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futurist_fieldguide:situation_so_far [2015-06-03 08:19] – alkan | futurist_fieldguide:situation_so_far [2015-06-04 09:30] (current) – alkan | ||
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===== Situation So Far ===== | ===== Situation So Far ===== | ||
- | Mapping out the past and present of an issue or a situation is crucial for any futuring exercise. The more is known about what happened before and what is happening now, the more grounded the conversation about the future can be. This technique shares a strong link with the aptitude of [[walking backwards into the future]], which can help us avoid unnecessarily reinventing the wheel. While not a formalised technique, | + | Mapping out the past and present of an issue or a situation is crucial for any futuring exercise. The more is known about what happened before and what is happening now, the more grounded the conversation about the future can be. This technique shares a strong link with '[[walking backwards into the future]]', an aptitude |
- | At FoAM we use this technique when the participants need to establish a shared context and learn about each others' | + | At FoAM we use this technique when the participants need to establish a shared context and learn about each others' |
==== Process ==== | ==== Process ==== | ||
- | There are no formal requirements for this process. It can help to make a visual map of the past and the present as you are discussing it, and if you do so, you'll need a large (vertical) writing surface and markers (and optionally | + | There are no formal requirements for this process. It can help to make a visual map of the past and the present as you are discussing it, and if you do so, you'll need a large (vertical) writing surface and markers (and optionally |
- | * Step 1: Frame the conversation mentioning the importance of history in futuring exercises and propose a general question: | + | * Step 1: Frame the conversation mentioning the importance of history in futuring exercises and propose a general question: |
- | * Step 2: The present situation: it can help to ask the usual questions: What, Why, How, Who, When and Where, to identify simultaneous actions, events, places, people (etc.) that make up the current conditions. Alternatively you can also use a more sensual approach and ask what is seen, heard, sensed, smelled, tasted, thought and felt. Your guiding questions depend on the issue or situation you're examining. Focus particularly on the interconnections between | + | |
- | * Step 3: The past (causes, patterns, roots of current situation): Look at the core characteristics of the present situation and discuss their origins: Why did this happen? What are the causes, roots or patterns that extend from the present to the past? Has something similar happened before (see the [[:/ | + | * Step 2: The present situation: it can help to ask the usual questions: What, Why, How, Who, When and Where, to identify simultaneous actions, events, places, people (etc.) that make up the current conditions. Alternatively you can also use a more sensual approach and ask what is seen, heard, sensed, smelled, tasted, thought and felt. Your guiding questions depend on the issue or situation you're examining. Focus particularly on the interconnections between |
- | * Step 4: Key insights: At the end of the exercise look at the created | + | |
+ | * Step 3: The past (causes, patterns, roots of current situation): Look at the core characteristics of the present situation and discuss their origins: Why did this happen? What are the causes, roots or patterns that extend from the present to the past? Has something similar happened before (see the [[:/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Step 4: Key insights: At the end of the exercise look at the map you've created | ||
==== References ==== | ==== References ==== |