Presentation

The Creative Futures course equips designers and creatives with the crucial skill of future literacy, enabling them to anticipate and navigate potential futures while remaining critical and innovative. At the heart of this course is the goal of providing participants with a sense of agency, empowering them to shape the future rather than merely react to it.

By blending theory with practical tools like horizon scanning and scenario planning, participants challenge existing assumptions and explore alternative scenarios. The course emphasizes hands-on engagement, where senior designers create speculative artifacts that bring future scenarios to life. It concludes with participants presenting foresight scenarios that showcase their ability to integrate ethics with creative innovation, positioning them as leaders in the evolving design landscape.

 

 

Language

English

Qualification issued

Certificate of course - 1/5 Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS)

Fees

CHF 1 200.-, Alumni EXECAL CHF 1 000.-

Credits

2 ECTS

Length

4h for 5 weeks, on Friday afternoon 1:30pm-5:30pm

Registration deadline

22.08.2025

Date of course

19, 26 September, 03, 10 and 17 October 2025

Useful links

AdmissionsContact

Course format

Hybrid teaching (real-time online and on site at ECAL)

Learning goals

We give you the keys to
  • Understand the foundational concepts and history of foresight and its relevance in design.
  • Gain hands-on experience with key foresight tools and methodologies, including horizon scanning and scenario planning.
  • Develop and refine foresight scenarios based on trends, signals, and uncertainties.
  • Apply speculative design and design fiction to critically engage with and communicate future scenarios.
  • Present well-developed foresight scenarios tailored to their professional context, incorporating storytelling and ethical considerations.

Course program

This section presents the courses detailed by week.
Week I
FUTURE FOUNDATIONS
  • The origins of foresight
  • Foresight psychology
  • Key concepts for creatives
WEEK II
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
  • Sense-making and scoping
  • Choice of methods
  • Horizon scanning and radar
  • Critical futures
WEEK III
FUTURES AND IMAGINATION
  • Signals and trends
  • Uncertainties and alternative futures
  • Creating foresight scenarios
Week IV
CRAFTING CREATIVE RESPONSES
  • The futurist-client relationship
  • Foresight and ethics
  • Speculative design and design fiction
Week V
PREFERABLE FUTURES
  • Storytelling and preferable futures
  • The futures of your profession
  • Final presentations

Lecturers & speakers

Pascal Wicht

Strategic designer & Foresight designer

Michell Zappa,

Founder of Envisioning.io

 

Malachy Spollen

Head of Foresight and Futures, Logitech

 

Lydia Caldana

Foresight Strategist & Cultural Researcher,
Founder of Future Resources