Futures Studies and Speculative Design

Overview

Individuals, communities, governments, and businesses all face complex questions when making plans for the future. In this certificate program, you focus on building the skills necessary for future image making with compelling immersive sensory experiences. You learn to apply theory and methods to develop and employ projections of desirable and undesirable future scenarios and examine ways futures discourse can shape a project’s or company's path forward.

What You'll Gain during the Futures Studies and Speculative Design course

• Knowledge of key principles of futures studies and design futures
• Techniques for identifying, researching, and critiquing signals of change as potential trend indicators
• The ability to apply design futures methods and approaches to concrete topics
• Experience using methods and frameworks for forecasting hypothetical conditions
• Lead scenario planning exercises for community and corporate contexts
• The ability to create vivid, thought-provoking representations of hypothetical scenarios through diverse media

• An opportunity to develop futures scenarios that can shape your project or your company’s path forward