Laymen's talk JRMS

1. Ricardo Mejía
Vision Concepts for SMEs*
Developing a Design-Led Futures Technique to Boost Innovation
* small- and medium-sized enterprises

2. FOCUS
This thesis focuses on the confluence of futures
studies with design and the way this
blend can serve SMEs.

3. CONTENTS
1. Futures studies
2. Design-led futures techniques
3. A design-led futures technique for SMEs: DIVE

4. 1. FUTURES STUDIES
The techniques that help enterprises in “thinking,
mapping, and influencing the future” (Hines, 2016).

5. SETTING THE TIME FRAME

6. ANALIZING THE CONTEXT FACTORS

7. ENVISIONING THE ALTERNATIVES

8. MAPPING THE PREFERABLE

9. TECHNOLOGY ROADMAPPING

10. SCENARIO THINKING

11. MANAGEMENT-LED
FUTURES TECHNIQUES
Long-term oriented explorations that
cover broader scopes and result in
abstract outcomes, which are
communicated mainly in words.

12. 2. DESIGN-LED
FUTURES TECHNIQUES
On the contrary, design-led futures techniques cover
diverse time frames of narrow scopes, producing more
tangible results, which are shared visually.

13. CONCEPT CARS
Mercedes-Benz F 015 Luxury in Motion by Daimler AG, 2015

14. ACTIVITIES
MAKING SHARING

15. OUTCOMES

16. 3. A DESIGN-LED FUTURES
TECHNIQUE FOR SMEs: DIVE
DIVE is a design-led futures technique that assists
designers in making and sharing vision concepts with
company representatives for SMEs.

17. ACTIVITIES

18. OUTCOMES

19. DISCUSSION
Design is a strategic asset that adds to futures studies a visual, hands-on and human-centered
way to make tangible images of the future
SMEs could apply design futures to navigate towards the future, taking advantage of their
resilience and compact architecture to leave a personal legacy
• Although the image of the future may be blurred, it can guide SMEs
• The ethical dilemmas that the future represents for SMEs
Teaching designers design-led futures techniques will give them non-existent added value in
traditional– business consulting

20. Ricardo Mejía
rrebrand.com
ricardo@rrebrand.com
THANKS