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Madeleine Tults

Strategic Designer,
Trinidad Wiseman

Madeleine’s expertise is in strategic design with an emphasis on designing future proof services by combining futures thinking methods with these of design. She is an experienced service and UX designer as well as trainer and facilitator in her areas of expertise. At Trinidad Wiseman she leads large public sector projects as strategist, project manager and UX researcher/designer. Also, she has been mentoring companies at a number of service design masterclasses.

Madeleine has studied and practiced futures thinking methodology at the Institute for the Future in Palo Alto. She is an activist at the Estonian Future Studies Institute that is dedicated to spreading futures knowledge in the society. She is a valued keynote speaker at conferences and regularly runs futures thinking workshops.

Madeleine has BA degree in Political Science from Gettysburg College, MA degree in European Studies from College of Europe and MA in Interaction Design from Estonian Academy of Arts (Tallinn).

Talk

Designing for Tomorrow: Incorporating Futures Thinking into Design for Resilient and Adaptable Solutions

The world is changing faster than ever, and designing just for today won’t cut it anymore. Limiting focus to current demands may yield soon-to-be obsolete solutions.

As designers, our role is to look beyond immediate needs and explore how social trends, new technologies, and evolving behaviours will shape future experiences.

This is where futures thinking comes in and besides answering the ever-important question of “how might we?” we ask, “how might be?”. Futures thinking is a dynamic set of tools that helps us imagine future possibilities, allowing us to craft designs that are adaptable, sustainable, and forward-looking.

In this talk, we’ll dive into how weaving futures thinking into the design process empowers us to create resilient solutions that stay relevant in an ever-shifting landscape. With practical strategies and forward-thinking insights, and by considering future scenarios, we can future-proof our designs, ensuring they continue to deliver value to both users and businesses, no matter what comes next.

Design and futures thinking complement each other in several ways. Not only does foresight amplify the impact of design but designers are especially well-suited for futures work thanks to their expertise in visualising complex ideas and concepts, their ability to synthesise diverse perspectives and information, and their deep understanding of human-centred design and empathy.

 

Workshops

Design Futures (7 h)

  • November 19, 2024 at 10:00
  • Trinidad Wiseman Office, Brainery Room, 4th Floor, Meistri 14, Tallinn

Introduction

Design Futures workshop is perfect for those who are eager to discover and seek new perspectives. This workshop employs a systemic design approach aimed at shaping a better future by encouraging immediate action. We will bring the possibilities of tomorrow into today’s reality.

The workshop is a dynamic exploration that merges fundamental principles of futures thinking with elements of design. You will gain practical skills in innovative design methods and learn how to effectively communicate foresight for real-world application and immediate impact.

What topics are covered?

Design Futures is a workshop focused on enabling participants to engage with the future through the core futures thinking methods like horizon scanning and scenario creation as well as drawing insights from experiencing the future. The course equips participants with the skills to examine potential futures, construct detailed future worlds and scenarios, and fill these settings with artifacts.

Who is it for?

The workshop is beneficial for anyone who is curious about the future and wants to learn how to think about the future systematically and combine foresight with design. It is a hands-on type of workshop and is suitable for participants who are ready to ideate and prototype with an open mind.

What tools/software do you need?

It would be good to have “office stuff” for prototyping in case some teams want to do it physically. It would be good to bring laptops/smartphones in case some teams want to make video prototypes.

What will you learn?

  • Enhance your design approach by integrating design principles with methods and tools for foresight, allowing you to detect forces of change, signals, and possible future scenarios.
  • Use evidence-based world building and user journey mapping to portray future environments, enabling you to foresee challenges, dilemmas, and prospects for the upcoming ten years.
  • Create prototypes of future world experiences to gain insights from the future and pinpoint opportunities for the development of new products, services, and offerings in the present.

Why participate?

Design futures is a discipline that stands apart from traditional design approaches by focusing not just on solving existing problems, but on exploring and questioning future possibilities. This approach is particularly valuable in a rapidly changing world where anticipating and shaping the future is as important as solving current issues.

Its unique value lies in several key areas:

  • Futures Exploration: designers and organisations are encouraged to think beyond current limitations and explore potential future technologies, societal changes, and environmental conditions. This can help in anticipating future needs and developing innovative products and services.
  • Critical Thinking: fosters critical thinking about the directions technology and society might take. It challenges assumptions and normative expectations, which can lead to more thoughtful and sustainable design choices.
  • Debate and Discussion: coming up with provocative ideas and scenarios that foster discussion about desirable, plausible, possible, or preposterous futures.

Workshop description

Design Futures is an interactive workshop where you will learn to combine futures thinking methods with design thinking and create provotypes from the future for insight and action.

Duration of the workshop

The workshop lasts 7 hours. It is divided into two sessions which each are three hours long. There will be one hour lunch break and short coffee breaks in the middle of each session.

Maximum number of participants: 25.

Workshop format: The workshop will involve group work. Therefore, tables where 4-5 people can sit around would be necessary.

220€

268.4€ with VAT

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