We will learn and apply methods used by professionals in the field of Strategic Foresight including horizon scanning, scenario planning, back casting and implication sketches. We will stress-test each method against how convincingly and consistently we can achieve two outcomes: overcoming cognitive bias and extracting actionable implications. We will use qualitative methods to analyze signals of change, then categorize them using a well-recognized framework (STEEP). We will also familiarize ourselves with approaches to Foresight on the ends of a spectrum from the highly theoretical, such as causal layered analysis, to the highly experimental, such as embodied futures. Every field has its vernacular. We will learn to succinctly define and tactfully defend Strategic Foresight lingo, such as why we insist on pluralizing the word “future.”
- Instructor: Erin Bradner