Gem Barton
Gem is an author and senior academic, she is interested in the interrelations between human behaviour, speculation and spatial design.
Gem teaches MA Interior Design at the RCA and is co-responsible for steering the research focus of the programme.
She was awarded a National Teaching fellowship in 2019, is co-founder of the Office for Speculative Spatial Design (O-SSD) a Think Tank for research-led speculative spatial design that contributes to policy change, towards a more just and inclusive society.
As founding director of the Experimental Realism platform which hosts an online Project Store; a collection of speculative design projects created by students from universities around the world, she also established a global mentoring programme with a speculative design / futures practitioner; designed to build community, encourage open discourse and facilitate the transition from education into practice.
Gem teaches MA Interior Design at the RCA and is co-responsible for steering the research focus of the programme.
She was awarded a National Teaching fellowship in 2019, is co-founder of the Office for Speculative Spatial Design (O-SSD) a Think Tank for research-led speculative spatial design that contributes to policy change, towards a more just and inclusive society.
As founding director of the Experimental Realism platform which hosts an online Project Store; a collection of speculative design projects created by students from universities around the world, she also established a global mentoring programme with a speculative design / futures practitioner; designed to build community, encourage open discourse and facilitate the transition from education into practice.
Experimental Realism, and the privilege of imagination
Speculative design surrounds us at an ever-increasing pace and in ever more impactful ways. As such, it has never been more important to study its ecology and embed its principles into the education system via a responsive and responsible teaching methodology: ‘experimental realism’. In this session Gem will share with you the journey, principles and pedagogies of Experimental Realism; touching on the intersections and interrelations between human behaviour > speculative design > spatial exploration.
Attendees will learn;
- The principles and processes developed by Office for Speculative Spatial Design for the exploration of future built environments
- The privileges embedded in systems of speculation and how to move towards equitable and desirable futures
Marea Saldarriaga
Marea is the founder of LOGROS CREATIVOS. Since 2005, her focus has been encouraging competitiveness and innovation in Mexico through:
- The dissemination of knowledge by bringing together experts from the fields of design management and innovation in seminars where ideas, approaches are shared and practical tools are put in place that connect creative visions with action, helping to scale and amplify the impact of design practitioners in the world.
- Bring a thorough understanding of contexts, brands and users and design brand, product and service strategies to uplift the customer's experiences.
- Discover people’s and brand’s uniqueness to design thorough brand platforms and innovation roadmaps.
Has participated in strategic projects for the automotive, wellness and health care, food and beverage, publishing, pharmaceutical, hotel and real estate, financial services, technology industries, as well as the educational and cultural sectors. Her clients range from startups to multinational companies, academic institutions and non-profit organizations.
Problem framing and future opportunity identification
Marea will be leading a sprint with participants so that they are able to express their assumptions about a challenge or opportunity and question whether or not it will be valid in the future.
Attendees will learn;
Attendees will learn;
- How to to ask the right questions
- Identify their end user
- Define the problem from the end user's perspective
- Understand where and when the problem occurs
- Understand how the problem might or might not evolve in the future
- Discover the benefit to the target audience and value to the organization.
- Identify their end user
- Define the problem from the end user's perspective
- Understand where and when the problem occurs
- Understand how the problem might or might not evolve in the future
- Discover the benefit to the target audience and value to the organization.
Greg Solis
Greg is a problem-centric director of research, strategy and design with a background in facilitation, design management, strategic foresight, service and venture design for solutions that frame design in society and the environment.
Greg has recently led and managed teams to co-create new ventures in problem spaces as diverse as stressor-related trauma care, robotic automation for autonomous trailer trucks, behavioral interventions for folks experiencing cardiovascular disease, ultramobile urban fish and vegetable farms, support infrastructure for autonomous passenger vehicles and natural nutritionals for large corporates like Bayer, NGK, Roche and Avis/Zipcar as well as emerging startups.
Greg’s process relies heavily in actionable strategic foresight and ethics frameworks to design preferable futures in which solutions exist at scale in 8 year horizons, to then backcast designing 4 and 2 year feature sets and 8/4 month pilots. This approach produces MVPs (Minimum Viable Products) that have de-risked paths to scale while considering potential negative externalities in a calculated balance between desirability, feasibility and viability.
