Frequently Asked Questions

Why would I want to conduct a futures project?

Futures is generally a strategic planning and visioning exercise. It helps you understand possible future landscapes you may be operating in, the types of conditions that could impact your business or customers, and assists in speculating on the types of products, services, or offerings you may want to develop or aspire toward. It is based on multiple dimensions from what we know today and our history and attempts to extrapolate a multitude of complex factors and conditions that could play a role in your future. While there is never one certain future, we present you with a vision, opportunities and the risks with which you can shape strategies and agendas today.

What kind of activities does futures work entail?

While Futures is an umbrella term that incorporates multiple approaches and methodologies from Strategic Foresight and Speculative Design, Based on the context and scope of the project, I always like to incorporate a variety of tools and disciplines drawn from Design and Futures to shape the activities in each phase. A full process can include interviews,, trend research, scenario building, speculative design, prototypes or vision storyboards.

How long does a typical futures project require?

Depending on the breadth of the output you are interested in,, a project can take anywhere from a couple weeks to months. Robust studies will require collecting market trends, quantifiable statistics, scenario building, speculative design and a strategic roadmap. Of course the more time you can allocate to collect and synthesize to inform your future world or market the better.

What does a typical project team look like?

Depending on your needs, a typical project can require analysts and designers. Having professionals who can conduct research, synthesize the results and contribute to designed artifacts and solutions is useful.

Do I or my client have to be familiar with futures work before we start?

Like any new process or approach, it’s useful to have a basic understanding of what the process entails, the type of outputs it generates, and the value it can provide. Maybe check out one of my talks under "Public Speaking" or watch my presentation at Google. This is useful for setting expectations early and allowing team members and stakeholders to more comfortably participate in key activities.