Why this programme
Governments, social impact organisations and communities are increasingly faced with futures that are uncertain, complex and rapidly changing. While strategic foresight helps us understand emerging trends and possible futures, many leaders struggle to move from anticipating change to imagining new possibilities, generating impactful insights, and designing meaningful responses. This highly interactive one-day masterclass introduces participants to unlock your creativity with future possibilities through developing human stories and speculation design of the future.
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Who is this for
Designed for public servants, policymakers, social innovators, community leaders, NGOs, foundations, researchers, service designers, strategists and anyone interested in designing more inclusive and human-centred futures.
Learning outcomes
Learn how to create future archetypes and future life profiles, uncover emerging vulnerabilities, aspirations and human needs.
Apply the ThinkPlace Creative Speculation Canvas™ to challenge assumptions and generate opportunities for policy, service and social innovation.
Create design fictions and future stories that will bring about desirable, equitable and human-centred futures to life.
What you'll learn
Segment 1
From Understanding Futures to Creating Futures
Participants explore why traditional approaches to planning and innovation often struggle in times of uncertainty and complexity. They will learn the differences between strategic foresight and creative foresight, and how creative foresight complements existing futures methods by helping leaders imagine, experience and shape possible futures.
Segment 2
Future Archetypes & Profiles
Rather than focusing on today's users and stakeholders, participants will learn how to create future archetypes and future life profiles that bring future citizens, communities and stakeholders to life. Participants will explore how emerging societal, technological and environmental shifts may influence people's identities, vulnerabilities, aspirations, paradoxes and evolving human needs. By developing rich future profiles, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how future conditions may shape everyday lives and experiences.
Segment 3
The ThinkPlace Creative Speculation Canvas™
Participants will be introduced to the ThinkPlace Creative Speculation Canvas™, a practical framework for stretching imagination and exploring future possibilities. Using a series of speculation lenses, participants will learn how to challenge assumptions, uncover hidden opportunities, and surface future questions that may not emerge through traditional planning approaches. The session emphasises curiosity and possibility rather than prediction.
Segment 4
Future Narrative and Artefacts
Rather than creating abstract scenarios, participants will develop a future ecosystem that enables them to experience how policies, services and societal changes may be understood, adopted, challenged or embraced by different stakeholders. Participants will be learn how to bring future possibilities to life through narratives, artefacts, democratic conversations and social discourse.
Meet your trainers
Regional Director,
ThinkPlace Singapore and Asia