Foresight Studio: Designing the Next Decade

Designing the Next Decade is an EIT-labelled professional development course for cultural and creative sector leaders. It is a fully remote, part-time Continuous Professional Development programme that blends scenario planning and AI trend analysis with practical business modelling. Through training and mentoring, participants create their own Futures Map — a visual strategy roadmap ready for real-world application. The course is co-funded by the European Union through EIT Culture & Creativity.

TARGET AUDIENCE

The course is designed for four key groups: Creative & cultural founders (entrepreneurs driving innovation in art, media, and culture), Cultural managers & policymakers (professionals shaping and managing cultural projects and policies), City planners & urban designers (experts designing creative, livable, and culturally vibrant cities), and Creative sector innovators (pioneers advancing research and innovation in cultural fields). Participants from 26 countries are eligible, including Ukraine, EU member states, and select associated countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Türkiye).

PARTICIPANT REQUIREMENTS

The site does not explicitly list prior knowledge prerequisites. The course is positioned as a professional development programme for specialists already working in the cultural and creative sectors, so a professional background or active involvement in these fields is implied. No specific technical skills or academic qualifications are stated as mandatory.

DURING THE COURSE, PARTICIPANTS WILL:

• Learn the fundamentals of strategic foresight and futures thinking

• Master trend scanning methods and apply AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Google Trends, Feedly) for signal identification and clustering

• Build narratives, personas, and 2×2 scenario designs using speculative design techniques

• Explore real-world foresight case studies in mobility, education, and sustainable fashion

• Transform scenario insights into innovation concepts using design thinking, Lean Canvas, and backcasting

• Develop storytelling and pitch skills to communicate their strategic vision

• Participate in structured peer review and collaborative feedback sessions

• Create a personal Final Project: Futures Map — a visual strategic roadmap combining trend analysis, scenarios, and innovation pathways with a pitch-ready presentation

COURSE DURATION

Approximately 8 weeks, online format with mentoring sessions. The programme includes 40+ hours of expert-led learning, 15+ workshops and trainings, and access to 20+ experts and mentors. The structure consists of 7 modules plus a final project. The site does not provide an explicit breakdown into theory/practice/assessment hours, but the format balances theoretical content (modules 1–4), practical application (modules 5–6), peer assessment (module 7), and a final deliverable project.

Participation fee: €35

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The course consists of 7 modules and a final project:

Module 1 — The Core of Strategic Foresight.
Introduction to futures thinking and foresight principles; onboarding and mentoring setup. Tools: Foresight framework (Scanning–Analyzing–Creating–Deciding), Miro for mapping.

Module 2 — Trend Scanning & AI Tools.
Methods for identifying weak signals; applying AI for scanning and clustering. Tools: ChatGPT/Claude for trend synthesis, Google Trends, Feedly, Futures Wheel.

Module 3 — Narrative Building & Scenario Design.
Creating narratives and personas, building 2×2 scenarios, speculative design. Tools: Scenario matrix, persona generator, Notion AI, speculative prototyping toolkit.

Module 4 — Foresight in Action: Case Studies.
Exploring foresight in mobility, education, and sustainable fashion; partner insights. Tools: Case-based foresight mapping, STEEPV framework, impact mapping canvas.

Module 5 — From Insight to Innovation.
Turning scenarios into concepts; design thinking & Lean Canvas; backcasting. Tools: Lean Canvas, Miro whiteboards, Backcasting Roadmap, Ideation toolkit.

Module 6 — Shaping the Vision: Storytelling & Pitch.
Building the Futures Map, storytelling techniques, preparing a pitch deck. Tools: Pitch deck templates, AI storytelling tools (Tome, Canva AI), Futures Map framework.

Final Project: Futures Map.
Each participant delivers a Visual Futures Map — a strategic and creative representation of future opportunities in their chosen domain, combining trend analysis, scenarios, and innovation pathways, finalized with a pitch-ready presentation.