Newspaper story from the future

Description

This method is known by a number of names. I’ve used it for a long time, calling it ‘Newspaper story from the future’. I recently tracked it down to two existing sources called Predict next year’s headlines (from IDEO method cards) and Cover Story (from Gamestorming).

All have the same basic approach: people write a creative piece that describes the future of a solution or a product. In doing so, they have to think about the detail of the solution and the changes that occurred because it exists.

The purpose of the activity is to have people think more deeply about an idea and describe what happens as a result of the solution or product. This helps people think through an idea in a more pragmatic way. It helps an idea come to life. It also helps people to understand different perspectives and focuses from a group.

The time period can be short (a year) or longer (ten years) depending on the kind of solution or product, and what you want to get out of the activity. For a small product feature you might want to project only a short time out. For a significant solution (like reducing waste) you might want to project a longer time away to allow people to think further ahead.

Time

As a workshop activity, I usually allow about half an hour.

Preparation

Prepare instructions. An example (from a different project or workshop) can help people understand what to do.

Supplies

Paper and markers (or digital equivalents).

Before you start

In a workshop I usually run this activity after idea generation activities and ask participants to use one of the ideas they generated, or an idea that the group has chosen to continue developing.

Running the activity

To run this activity, explain that people will be thinking of a time period after the solution has been developed or the product is available – long enough that changes have occurred as a result.

Ask them to write a short newspaper story describing what has changed as a result. The story should have a catchy headline. It can be a narrative, a little drawing or even a set of bullet points depending on what people are comfortable with. It might have a short summary that helps communicate the idea quickly.

At the end of the activity, people share what they have come up with.

What to do with the outcome

The main outcome of the activity is that people think more deeply about an idea and its consequences. This can then be used for other workshop activities. It might help the team to create a more detailed prototype, or might contribute to a prioritisation activity.