Foresight Maps
Strategic foresight for The Institute for the Future
Strategic foresight for The Institute for the Future
Strategic foresight for The Institute for the Future
It's not every day you get to build a crystal ball.
IFTF publishes research illustrating major trends driving the future in the form of print 'maps' . As their main presentation model it’s a highly effective way of graphically communicating multiple inspiring and scary possibilities, all emerging from the same trends. Though beautiful, and highly engaging, whether printed or even electronically distributed, these maps are fixed in time, and are difficult to update as the institute develops new research findings.
Rather than publishing one static version of those maps, how could this approach scale to better accommodate multiple ways of developing and telling those stories? As a group committed to teaching and democratizing their approach to futures thinking, how might making forecast maps be opened to wider groups?
IFTF challenged us to bring their maps into the digital interactive space, where they could become living entities that evolve over time as new signals are detected. They asked us to make them collaborative - to transform a static page into a tool to construct new knowledge, rather than merely document it.
Making change visible was one of the most important parts of this project.
It's not every day you get to build a crystal ball.
IFTF publishes research illustrating major trends driving the future in the form of print 'maps' . As their main presentation model it’s a highly effective way of graphically communicating multiple inspiring and scary possibilities, all emerging from the same trends. Though beautiful, and highly engaging, whether printed or even electronically distributed, these maps are fixed in time, and are difficult to update as the institute develops new research findings.
Rather than publishing one static version of those maps, how could this approach scale to better accommodate multiple ways of developing and telling those stories? As a group committed to teaching and democratizing their approach to futures thinking, how might making forecast maps be opened to wider groups?
IFTF challenged us to bring their maps into the digital interactive space, where they could become living entities that evolve over time as new signals are detected. They asked us to make them collaborative - to transform a static page into a tool to construct new knowledge, rather than merely document it.
Making change visible was one of the most important parts of this project.
It's not every day you get to build a crystal ball.
IFTF publishes research illustrating major trends driving the future in the form of print 'maps' . As their main presentation model it’s a highly effective way of graphically communicating multiple inspiring and scary possibilities, all emerging from the same trends. Though beautiful, and highly engaging, whether printed or even electronically distributed, these maps are fixed in time, and are difficult to update as the institute develops new research findings.
Rather than publishing one static version of those maps, how could this approach scale to better accommodate multiple ways of developing and telling those stories? As a group committed to teaching and democratizing their approach to futures thinking, how might making forecast maps be opened to wider groups?
IFTF challenged us to bring their maps into the digital interactive space, where they could become living entities that evolve over time as new signals are detected. They asked us to make them collaborative - to transform a static page into a tool to construct new knowledge, rather than merely document it.
Making change visible was one of the most important parts of this project.
Experience Design
Information Architecture
Visual Design
Futures
To tackle this, we dove into discovery research to understand IFTF’s foresight process. We mapped out the set of authors involved in creating a map, and cataloged the various data sources that could be used to populate it.
We explored use cases from IFTF and their client partners to understand how different people might interact with the platform, and then began to map out an information architecture. We created flows and wireframes for describing the process for authoring, collaborating with colleagues, and viewing maps on the platform. We then brought those to life with a versatile visual design system that let the content shine. It was important to showcase the structural relationships across topics and the various levels of the information hierarchy.
Finally, we produced detailed technical recommendations to guide development of the application. We recommended using the D3 library to power the map engine. This would give authors flexibility in how to best visualize their data to align with their storytelling. Authors can select from different visualization types, depending on the type of data being displayed in the map, so each map becomes a unique expression of IFTF’s vision of the future. Our recommendations were structured for sustainability and growth, prioritizing the core elements of the experience, and outlining a roadmap for future growth and expansion of the platform.
After delivery of our UX artifacts, we advised on the technical execution of the application. IFTF launched the tool to showcase Technology Horizon and Seeds of Disruption research. We delivered a solution where meaning emerges from using the tool, rather than being fixed in time.
Ultimately we gave IFTF a solution for the future - an artifact from the future - a concept that stretched the capabilities of the time, but delivered a vision of what was soon to be possible.
