Signal Cards
Signal Cards are a powerful tool for sparking innovative ideas by prompting participants to consider future trends and alternative scenarios. By exploring potential future realities, teams can generate unexpected service ideas and scenarios for both the short and long term.
Use this method when you need to push the boundaries of a creative conversation, envision future possibilities, and encourage out-of-the-box thinking about service design.
Solves: Stuck in present-day thinking; Lack of diverse perspectives on future trends; Difficulty generating truly novel ideas.
- 1
Step 1: Identify Key Trends (15 min). Brainstorm and list key trends, emerging behaviors, or potential consequences relevant to your project's context.
- 2
Step 2: Develop Future Narratives (30 min). For each trend, create an imaginary story, fact, or anecdote set in the future that makes the trend tangible. Frame it as a news headline or short narrative.
- 3
Step 3: Craft Signal Cards (30 min). Design each card with a catchy title, subtitle, and a brief narrative. Include hashtags or labels to link the narrative to the specific trend. Consider using visuals and color-coding.
- 4
Step 4: Ideation with Signal Cards (Ongoing). Use the cards as prompts during ideation sessions to generate service ideas and scenarios.
- Encourage participants to be imaginative and think beyond current limitations.
- Ensure that the narratives are grounded in plausible future scenarios.
- Remind participants to connect the future scenarios back to the present-day service design challenge.
- Use existing trend reports or future forecasts as a starting point.
- Incorporate different perspectives by inviting experts or stakeholders to contribute to the creation of the signal cards.
- Combine Signal Cards with other ideation techniques, such as brainstorming or sketching.