Comments on: Designing Futures http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2008/05/05/designing-futures/ Adaptive Path Blog Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:30:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Experience Designers | Job Searching Blog http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2008/05/05/designing-futures/#comment-178920 Experience Designers | Job Searching Blog Sun, 22 Jun 2008 14:25:38 +0000 http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2008/05/05/designing-futures/#comment-178920 [...] Designing Futures [via Zemanta] [...] [...] Designing Futures [via Zemanta] [...]

]]> By: Intelleto » Blog Archive » Fave idea of the week : May 2nd, 2008 http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2008/05/05/designing-futures/#comment-178194 Intelleto » Blog Archive » Fave idea of the week : May 2nd, 2008 Wed, 21 May 2008 07:34:12 +0000 http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2008/05/05/designing-futures/#comment-178194 [...] ideas. Andrew Blau joined us from Global Business Network to talk about scenario planning (read Peter’s blog post and Roland’s post for details.) One of Andrew’s comments was about creative misreading. [...] [...] ideas. Andrew Blau joined us from Global Business Network to talk about scenario planning (read Peter’s blog post and Roland’s post for details.) One of Andrew’s comments was about creative misreading. [...]

]]> By: Jess McMullin http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2008/05/05/designing-futures/#comment-177821 Jess McMullin Thu, 08 May 2008 03:29:01 +0000 http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2008/05/05/designing-futures/#comment-177821 Hey Liv, Thanks for the reference :) Most framing we're invited to participate in really works on a shorter timeframe, but I think a lot of our skills and mindset apply to the long view, too. Simona Maschi has done some really smart work in looking at the spectrum of scenario work from user/task scenarios through to future strategic scenarios a la Royal Dutch Shell (and later GBN). Unfortunately, I can't find her deck via Google anymore :( Matthew Milan's backcasting stuff is also pretty relevant here...since backcasting ties into GBN type scenario planning, but actually points out paths and options. We have been a bit involved in a 2020 vision project, and I spent time teaching scenario planning at the workshop we just taught in Miami. Our goal with futures research like that is very often very simple though - we aren't shaping corporate strategy, we're just trying to break free of the client's "official future" so that we're not locked into the assumptions embedded in the status quo. Even when we look at longer horizons it's most often in service of strategy for the offering in that mid-term. If you're looking at deep trends (climate change, energy, healthcare + demographics) then designing for all possible futures is impossible. But there's no rule in scenario planning (or in experience design visioning) that you have to cover all the bases. GBN uses scenarios to provoke strategic conversations - I think experience design tools like tangible futures / prototyping / etc. can serve well to round out those possibilities and make the stories more concrete and relevant to the people using them in the here and now. Great post Peter :) Hey Liv,

Thanks for the reference :) Most framing we’re invited to participate in really works on a shorter timeframe, but I think a lot of our skills and mindset apply to the long view, too.

Simona Maschi has done some really smart work in looking at the spectrum of scenario work from user/task scenarios through to future strategic scenarios a la Royal Dutch Shell (and later GBN). Unfortunately, I can’t find her deck via Google anymore :(

Matthew Milan’s backcasting stuff is also pretty relevant here…since backcasting ties into GBN type scenario planning, but actually points out paths and options.

We have been a bit involved in a 2020 vision project, and I spent time teaching scenario planning at the workshop we just taught in Miami.

Our goal with futures research like that is very often very simple though - we aren’t shaping corporate strategy, we’re just trying to break free of the client’s “official future” so that we’re not locked into the assumptions embedded in the status quo.

Even when we look at longer horizons it’s most often in service of strategy for the offering in that mid-term.

If you’re looking at deep trends (climate change, energy, healthcare + demographics) then designing for all possible futures is impossible. But there’s no rule in scenario planning (or in experience design visioning) that you have to cover all the bases. GBN uses scenarios to provoke strategic conversations - I think experience design tools like tangible futures / prototyping / etc. can serve well to round out those possibilities and make the stories more concrete and relevant to the people using them in the here and now.

Great post Peter :)

]]> By: Livia Labate http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2008/05/05/designing-futures/#comment-177779 Livia Labate Tue, 06 May 2008 20:33:30 +0000 http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2008/05/05/designing-futures/#comment-177779 That's very interesting. For the most part I feel like designers firmly believe they can influence long-term planning very far into the future -- in my person experience I have found that to be very very difficult. Even when you DO have all the data points that support you in framing some different reality. Your post made me think of Jess McMullin's <a href="http://www.bplusd.org/2007/06/20/using-the-design-maturity-model-to-analyze-products/" title="Design Maturity Model Example" rel="nofollow">Design Maturity Model</a> - though the spectrum of design influence spans from style to framing, framing is fuzzy and there is no sense of longevity there. His example is a good one in that it makes it very clear that design contributes with principles and guidance for something that is not concrete and actionable (short/mid term) -- potentially delineating some boundaries that could shape long-term scenarios, but that's not capable of delineating these scenarios by itself. Please explore more, this is interesting. Thanks for making me think... That’s very interesting. For the most part I feel like designers firmly believe they can influence long-term planning very far into the future — in my person experience I have found that to be very very difficult. Even when you DO have all the data points that support you in framing some different reality.

Your post made me think of Jess McMullin’s Design Maturity Model - though the spectrum of design influence spans from style to framing, framing is fuzzy and there is no sense of longevity there.

His example is a good one in that it makes it very clear that design contributes with principles and guidance for something that is not concrete and actionable (short/mid term) — potentially delineating some boundaries that could shape long-term scenarios, but that’s not capable of delineating these scenarios by itself.

Please explore more, this is interesting. Thanks for making me think…

]]>