Maps
Maps: visual frameworks
Maps are visual forecasts. They provide an at-a-glance look at the future—typically revealing not only the analytical framework, but also a host of perspectives, signals, scenarios, and even artifacts of the future. They are IFTF’s all-in-one views of the future.
Maps can take many forms, from matrixes and mandalas to timelines and roadmaps. In their simplest forms, they may plot five or six key trends across an equal number of domains, such as people, places, markets, practices, and tools. This basic matrix provides a conceptual framework for organizing diverse signals and aggregating them up to future “hot spots” for a particular organization, team, or community.
A custom forecast map is an important strategic tool for identifying opportunities and threats, possible zones of innovation, and strategic responses to a changing landscape. It can form the core of workshop processes or help align teams across an organization with a common view of the future. It may be the single most important futures tool for developing a coherent view of a complex future.