What if better futures could be designed and acted on today?
Project Type
Imagining Futures / Designing Process
Role
Framework co-creation · Method design · Workshop planning & facilitation · Concept & visual design for tools/templates · Facilitator training · Toolkit promotion · Strategic collaboration with industry partners
Credits
Originally developed as a Master’s thesis by Rebecca Houmøller, Esben Rahbek, and myself in partnership with Stupid Studio.
Sensible Futures is an open-source design framework for co-creating and implementing more thoughtful futures — ones that serve both people and planet. It began as a Master’s thesis in collaboration with Stupid Studio and has continued to evolve through ‘real-world’ use since 2018. Over the years, the toolkit has been prototyped, tested, and refined in close collaboration with innovation and futures teams from organisations like LEGO, adidas, and IKEA and universities such as Design School Kolding, Aalborg University and London College of Fashion (UAL).
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In a world defined by complexity, uncertainty, and accelerating change, teams often struggle to move from future insights to meaningful action. While foresight reports and horizon scans offer valuable direction, they often remain abstract or disconnected from day-to-day work.
Sensible Futures was created to bridge that gap, helping teams move from signals to shared understanding, and from shared understanding to actionable strategy. The challenge: How might we create a structured-yet-flexible process that helps innovation and design teams navigate ambiguity, shape long-term visions, and bring them to life? -
Sensible Futures offers a structured but creative pathway for teams to move from insight to impact. The framework is made up of 50+ methods and activities, grouped into five interconnected stages.
Together, the stages provide just enough structure to guide deep exploration without stifling creativity. Whether facilitating a single workshop or leading a long-term innovation initiative, Sensible Futures helps teams move forward with clarity and confidence.
