The starting point of my theoretical work was the question of what retrofuturistic design in film and television can offer modern product design. Yesterday’s visions of the future can hardly be compared with today’s visions of the future. Refuturism plays with opposites that hardly seem to be compatible. The future is explained by means of the past in order to present it in a credible way. Film and television allow a level of freedom in design that is absent in product design. Nevertheless, modern product design can learn considerably from this freedom. To illustrate retrofuturism in film and television, I have approached speculative design props from films and examined their significance and usefulness for product design: Sherlock Holmes’ sunglasses in the film of the same name Sherlock Holmes (2009) and the Sonic Screwdriver in the British TV series Doctor Who. Similar to the MAYA principle (Most Advanced Yet Acceptable), retrofuturistic design attempts to depict something that is new but can still be accepted as a possible truth.

The theory work underlines the relevance of speculative thinking and deals by asking how we want to design our future without forgetting our past. It creates links to alreadyestablished designs and elaborates how the speculative nature of film and television design can serve as an inspiration for future product designs.