Futures Out Loud
A GAME FOR SHIFTING PERSPECTIVES
Organizations need to think ahead — 10 to 50 years ahead. But shifting their attention beyond the next quarter often requires the help of strategic thinkers called Futurists. The Futurists I worked with at the experience design agency Sparks Grove wanted their own warm-up game to introduce clients to this type of thinking. They had a rough prototype, but without dedicated resources, progress was slow. I volunteered to help and recruited my design partner, too. The team finished with a game that hit all our strategic objectives in a way that feels a world apart from a typical consultancy solution.
WRITING APPROACH
The biggest challenge was taking all my colleagues’ research that gave the game its smarts, and presenting it in an accessible way. I wrote Card 2 (see examples below) so that a person who didn’t know the terms could still understand the ideas. The card copy reads as full sentences to help reinforce the order and to provide clarity. Naming is always a rigorous exercise, and in just three words, Futures Out Loud (FOL) conveys a friendly tone and offered a way to answer questions players may have about futures.
Leigh Cook
Associate Vice President, Strategy
North Highland
“Katelyn was a terrific partner on the development of this game. She pushed the team and the concept to the next level, not settling until we got it right. Her drive and passion are inspiring, and they’re reflected in her work products and relationships.”
GAME PREMIERE
We introduced FOL in the middle of a global pandemic — a scenario that sounded more at home in our game than as our reality. We printed the cards in China, and after a six-week delay, they arrived the day before our office went remote. The game debuted to a worldwide audience at Primer 2020, a strategic foresight conference. In one more weird twist, Primer was supposed to be held in Atlanta this year. But no matter. The game easily adapted to a virtual format and the conversation never lulled as the audience played. Futures teaches people to explore alternatives and to pivot when situations change. And for this game and its debut, we certainly did.
Want to play Futures Out Loud? Download the deck of cards.
CREDITS
Agency/Consultancy: Sparks Grove/North Highland
Designer: Matt Rickard
Futurists: Eric Boye, Leigh Cook, Sandjar Kozubaev, Bo Roe