The future has always been uncertain, but it almost seems like it’s getting even more unpredictable lately. We’re living in what some call the Age of Global Weirding, where climate disruption, AI acceleration, social fragmentation, and shifting markets collide in unpredictable ways. Planning for life in the “normal” way has all but become redundant, because you can’t account for all the abnormal things that will inevitably come your way. Sure, you can learn from history, and sure you can do your best to guess what the future holds, but what would really help is the ability to visualise and hold different possibilities. To identify and understand the small early signals that others miss, and imagine how things could play out before they do.
This Weekend Workshop is meant to give you the practical tools for enhancing that ability. You will learn how to work with uncertainty rather than despite it, by building and exploring extreme “what ifs” in a structured and simultaneously creative way – a practice sometimes called “weirding,” where you deliberately stretch the familiar to see new possibilities and hidden assumptions. Instead of trying to predict one future, you’ll practise thinking in multiple futures and turning that thinking into clearer options, smarter strategies, and more confident decisions.
Across the weekend, you’ll work with students from other disciplines to map out future scenarios, experiment with new approaches, and turn abstract possibilities into something you can actually see and discuss. Serious thinking and creative, hands-on work come together to help you make sense of what’s ahead – and plan for it with purpose.
What You’ll learn:
- How to identify early signs of change and understand why they matter.
- How to build and compare different possible futures to guide better decisions.
- How to create simple prototypes that make abstract ideas about the future easier to discuss.
- How to rethink old assumptions and unlock new perspectives when things are uncertain.
- How to work across disciplines to design strategies for complex challenges.
About the instructor
Bettina Schwalm is a Speculative Experience Designer, Writer, Consulting Strategist and PhD-Researcher with a long experience driving future-making as a collective practice in the service of society, culture and the environment. She is educating and coaching teams in innovation, future thinking and sustainability, always with a strong focus on behavioural studies. She is a Centre Director at the Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship and affiliated to Konstfack (University of Arts, Crafts, and Design) as well as a guest lecturer in various institutions around the world. Her interdisciplinary approach is at the intersection of science and design, developing hands-on tools and visions for organisations and the public realm.
To deepen your planning in uncertain futures, see our course Entrepreneurial Mindset and Trendspotting & Future Thinking, plus this related Research Recap on spotting early signals.
ELIGIBILITY & SELECTION
All students and alumni of SSES member universities are eligible to apply to this weekend workshop. We get many applications and unfortunately cannot accept everyone. The selection process is outlined below.
For this specific workshop, you as an attendee will be requested to present yourself and what motivates you to learn about frugal innovation by uploading a short personal video. We also ask that you share in what area you would like to identify opportunities for frugal innovation and why.
SELECTION PROCESS
- Application is reviewed
- Selection is made and a confirmation email is sent out
- Participants must confirm their seat in order to secure the spot
- If spots are not confirmed in time, the waitlist will be reviewed and new participants selected
