Trendspotting & Future Thinking

Contact
Course Director
Bettina Schwalm, info@bettinaschwalm.com

Examiner SSE
Valetina Tartari, valentina.tartari@hhs.se

Course contact
All registration queries should be adressed to the SSES Education Coordinator via info@sses.se

Please note that the number of participants in this course is limited to 15 students.

Content
What unites different disciplines is the concept of speculating about future trends. Thinking about the future and what potential clues can divulge about how it will reveal itself unites people across disciplines and professional purposes. It is an area that is not owned by any one discipline.

This course seeks to introduce the students to the concept of these trends, trendspotting and future thinking. Furthermore, the course will introduce the students to the tools needed to understand trends and their role in society and how to best foresee and work with them in new business creation and development.

Each lecture will focus on a different tool in the trendspotter's toolbox, and be organized around the students insights gathered using the tool and discussions about the applicability of these insights. These tools include, but are not limited to: interdisciplinary thinking, scenario planning and uncertainty management.

Teaching and learning activities
The course will mix and match lectures with debates, discussions and workshops by the students as well as leaders in the field.

Additional information
The course language is English.
The course is offered within the framework of the Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship.

Responsible institution: Konstfack

Course administrator: marianne.castren@sses.se

After this 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

General entry requirements

Will be announced in connection to the start of the course and communicated to enrolled students.

Grades and form of assessment
There will be three assignments throughout the course, two group assignments and one individual assignment.

All of the assignments will be introduced in more detail in class. The assignments take up different percentages of your final grade.

Assignment 1: (individual, 50%)
Assignment 2: (group, 20%)
Assignment 3: (group, 30%)

Your final grade will be based on the above assignments, attendance and class participation.

Attendance
Attendance is compulsory.

Grading for courses offered within the Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship (SSES)
Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship (SSES) is a collaboration of six schools in the Stockholm area. In order to harmonize the SSE grading scale with that of the other participating schools and to adapt to the pedagogical design of the courses, SSE has decided to use the following grading scale:

90-100 Excellent
75-89 Very good
60-74 Good
50-59 Pass
0-49 Fail

Find the course schedule in TimeEdit

Have you been granted educational support because of a documented disability? If so, please contact the course director as soon as possible so that adequate accommodations can be made.

Contact specialneeds@hhs.se if you have questions about being granted educational support or need a copy of your educational support certificate.

For more information, visit the Specific Educational Needs page on the Student Hub (login required).