Design Futures is a hands-on, studio-based course on anticipating and shaping change through design and strategic foresight. The studio is highly discussion-based and collaborative: students learn by critiquing, iterating, and building together. We begin with how humans think about the future, then examine how design disciplines approach emerging challenges. Students practice core foresight methods (horizon scanning, trend analysis, and scenario planning) and translate insights into tangible outcomes: scenarios, prototypes, design fictions, and strategy briefs that address technology, society, and the environment.
The course develops in-demand skills: creative problem-solving, systems thinking, and strategic analysis—relevant to careers in consulting, tech, policy, finance, and startups. Students learn to spot market disruptions, map how new technologies gain traction, design adaptable strategies for shifting landscapes, and envision plausible futures 10 to 20 years out. Classwork consists of readings, weekly reflections, discussions, and targeted exercises that build toward a group project and a final individual challenge.