Delivery mode
Online
Estimated study time: 81 hours
Location
E-learning environment
Language
English
Scope
3 ECTS
Discovering Future
The Discovering Future online course introduces participants to the first steps of the design-driven foresight process. The course focuses on how individuals and teams can build a repository of materials, information and findings that signal future developments in a chosen industry. Participants will also explore the creative, “undecidable” character of a foresight project, and how the “undecidability” impacts the management of the project.
Studied methods in this course include horizon scanning of drivers and signals, frameworks for scanning, and design trend foresight methods. While the course draws from design-driven foresight, these methods are highly adaptable and can be applied across various fields, from business and technology to sustainability and policymaking.
You can study this course flexibly at your own pace while gaining practical skills that you can immediately apply to your own work.
Prerequisites: The course Introduction to Design-driven Foresight or basic knowledge of design or consumer foresight and the circular economy principles is recommended.
Start
Fee:
Learning Outcomes
After you have completed this course, you:
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Can define the key characteristics of design-driven foresight.
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Know how to work with foresight key components such as drivers and look-and-feel samples.
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Will be able to confidently and with excitement enter the design-driven foresight process.
For
This course is well-suited for a diverse array of individuals eager to explore the intersection of design and foresight in shaping a more sustainable future.
The course is ideal for
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Professionals in design-intensive fields who want to learn or update their knowledge about foresight work
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Professionals who make strategic decisions in any design-intensive field
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Designers interested in the development of sustainable materials
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Individuals interested in design and its impact
Benefits
Gain Practical Foresight Skills
Learn essential methods like horizon scanning and trend foresight to identify emerging developments in your industry. Apply these skills immediately to your own work.
Enhance Strategic Decision-Making
Understand how to build and manage a foresight repository, helping you make informed, future-oriented decisions in design-intensive fields.
Explore the Creative Side of Foresight
Discover how to navigate the “undecidable” aspects of foresight projects and leverage uncertainty as a driver for innovation and sustainable design.
Contents and Schedule
The course consists of short videos, texts, and assignments. The course is divided into three modules that each focus on a specific topic. The language of the course is English, and the estimated study time is 81 hours, equivalent to 3 ECTS. You have the flexibility to navigate the course at your own pace. You will have access to the course materials for three (3) months from the date of purchase.
The course is divided into 3 modules, each focusing on a specific topic:
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Module 1: Change
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Module 2: Catching Signal
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Module 3: Leading Foresight Project
Instructors
Heidi Paavilainen
Senior University Lecturer, Department of Design, Aalto University
Heidi Paavilainen has a master’s degree in textile design and doctoral degree in industrial design. Her MA thesis studied foresight as a platform for collaborative knowledge creation, and in her doctoral research she studied domestication of design. Dr Paavilainen has been teaching design-driven foresight for over a decade in Aalto University for master’s degree students. Her approach to foresight is strategic rather than commercial: foresight is a way to make an impact, not only in the fields of fashion and design but everywhere.
Eeva Raitio
Project Specialist, Department of Design, Aalto University
Eeva Raitio has a master’s degree in industrial design. Raitio has worked as a CMF (colours, materials, finishes) designer in product development programmes as well as led future CMF innovation projects, creating tangible executions and translations of trends through the exploration of colours and material design and new technology solutions.
In her role as Trend Specialist, she has led and contributed to design trend scouting and analysis studies, providing in-depth understanding and implications of the evolution of existing trends and knowledge of emerging trends in the industry together with knowledge of emerging trends in visual culture and design relevant to the industry in question. She has 17 years' experience in the consumer electronics industry. Raitio is currently a freelancer and a visiting lecturer at Aalto University.
Program Fee and Registration
Program Fee
The Discovering Future program fee is € 350 (+ VAT).
This program has adopted Aalto EE's new Customer ID, and it is delivered on Aalto Learning Experience Alex e-learning environment. Before ordering, please visit aaltoee.fi/customerid.
Program start