Designing for the Future Short Course
Course description
Course overview
To design for the future, we must first imagine it. This short course introduces tools and methodologies to define and build future scenarios, uncovering and potential change and design opportunities. It positions design as both a response to change and a force that shapes it.
Through a design lens, we explore 'futures' studies, combining creativity to envision possibilities with practical approaches to intervention. Tailored for creatives, entrepreneurs, and the curious, this programme equips you with a future-thinking mindset to embrace uncertainty and explore new options.
You'll engage in key concepts like futuring, trend forecasting, and strategic foresight, applying practical methodologies to anticipate and respond to cultural shifts. Moving beyond fleeting trends, the course focuses on long-term, purposeful strategies that drive innovation. Instead of a single, tech-first, linear approach, you'll explore alternative worldviews, unlocking plural possibilities that challenge conventional thinking.
In this immersive one-week experience, you'll develop creative directions, build resilient strategies, and harness design for meaningful change. Through interactive lectures, case studies, and hands-on collaboration, you’ll apply future-thinking frameworks to design strategy—ensuring relevance and impact in a rapidly evolving world.
Who this course is for
This course is designed for anyone looking to start or deepen their understanding of the subject, whether for corporate or personal ambitions.
It would also be an excellent fit for those wishing to explore future-thinking for both professional and personal development. The course is suitable for beginners as well as those with some existing level of experience.
Key information
Topics covered
- Introduction to futures thinking – foresight, forecast and ‘futuring’
- Working with signals, trends and macro-forces
- Cultural shifts, long-term perspectives, and systemic thinking
- Scenario development and opportunities for design intervention
- Hands-on activities: trend mapping, scenario building, and future-oriented design briefing
Learning outcomes
- Apply essential forecasting and foresight methodologies, including trend analysis and scenario building, through interactive practices and design-led visual communication techniques
- Identify critical points of design intervention and articulate the long-term impact of design and strategy, with a strong emphasis on ethics and sustainable thinking
- Develop future-focused creative design briefs and strategies for a brand, business, or policy, grounded in the principles of futures thinking and preferable futures
Materials
- Notebook and pen
- Phone with camera
Tutor
Magnus Long
Magnus Long lives and works in London as an educator and designer of furniture, lighting and objects for production in small and big quantities. His work is interested in the meaning of form and our natural human emotional responses to objects, in particular love and longevity, expressed through a control of craft and engineering. His award-winning studio was established in 2012 and was a recognised for Excellence in Design by the Furniture Makers’ Company for the Cross Leg Chair, designed for The Conran Shop. Magnus is also a senior Associate Lecturer at Central Saint Martins.
Juliana Callia-Long
Juliana Callia-Long is a designer, researcher, and strategist with nearly two decades of experience in crafting innovation strategies for leading organisations across media, branding, FMCG, hospitality, insurance, and the third sector. With expertise in trend analysis, human-centred research, and foresight, Juliana adopts a forward-thinking approach to tackling complex challenges and uncovering new opportunities. Drawing on a global perspective shaped by experiences in Brazil, France, Mexico, and Italy, Juliana integrates cultural insights, creativity, and deep analytical thinking into her work. As the founder of MUTA Futures Studio, she has assisted brands and businesses in applying critical futures-thinking to develop strategies that resonate deeply with audiences and deliver long-term success. In her courses, Juliana shares her expertise in cultural trends, human-centred design, and innovation, equipping participants with the tools and frameworks needed to anticipate change, generate creative solutions, and drive positive impact .
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