DESIGN INTERVENTION | FUTURE STRATEGY
Co-Creating the American Future Workshop
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Description
Goals
In November, I hosted two workshops called Co-Creating the American Future as part of the design research process for my thesis. The workshops began with a facilitated discussion about our frustrations with and hopes for America. This was followed by personal, paired, and group ideation around what our ideal futures look like for the country, as well as a conversation about the significance of having a shared vision. Finally, these visions were made real with each person creating their own future American flag and using it as an artifact to consider what the aligning values would need to be for our ideal Americas to exist.
For this co-creation session, my research questions were as much around “can people imagine the future?” as “how?” and “what kind of futures do they imagine?” Ahead of the workshop, I listed the following goals:
TEAMBUILDING AMERICA
»» Gain understanding around challenges to thinking beyond the present state of the country. »» Gain understanding around the effects of developing a future vision on present perceptions. »» Gather a small sample of future visions of the country. »» Probe feelings on the possibility and necessity of developing a shared vision for the country. »» Test whether or not a shared vision is possible for a small group. »» Gather a small sample of aligning values and symbolism needed for ideal futures.
