Reimagining Speculative Design for Inclusion: An Narrative-Based Prototype for Civic Participation

Speculative design has the potential to foster civic reflection but often remains inaccessible to broader audiences due to its cultural and conceptual complexity. This paper presents a research-through-design (RtD) exploration of how speculative design can become more inclusive by embedding reflection into the narrative experience itself. We redesigned INWARDS, a policy-oriented speculative artefact, by segmenting one of its films and integrating plain-language prompts at key narrative moments and reframing participation as introspection by triggering lightweight, personal reflections. The resulting prototype was deployed in a semi-public setting to explore spontaneous engagement beyond design- savvy audiences. We contribute (1) a design-led exploration of narrative approaches in speculative design for civic participation, (2) practical design considerations to lower participation thresholds, and (3) reflections on situated speculative design. Our findings reframe inclusivity in speculative design as an experiential and narrative design challenge.