Greg has recently led and managed teams to co-create new ventures in problem spaces as diverse as stressor-related trauma care, robotic automation for autonomous trailer trucks, behavioral interventions for folks experiencing cardiovascular disease, ultramobile urban fish and vegetable farms, support infrastructure for autonomous passenger vehicles and natural nutritionals for large corporates like Bayer, NGK, Roche and Avis/Zipcar as well as emerging startups.
Greg’s process relies heavily in actionable strategic foresight and ethics frameworks to design preferable futures in which solutions exist at scale in 8 year horizons, to then backcast designing 4 and 2 year feature sets and 8/4 month pilots. This approach produces MVPs (Minimum Viable Products) that have de-risked paths to scale while considering potential negative externalities in a calculated balance between desirability, feasibility and viability.
Tactical Foresight, world-building for
problem-centric ideation at scale
problem-centric ideation at scale
In this highly collaborative workshop participants will have the opportunity to work with:
- Signals mining on the 7 foundations framework
- Signals to trends
- Unfolding implications "In a world where"
- Worldbuilding and scenario planning
- Signals to trends
- Unfolding implications "In a world where"
- Worldbuilding and scenario planning
Vinny Tafuro
Vinny is a founder of the Institute for Economic Evolution. He is a pioneering advocate for the twenty-first century economy that is disrupting society’s most rigid institutions and beliefs. Vinny’s economic theories explore the societal and economic shifts being catalyzed by corporations as a result of technology, corporate personhood, and evolving human cognition.
An engaging and energetic speaker, Vinny presents to organizations, corporations, and colleges on a variety of topics both professionally and through community organizations. He enjoys an active and blended professional, academic, and personal life, selecting challenging projects that offer opportunities for personal and professional growth.
He is the author of Corporate Empathy and Unlocking the Labor Cage.
An engaging and energetic speaker, Vinny presents to organizations, corporations, and colleges on a variety of topics both professionally and through community organizations. He enjoys an active and blended professional, academic, and personal life, selecting challenging projects that offer opportunities for personal and professional growth.
He is the author of Corporate Empathy and Unlocking the Labor Cage.
Speculative Economics; using design to create a northern star for a field in crisis
Vinny will be guiding participants through the foresight methodologies of causal layer analysis and backcasting looking at the field of economics, so that they they are able to explore historical myths around economics that underlie today's problems.
They will imagine preferable futures without the restraint of contemporary myths to better address contemporary challenges and co-create an economics for the 21st century.
Attendees will learn;
- How to identify different levels of analysis to create coherent new futures
- Imagine preferable futures without the restraint of contemporary myths
- To shape the future more effectively
Attendees will learn;
- How to identify different levels of analysis to create coherent new futures
- Imagine preferable futures without the restraint of contemporary myths
- To shape the future more effectively
Joe Tankersley
Joe Tankersley is a futurist, author, and former Walt Disney Imagineer. During his twenty-year career at Imagineering he led creative teams on projects at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. He also helped to create the first strategic foresight group for WDI and worked with divisions across the Disney company to explore the future of entertainment, business, and creativity.
He currently serves as a foresight advisor to multinational corporations, nonprofits, and community groups. He uses his experience as a futurist and storyteller to help his clients create their best tomorrows.
Joe has served on the board of directors of the Association of Professional Futurists and the Global Future Forum. He currently serves on the boards of The Blue Ocean Consortium and the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes.
He is the author of Reimagining Our Tomorrows: Making Sure Your Future Doesn’t Suck
He currently serves as a foresight advisor to multinational corporations, nonprofits, and community groups. He uses his experience as a futurist and storyteller to help his clients create their best tomorrows.
Joe has served on the board of directors of the Association of Professional Futurists and the Global Future Forum. He currently serves on the boards of The Blue Ocean Consortium and the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes.
He is the author of Reimagining Our Tomorrows: Making Sure Your Future Doesn’t Suck
Using Strategic Narratives to Create Preferred Futures
Joe will be leading an interactive workshop that teaches participants how to combine the practice of strategic foresight with narrative to create roadmaps toward preferred futures.
Attendees will learn;
Attendees will learn;
- How to define a preferred future
- Translate trend research into story elements
- Craft strategic narratives
- Narrative backcasting
- Translate trend research into story elements
- Craft strategic narratives
- Narrative backcasting
