INNOVATION & FUTURE THINKING
ACADEMIC PROGRAM
The Innovation and Future Thinking is a course is offered at IED Barcelona each summer. The program is co-directed between me and my collaborator John V. Willshire (The Smithery).
![]()
Program Description
In this Summer Course Innovation and Future Thinking, you’ll be detecting signs of change, organising ideas into comprehensible models, finding new ways to assess possible futures, identifying potential barriers and opportunities, designing innovative ideas, products and services.
This course, taught in English, focuses on the strategic, innovative and creative aspects of future thinking. You’ll start with data collection and modelling, explore and adopt narrative development, strategic foresight, prototyping, and find out how to effectively inform users about new products and services. This new know-how will be put to good use in the form of a final project providing solutions for the problems found.
Starting from the question, "Why think about the future?" you’ll discover the fundamental concepts of futuring from a theoretical perspective. In this first part of the course you’ll focus on trend identification and analysis, scanning for weak signs and macro trends. This phase is characterised by an observational analysis of urban environments.
The focus then shifts to creating scenarios, roadmaps and timelines, using retrospection and creative ideas to develop new narratives.
Futurists, innovators and designers will show us how to use these techniques to put theory into practice.
You’ll study innovation practices and processes and see how they’re used by both major companies and start-ups.
To read about previous editions of the program:
︎︎︎ 2024
︎︎︎ 2023
This course, taught in English, focuses on the strategic, innovative and creative aspects of future thinking. You’ll start with data collection and modelling, explore and adopt narrative development, strategic foresight, prototyping, and find out how to effectively inform users about new products and services. This new know-how will be put to good use in the form of a final project providing solutions for the problems found.
Starting from the question, "Why think about the future?" you’ll discover the fundamental concepts of futuring from a theoretical perspective. In this first part of the course you’ll focus on trend identification and analysis, scanning for weak signs and macro trends. This phase is characterised by an observational analysis of urban environments.
The focus then shifts to creating scenarios, roadmaps and timelines, using retrospection and creative ideas to develop new narratives.
Futurists, innovators and designers will show us how to use these techniques to put theory into practice.
You’ll study innovation practices and processes and see how they’re used by both major companies and start-ups.
To read about previous editions of the program:
︎︎︎ 2024
︎︎︎ 2023
Students engaging in collective signals work in class.
Students engaging with the city as an extension of the classroom.
Related Publications
Toban Shadlyn & John V. Willshire. Reflections on Innovation and Future Thinking. Smithery Blog. May 1, 2024.
Toban Shadlyn & John V. Willshire. Taking Care of Water. Smithery Blog. May 11, 2023.
Toban Shadlyn & John V. Willshire. Reflections on Innovation and Future Thinking. Smithery Blog. May 1, 2024.
Toban Shadlyn & John V. Willshire. Taking Care of Water. Smithery Blog. May 11, 2023.
Index