Designing Future Systems

Students will learn how to identify opportunities for meaningful product and design innovation in our increasingly complex, interconnected technology landscape. We will apply frameworks and toolkits from systems theory, strategic foresight practice, and speculative design to develop, prototype, and test ideas. Through course projects, students will practice methods such as systems mapping, scenario planning, horizon scanning, diegetic prototyping, and anticipatory ethnography.

Students will learn how to translate insights from these methods into a coherent vision and strategy, connect this work to a product roadmap, and effectively communicate this end-to-end process in a case study. Guest lecturers will be invited to share perspectives on how they apply the frameworks and toolkits from class in industry settings.

By the end of the course, students will be well-equipped to apply systems and futures thinking within an organization to inform strategy, and build human-centered systems that benefit individuals and society. This course can support students interested in a range of cross-functional industry roles, including design, product management, and engineering.