Trend Spotting and Future Thinking’ is an interdisciplinary entrepreneurial course that seeks to introduce students at Konstfack to the concept trends, trend spotting and future thinking.

COURSE DETAILS

• Title: Trendspotting the future
• Duration: Every semester, in Autumn 2016 from Aug 30 – Oct 13
• Credits / ECTS: 7,5
• Schools / Organizations: University College of Arts, Crafts and Design (Konstfack) in Stockholm
• Participants: Students at University College of Arts, Crafts and Design (Konstfack)
• Teachers: Pomme van Hoof and Bettina Schwalm

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Trend Spotting and Future Thinking’ is an interdisciplinary entrepreneurial course that seeks to introduce students to the concept trends, trend spotting and future thinking through social and cultural challenges as well as new technological developments.

What unites different disciplines is the concept of speculating about future trends.

The course is structured around a set of tools that together form a cohesive understanding for the creation, development and dilution of trends. Employing the methodology of trendspotting and future thinking, students gain insights into working with trends and applying those insights to their own entrepreneurial ventures. Teaching includes methods such as trendspotting and scenario making and incorporates lectures, debates, excercises and workshops.

LEARNING GOALS

• After the course the student should perceive trendspotting as a clear, understandable and approachable tool in new business creation and development and be able to:
• Explain the concepts of trends, trendspotting and future thinking
• Investigate the human fascination with the concept of the future and outline pitfalls in future thinking
• Investigate and further develop the different ways in which future thinking can be mastered
• Explore and discuss different types of trends from macro and megatrends to fashionable fads and microtrends
• Reveal and further develop reliable sources for trendspotting
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EXAM

Active participation – attendance is compulsory.

PRESENTATION AT ENTRENORD
During the EntreNord Conference from the 12. – 14. November 2014 Trend Spotting and Future Thinking was introduced as a case by Hlín Helga Gudlaugsdóttir – designer, curator and educator at Konstfack, University College of Arts, Crafts and Design and School of Entrepreneurship (SSES). The case presentation elaborated on how to empower students to play an active role in our society and why it is important to introduce social and cultural challenges in a course with an entrepreneurial learning goal. Read more about EntreNord’ 14 here.