Future Studio
NOTE: Assignments and readings are listed on the day they are due. This schedule is a guide and will change over the course of the term–check back often!
Session 1: February 20
-Introductions
-Course overview and expectations
-Discuss videos shared prior to first session: Marjorie Kelly, Niki Okuk, Doug Rushkoff
-Wiki Demo
-Traditional business learning vs. Future Studio
-Collectivity and collaboration: Enspiral
-Full Circle Leadership
View / Read:
-The Business Ownership Revolution with Marjorie Kelly (ignore the food reference at the start). 27 minutes
–TED talk by Niki Okuk on worker ownership. Found here. 13 minutes
-Doug Rushkoff, How to be “Team Human” in the digital future. 12 minutes
Session 2: February 27
-Discuss Kate Raworth video and readings
-Where we are at now: global conditions (group brainstorm and discussion)
-Primer / demo on conducting research
-Discussion of assignment to apply this work to regional context
View / Read:
–Kate Raworth talk from Regenerative Futures. 34 minutes
–Neoliberalism: the idea that swallowed the world, Stephen Metcalf, The Guardian.
-Handout: Joshua Vial, “More People Working on Stuff that Matters”, pages 18-32 from Working Better Together
-Handout: Alanna Irving, “Full Circle Leadership”, pages 132-141 from Working Better Together (upload a scan of your map to your wiki).
Session 3: March 6 -Discuss readings/video
-Possible, plausible, probable futures
-Watch Donella Meadows on visioning (In class) -Discuss research on current regional conditions
-Primer on idea development and areas of interest.
View / Read:
–In a World of Systems, Donella Meadows Institute, 9 Minutes.
–Enough With Problem Solving, Let’s Start Creating, Robert Ransick
-Handout: Francesca Pick, “Welcome to the age of participation”, pages 62-80
Due:
-Group work: conduct data research on assigned towns in the region in relation to our in-class group work examining global conditions. Articulate what your team values in terms of community assets and research them in your assigned town and Bennington.
Session 4: March 13
-Discuss reading
-Presentation and discussion of ideas.
Read:
-Handout: “Creative Placemaking: How to Do It Well”, Ann Markusen and Anne Gadwa Nicodemus
–Three Artists Who Think Outside the Box, By Nikil Saval, The New York Times.
–How Cooperation Jackson Is Transforming the Poorest State in the US, by Cat Johnson.
Due:
-Revisit regional data research across all four communities and make a decision of where to locate your entity based on handout prompt.
-Using visioning and preferred future work as a guide, articulate ideas for a new enterprise, business or organization. What do you want (vision)? What is it? What does it do? Who is it for?
Session 5: March 20
-Discuss reading
-Idea revision and feedback
–Business Model Canvas
–Value Proposition Canvas
View / Read:
-What is Strategy?, Michael Porter, HBR
–“The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries (Book Summary)
–MVP: Quickly Validate your Start-Up
–Design for Action, By Tim Brown and Roger Martin, Harvard Business Review, 2015
Due:
-Further revision and sharpening of your enterprise idea (moratorium on new ideas)
Session 6: March 27
-Value Proposition Canvas
-Business and Impact Assumptions
-In class: Prioritize your assumptions and formulate your hypothesis.
-Introduction to the interview guide
-Remote visitor: Joshua Kit Clayton, one of the founders of the collectively run Tamarack Cafe, in Oakland, CA. Recent press.
Due:
-Value Proposition Canvas (do this first)
-Business and Impact Assumptions
Session 7: April 3
-Interview guide and interviews
-First iteration of MVP experiment (prototype)
Read:
-Handout: Guidelines for Building an Interview Guide(post all answers typed out on your wiki)
-Reference: Acumen Discovering your Customers (no need for wiki response)
– Guidelines for designing and experiment (MVP)(post all answers typed out on your wiki)
-Reference: Acumen Minimum Viable Products (no need for wiki response)
-MVP for Physical product (1 Min): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecK6bieRyRs(no need for wiki response)
-MVP for Web or Mobile (1.5 Mins): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPESN2BROsk(no need for wiki response)
Due:
-Create Interview Guide and Identify 3 Individuals and conduct Interviews with them (3 minimum see handout—do this first)
-Clearly defined first iteration of MVP experiment to test. This should include detailed steps/actions needed and a timeline for implementation (begin the work and complete multiple iterations[we suggest at least 3] by May 1).
Long Weekend (No Class): April 10
Session 8: April 17
-Working session
-Present MVP experiments
Read:
–Competitive analysis and market research
Due:
-Report on your first iterations of your MVP experiments (prototypes) to date (documented on wiki pages)
-Use competitive analysis and market research to further refine your MVP or build the next iteration.
PLAN DAY (No Class): April 24
Session 9: May 1
-Guest David Zicarelli ’83, CEO Cycling 74
-Organizational models and leadership
-Present MVP experiment (prototype) work
Read:
Excerpt from Reinventing Organizations, by Frederic Laloux.
Due:
-Completed MVP experiment (prototype) work (including documentation).
Session 10: May 8
-Cost Structure and Revenue (budget and finance)
-SWOT Analysis
-Communication and presentation strategies
Due:
-Business model canvas draft in google document (shared link on your wiki) that includes research from the prototype work and creative brief.
-First round of creative (wordmark/logo, color palette etc.–if relevant to your enterprise at this time).
Session 11: May 15
Drafts of final presentation deck.
Due:
-Business model canvas complete google document (shared link on your wiki) that includes research from the prototype work and creative brief.
Session 12: May 22
Final presentation fine-tuning and practice.
Session 13: May 29
Final presentations.