and socio-technological design. By challenging students to delve deeper into design problems through dystopian narratives, speculative fiction, and Al image creation, the DXT encourages participants to envision more sustainable and humanity-cen-tered digital solutions. DXT facilitates critical awareness of societal realities through its step-by-step process and fosters community-based design interven-tions. Experimentation with students and international collaboration underscore its potential to transform digital product creation. Readers are invited to get acquainted with this emerging ideation tool, whose website provides open resources for speculative scenarios, enabling designers to navigate from dystopian fictions to sustainable digital solutions. Ultimately, DXT represents a paradigm shift towards holistic and inclusive interaction design practices, contributing to a more effective use of technology for the common good.