https://readymag.website/u1884998048/4531739/
A weak signal is an early indicator of future change with little or no impact on the present. They have the potential to cause a shift in the future trajectory of a given topic by triggering or influencing major events in the future. A weak signal can be defined as a trend before a trend and can be a bountiful source of further research.
Because these signals are ‘weak’ in nature, the task of finding them requires unearthing fringe topics and often exploring the edge of mainstream society and future technologies. Weak signals are always the most obvious in retrospect, our challenge is to discover them before they stop being ‘weak’ and become our norm.
By identifying them, we can use them as a design tool in creating conversations and speculative thinking around emergent futures.
Step 01
Take out your Design Space.
Step 02
Shuffle the Weak Signals deck with the cards facing down. Choose two cards blindly, and reveal them. These will be your weak signals for this exercise.
Step 03
Place your chosen Weak Signals on your Design Space, facing up, on the boxes marked 1 and 2 respectively, and take 10 minutes to discuss them as a team. What do they mean for you? What do you think they are? Use a mini-sand clock to limit your time here, we're just getting started!