Hand-Drawn Provocations

Unconventional Strategies of Using Illustrated Narratives for Innovation and Speculative Design Practice

Pakalkaite, Joskaude (2026) Hand-Drawn Provocations. Doctoral thesis, Falmouth University / University of the Arts London.

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Abstract / Summary

This thesis explores how the use of illustrated narratives can spark discussion on less noisy digital interfaces, enhance user experience, provide insights for an ideation phase in the design process, and create opportunities for large information technology companies that use design fiction to innovate. This practice research project adapts the research through design approach and the use of design fiction. The project’s first phase applies ‘The Poetics of Design Fiction’ framework to identify design challenges, generate proposals, and produce ‘what if’ scenarios, fictional prototypes, user anuals, and illustrated narratives (Markussen and Knutz 2013). The second phase focuses on the use of the expert review method to facilitate discussions with industry professionals (Nielsen and Molich 1990; Nielsen 1994). This is used as a strategy to produce hand-drawn provocations to test methodological advances; these methodological advances are orientated towards practitioners and researchers, as well as large information technology companies that use or may consider using speculative design practices to innovate. This project contributes new knowledge to the fields of illustration, research through design, user interface design and user experience design, as well as innovation studies. First, the project shows that the use of illustrated narratives can spark discussion, which provides validation and a framework for illustrators and graphic designers (Bleecker 2009; Dunne and Raby 2013). Second, it demonstrates that illustrated narratives can also act as provocations that advance research through the design domain and provide a validation for those employing such narratives in practice research. One of this project’s significant findings is that unconventional design approaches, such as design fiction and illustration, can be used to develop user interfaces. The use of illustrated narratives can also facilitate usability and accessibility evaluations of user interface designs in the same way as conventional user interface and user experience approaches. Lastly, this study contributes new knowledge by showing that illustrative narratives can provoke discussions that identify innovation opportunities for big tech companies. The outcomes of this project are the unconventional strategies of using illustrated narratives for innovation and speculative design practice.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Subjects:	Creative Art & Design Creative Art & Design > Illustration & Drawing Research
Department:	School of Communication
Depositing User:	Nicola Bond
Date Deposited:	02 Jul 2026 11:35
Last Modified:	02 Jul 2026 11:35
URI:	https://repository.falmouth.ac.uk/id/eprint/6525

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