What are Future Studies
Future Navigator’s technique
Future studies is an eclectic approach to the world. As futurists you will learn to steal anything that works from left, right and center, but most of all you will learn to combine a range of disciplines to form new ideas in more efficient ways. The purpose is to create an overview within a forward-oriented context.
There are plenty of people who work on understanding and analyzing problems and then writing lengthy reports. For futurists, it is all about disassembling the current and the imminent, in order to reassemble them creatively and productively. The aim is to identify what does not yet exist, as well as imagine the radically different developments that break existing habits and challenge the ‘this is how we’ve always done’-mentality – without losing touch with reality.
Future studies is both art and science
- Art because you have to use your imagination and your feelings, train your intuition and constantly keep your eyes and ears open. 365 days a year, 7 days a week and 24 hours a day.
- Science because we work systematically with research, statistics, data, method development, critical-constructive reasoning – and especially because most of what we do can be transformed into various forms of social value.
“All people can go in depth. It requires great professionalism to stay on the surface”
Prev. bishop Jan Lindhart
Many believe that research and science can only be performed by people in white coats who say things like “what is the evidence for that?”. But this is of course not true.
Scientists have always been driven by wonder and curiosity. Researchers move both physically and mentally beyond the limits of the known, and think, “hmmm, I will just do a hypothesis that things might interact in a completely different way than we think they do today, or even in ways completely unimaginable to us.” And then they go out and collect data, working with facts and present their thoughts and insights to the other scientists who systematically go through it all.
So yes, we are scientists, and yes you can actually study what does not yet exist. That is what all the people chasing a cure for cancer are doing, too.
And if Columbus was to have delivered an evidence-based analysis with an assessment of the likelihood that the expedition would find new land, including an explanation of what gains he would return with, he would have probably never left…
Future Navigators Mindset
We collaborate with colleagues around the world, and have developed a number of clever techniques to mediate the future, make better and more systematic research, as well as promote methods that enable our customers to independently spot trends, create an overview and translate their findings to new value.
Our branch of future research is very focused on “what people might do in the future”. What would make sense? What options are the best and the most desirable? The good life is the natural focal point for the future in Future Navigator.
We believe that there have always been people who acted as futurists, whether it were oracles of ancient times, prophets from the Bible, world explorers, gurus or the rebellious scientists. Futurists have always been told that we are nuts. People who see the new before anyone else will only be considered visionary if they succeed in translating new trends into new, tangible value. If that fails, they must leave something behind for posterity to pay tribute to them.
The world needs more futurists
People often say: “If we don’t learn from the past, we are doomed to repeat it.” Sure, but if we don’t learn that we can create, shape and influence the future, we are also doomed. To work strategically with the future is to take control of the motorbike of life. If you choose the sidecar, you probably get ahead in life, but others decide the route. Take the steering wheel – it’s your future!
Luckily we are now moving towards happier and brighter times when working with the future is increasingly recognized and coveted. In 2000 we had to spell g-l-o-b-a-l-i-z-a-t-i-o-n for people, and urbanization was something about model trains. But look where we are today with digital education, mobile platforms and toy drones becoming commonplace in an extremely short period of time. The future moves closer towards us, always at a faster pace. And it is normal to feel frightened. Maybe even scared.
The future is not dangerous. However, it is extremely technology-driven with an excessive focus on more: more production and more growth. It is not only brave, but also healthy and good, to dedicate the time to flip the basic assumptions around, see new contexts, and agree on future conditions that the business of everyday life usually keeps us from contemplating.
There is a futurist in all of us. So think of us as your driving instructor. We want nothing but to show you how much control you can actually claim over your future. And once you have passed the driving test, you don’t turn to the driving instructor and ask which way to go.
We don’t decide where you go. Or what thoughts you should be thinking. But we can give you the overview, the content, and the methods for you to figure it out on your own.