Experience is the best teacher, but how does one experience the future?

Thinking about the future gives us analysis and strategy, but experiencing the future makes possibilities tangible and actionable. IFTF Experiential Futures training provides the missing piece that will transform how you envision and shape tomorrow.

Proven Impact

This unique approach has brought possibilities to life for governments, businesses, and organizations worldwide. It has helped U.S. mayors envision and create artifacts from their cities' futures and enabled major auto manufacturers to push innovative design boundaries. Beyond visualization, Experiential Futures enhances strategic thinking, policy design, and product development.

Why It’s Different

Unlike traditional foresight methods with their trend reports and presentations, Experiential Futures enables mental time travel into spaces of possibility. Participants don’t just visualize the future — they experience what it’s like to be there and learn from those journeys. This immersive approach, developed by Jake Dunagan and Stuart Candy nearly two decades ago, transforms how we engage with possible futures.

It is better to be surprised by a simulation, rather than blindsided by reality. Jake Dunagan, IFTF Experiential Futures Instructor; Stuart Candy, Futurist and Designer
We must move beyond used visions of utopias and dystopias, and prototype alternatives to hack the future. Jacques Barcia, IFTF Experiential Futures Instructor
Enroll in Experiential Futures

IFTF Experiential Futures training guides you through a three-phase process:

  1. Building robust future worlds, 
  2. Creating tangible experiences from those worlds, and 
  3. Translating those experiences into actionable insights. 

The course connects these insights to practical outcomes that will transform both your personal outlook and organizational strategy. After taking this course, the future will never feel the same.

Course Includes: 

  • Expert Instruction 
  • Hands-on Learning 
    • Hands-on practice with original tools and techniques for designing and facilitating Experiential Futures 
    • Production of artifacts and media from the future, with links to practical applications 
    • Thoughtful use of generative AI in the creative process
  • Practical Application 
    • IFTF Experiential Futures Toolkit
    • Insight-to-action session for personalized post-training application 
  • Professional Development 
    • Networking with a diverse cohort of foresight practitioners and designers 
    • Official certificate of completion of IFTF Experiential Futures Training

Course Format and Learning Outcomes

In three 3-hour, live-online sessions, participants will:

  • Learn the core tenets of the Experiential Futures ladder.
  • Use robust methods and tools to design immersive experiences and tangible artifacts.
  • Generate insights and learn how to apply them to real-world strategic contexts.
  • Explore creative ways to apply your new skills.

Training Dates

Session 1: Thu, Jul 17 | 9am-12pm PDT | 12-3pm EDT | 6-9pm CEST
Session 2: Thu, Jul 24 | 9am-12pm PDT | 12-3pm EDT | 6-9pm CEST
Session 3: Thu, Jul 31 | 9am-12pm PDT | 12-3pm EDT | 6-9pm CEST

Enroll now (Sign up by Jun 2 to receive an Early Bird Discount of $250!)

Enroll in Experiential Futures

Costs

$2,000 Standard
$1,750 Early-bird

For questions, please email [email protected].

All costs given in USD.

Space is limited. Early registration is recommended.

Early-bird
Register at least 45 days in advance to save $250.

Do you need financial assistance? IFTF offers a limited number of scholarships for individuals who are underrepresented in the field of foresight or using foresight for social good/change. Apply here.

This was a great class! Really tied together a lot of different tools, concepts, and processes, and the group exercises made it fun and more applicable. I'll be using these concepts in my work moving forward. Jessica Clark | Futurist in Residence at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation | Founder, Dot Connector Studio
Anyone interested in designing the future, futures thinking, or future-proofing anything you do, this [Experiential] Futures course is a must. Ahmed Best | Co-Founder, Afrorithm Futures Group; Professor and Senior Fellow, University of Southern California
A thoughtfully designed and dynamic training that included diverse voices, inspiring presentations, interactive simulations, and provocative activities. It was broad and deep. Expert facilitators ensured that we walked away with the ability to immediately apply learning in our own unique contexts. Tamara Christensen | Consultant, Idea Farm
Download Brochure

Faculty

As an originator of experiential and design futures, Jake Dunagan has been at the forefront of the practice and pedagogy of the field for the last 15 years. Jake brings both theoretical rigor and hands-on practical knowledge to his work. He has taught and mentored design futures students for over 10 years at leading institutions around the world such as the University of Texas' Center for Integrated Design, California College of the Arts' Design Strategy MBA program, and CENTRO in Mexico City. Some of his career highlights as a design futurist include ground-breaking projects including immersive scenarios for for the State of Hawaii in 2050, a pandemic-based alternate reality game for the CDC, visions of future cities with the US Conference of Mayors, exhibitions for the Dubai Museum of the Future, and with many other civic organizations, foundations, and businesses.

Jacques Barcia is a published science fiction author, journalist and designer. He has experience leading innovation processes and facilitating design sprints. He’s worked at technology parks and innovation institutes in Brazil, helping established companies and startups develop new offerings for the futures. Jacques specializes in helping organizations prototype the next decades using storytelling and product design. Jacques holds a masters in design. His fiction has appeared in professional markets and anthologies in the US, UK, and Brazil.

Enroll in Experiential Futures
Back to Trainings for Individuals

Related Courses