Futures Cube
Making the future tangible instead of just talking about trends.
The Futures Cube is a method that makes future thinking concrete and tangible. Instead of discussing trends in the abstract, teams develop possible visions of the future and explore how social, technological or economic developments could affect everyday life, behaviour and decisions.
The method was developed by the Cross Innovation Hub and combines playful elements with structured future thinking. As a haptic tool, the Cube invites you to combine trends and develop new perspectives from them.
Why Futures Cube?
Many companies talk about trends - but rarely about the concrete impact these developments could have on people, markets or organisations.
The future often remains abstract: technologies are named, buzzwords are collected or developments are observed without really thinking them through. This is where the Futures Cube comes in. It helps teams to describe possible futures in concrete terms and to mentally play through the consequences of various developments.
This creates a shared understanding of opportunities, risks and the dynamics of change.
How does the method work?
The Futures Cube is based on the STEEP model and works with five perspectives on the future:
- Social
- Technological
- Economic
- Environmental
- Political
Each page of the cube contains selected trends from one of these categories. Optionally, additional perspectives can be added, such as specific user or industry perspectives.
The method is ideally carried out in teams of two: One person turns the cube and describes, the other actively listens, asks questions and thinks ahead.
From the selected combination of trends, the participants develop a possible vision of the future - for example, for the next ten years. The question takes centre stage:
What would have to happen for this future to become reality?
This is not about judgement or probability. The key is to imagine how everyday life, behaviour, markets or products could change - and how the various trends interact.
What are the benefits of the Futures Cube?
The Futures Cube provides a low-threshold introduction to foresight and innovation processes. The playful approach makes it easier to visualise abstract questions about the future and develop new approaches together.
The method helps teams to better categorise complex developments and think beyond the here and now. The resulting images of the future can serve as the basis for further methods such as scenario work or strategic foresight processes.
When is the method useful?
The Futures Cube is particularly suitable for
- the introduction to future and foresight processes
- Innovation and strategy phases
- Trend work and future workshops
- Teams without foresight experience
- Warm-ups for more advanced scenario or innovation methods
The method is less suitable if concrete, quantitatively validated future scenarios or final strategic decisions are to be developed. The strength of the Futures Cube lies in its explorative nature and in jointly opening up new areas of thought and possibilities.
Tips from practice
In order for the Futures Cube to be effective, it helps to initially exclude assessments and feasibility discussions. The focus is on describing possible developments - not immediately evaluating them.
The more freely the participants think, the more exciting and surprising the images of the future become. The method is also very well suited as an introduction to more in-depth formats such as Futures Wheel, scenario work or strategic future processes.
Setting
- Duration: approx. 10-20 minutes
- Group size: 2 people per cube (scalable)
- Setting: on site
- Material: Futures Cube (physical), whiteboard or notes for documentation
On request, we can develop individual Futures Cubes to suit your industry, organisation or specific issue.
Futures Cube in the Cross Innovation Hub
In the Cross Innovation Hub, we use the Futures Cube to provide companies with low-threshold access to future thinking and to quickly create a common level of thinking.
The method makes complex developments understandable, opens up new perspectives and creates a basis for strategic and innovative decisions.
Ansprechpersonen
- Dr Susanne Eigenmann
- Knowledge Manager Cross Innovation Hub
- 040 2372435-54 Kurzbiografie
As knowledge manager at the Cross Innovation Hub, Susanne is responsible for all questions relating to the theory of innovation, cross-industry collaboration, creativity, futurology, trends and much more. She develops topics, provides background information and decision-making aids, organises discussions and communication events on all issues relating to cross innovation and is always interested in learning and exchanging ideas.
Before joining Kreativ Gesellschaft, Susanne worked as a research assistant at the University of Hamburg and as a personal assistant to the theatre director at the Deutsches Schauspielhaus. In her work as a freelancer with creative people from various sectors, such as cultural professionals and artists, she has always marvelled at how naturally, quickly and enthusiastically they create new things and move openly in new terrain. It was therefore also a wonderful development for her when she was able to help develop the Cross Innovation Hub at Kreativ Gesellschaft and be part of it, opening up the strengths of the creative industries to other sectors of the economy.
- Marc Behlau
- Programme and knowledge manager Cross Innovation Hub
- 040 2372435-81 Kurzbiografie
Marc Behlau is the programme manager for the conception and implementation of the Cross Innovation Hub formats. He is also responsible for documentation and evaluation as well as internal knowledge management.
Following a bachelor's degree in business administration with a focus on brand communication, Marc completed his Master of Science in "Global Technology & Innovation Management" at the Technical University of Hamburg. Marc has found his passion in the field of innovation management and his knowledge fits perfectly with the mission of the Cross Innovation Hub: supporting companies from different industries in finding innovations by means of cross innovation processes.
