Short answer
Actively seek out and synthesize the perspectives of recognized experts in your domain to anticipate future trends and inform your design strategy.
- Field
- Innovation & Design
- Source
- TUScholarShare (Temple University) (2015)
- Method
- Commissioned Essays/Expert Contributions
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Commissioning thought leaders to articulate future trends can provide valuable strategic direction for design innovation. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2015 study published in TUScholarShare (Temple University). Using Commissioned essays/expert contributions, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Actively seek out and synthesize the perspectives of recognized experts in your domain to anticipate future trends and inform your design strategy.
Leveraging Expert Voices for Strategic Foresight in Design Practice
Commissioning thought leaders to articulate future trends can provide valuable strategic direction for design innovation.
TUScholarShare (Temple University) · 2015
Key Findings
- 01Expert bloggers possess valuable insights into the evolving landscape of their fields.
- 02Commissioned works can effectively capture and disseminate collective thinking on future directions.
- 03Strategic foresight can be enhanced by actively seeking out and synthesizing expert opinions.
Application
Design takeaway
Actively seek out and synthesize the perspectives of recognized experts in your domain to anticipate future trends and inform your design strategy.
How to apply
Identify key influencers and thought leaders in your target industry and commission them to write about the future of that industry, then use these insights to guide your product development roadmap.
Project actions
- 01Identify experts in the field you are researching.
- 02Consider how their insights can inform your design choices.
- 03Think about how to present these future trends in your design project.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Provides high-level, forward-looking perspectives.
- +Can identify non-obvious trends.
Limitations
Expert opinions can be subjective and may not always be accurate predictions.
Reliability & validity
Reliability would depend on the consistency of expert opinions. Validity would be strong if the experts are indeed recognized authorities and their insights are well-reasoned.
Think critically
How can you ensure that the 'expert voices' you consult are diverse and representative, rather than reinforcing existing biases?
Design Principles
"Strategic foresight is best achieved through the active solicitation and integration of expert knowledge."
By engaging with influential voices in a field, design teams can gain early insights into emerging challenges and opportunities. This proactive approach allows for the development of more relevant and forward-thinking design solutions.
What This Means for Your Design
Asking smart people about what's coming next can help you design better things for the future.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use expert opinions to justify your design choices and future-proofing strategies.
- 2.Reference commissioned works as a source of foresight in your research section.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
Commissioned works from thought leaders in the field of [Field Name] have highlighted emerging trends such as [Trend 1] and [Trend 2]. These insights suggest a future landscape where [Describe future landscape], necessitating design considerations for [Implication 1] and [Implication 2].
Source
TUScholarShare (Temple University)
New Roles for the Road Ahead: Essays Commissioned for ACRL's 75th Anniversary
journal · 2015
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about leveraging expert voices for strategic foresight in design practice?
- Actively seek out and synthesize the perspectives of recognized experts in your domain to anticipate future trends and inform your design strategy. Evidence: TUScholarShare (Temple University) (2015).
- Why does "Leveraging Expert Voices for Strategic Foresight in Design Practice" matter for design?
- By engaging with influential voices in a field, design teams can gain early insights into emerging challenges and opportunities. This proactive approach allows for the development of more relevant and forward-thinking design solutions.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Actively seek out and synthesize the perspectives of recognized experts in your domain to anticipate future trends and inform your design strategy.
- What were the main findings?
- Expert bloggers possess valuable insights into the evolving landscape of their fields.. Commissioned works can effectively capture and disseminate collective thinking on future directions.. Strategic foresight can be enhanced by actively seeking out and synthesizing expert opinions.
- What research method was used?
- Commissioned Essays/Expert Contributions.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2015 journal from TUScholarShare (Temple University).
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- Identify key influencers and thought leaders in your target industry and commission them to write about the future of that industry, then use these insights to guide your product development roadmap.
- What are the limitations?
- The insights are dependent on the chosen experts' perspectives and may not represent all viewpoints. The timeliness of the insights can also be a factor.