Trendspotting and Future Thinking
What unites different disciplines is the concept of speculating about future trends. Thinking about the future and what potential clues can divulge about how it will reveal itself unites people across disciplines and professional purposes.
It is an area that is not owned by any one discipline. This course seeks to introduce the students to the concept of these trends, trendspotting and future thinking. Furthermore the course will introduce the students to the tools needed to understand trends and their role in society and how to best forsee and work with them in new business creation and developement.
Each lecture will focus on a different tool in the trendspotter's toolbox, and be organized around the students insights gathered using the tool and discussions about the applicability of these insights.
These tools include, but are not limited to
1. visioning and scenario planning
2. blogs and blogging
3. anthropology and sociology.
After this course the student should perceive trendspotting as a clear, understandable and approachable tool in new business creation and development and be able to:
- explain the concepts of trends, trendspotting and future thinking
- investigate the human fascination with the concept of the future and outline pitfalls in future thinking
- investigate and further develop the different ways in which future thinking can be mastered
- explore and discuss different types of trends from macro and megatrends to fashionable fads and microtrends
- reveal and further develop reliable sources for trendspotting.
The course is only offered within Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship (SSES).
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Course structure
The course will mix and match lectures with debates, discussions and workshops by the students as well as leaders in the field.
Teaching format
There are three assignments in the course, introduced by the respective teacher in context to a specific lecture:
Assignment 1: Future Scenario
Assignment 2: Trends in Practice
Assignment 3:
Component 1: Reflecting on and communicating a possible future (video).
Component 2: Synopsis, combining the two prior assignments.
Component 3: Workshop participation.Attendance is compulsory.
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Schedule
The schedule will be available no later than one month before the start of the course. We do not recommend print-outs as changes can occur. At the start of the course, your department will advise where you can find your schedule during the course.
