Speculative Futures Canvas

What participants gain

• Use speculative design to imagine long-term consequences.
• Develop creative future scenarios.
• Identify opportunities for sustainable product development.

Materials needed

• Speculative Futures Canvas
• Markers
• Sticky notes
• Images or visual prompts
• Timer

How to run Speculative Futures Canvas, step by step

1. Introduce speculative design and its relevance to product strategy (5 min).
2. Present the Speculative Futures Canvas (5 min).
3. Participants brainstorm potential future scenarios based on current product decisions (20 min).
4. Participants identify the potential impacts of each scenario (10 min).
5. Share insights and findings with the larger group (5 min).
6. Analyze the scenarios for common themes and potential risks (5 min).
7. Identify opportunities to mitigate risks and capitalize on opportunities (5 min).
8. Document the insights and next steps for future reference (5 min).

Facilitator tips

• Encourage participants to think outside the box.
• Provide examples of speculative design scenarios.
• Create a safe space for creative expression.
• Focus on the potential impacts, both positive and negative.
• Remind participants that there are no right or wrong answers.

Common challenges

• Participants struggle to imagine future scenarios. - Provide visual prompts and examples.
• Discussion becomes overly optimistic or pessimistic. - Encourage a balanced perspective.
• Participants lose focus on the product strategy. - Remind them to connect scenarios to product decisions.
• Participants feel constrained by current limitations. - Emphasize the importance of blue-sky thinking.

Running it virtually

Use a virtual whiteboard like Miro or Mural to create a shared canvas for brainstorming and scenario planning. Utilize virtual voting features to prioritize the most compelling future scenarios.

Expected results

Participants will generate a range of potential future scenarios, gaining insights into the long-term impacts of their product decisions. They will identify opportunities to create more sustainable and ethical products.

Build a session around Speculative Futures Canvas

METODIC drops Speculative Futures Canvas into a complete session plan with timing, materials, worksheets, and a facilitator guide — for any workshop, meeting, or team session.

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