Design Futures 101

Course Description

“We cannot work for a betterment we cannot imagine” -Elise Boulding, Futurist Futures studies is the field of researching, crafting and instrumentalizing visions of possible futures based on specific methods, models and theories. This course introduces students to the academic field of futures studies, and puts it in context of a long global history of future vision creation. Students will ground their understanding of futures studies with principles and specific methods from the field. The course then dives into the area of design futures, a subset of approaches combining design approaches and futures studies. This segment introduces ways to enable engagement with future visions through impactful and immersive sensory experiences. The course will also touch on approaches such as discursive design, speculative design, critical design, strategic foresight and design fiction.

Course Length - Online 8 weeks

Applies Towards the Following Certificates

• Futures Studies and Speculative Design Certificate : Required Courses