We work with any organisation that wants to look ahead

Our specialism is our approach instead of experience with a specific sector or type of client. We work with organisations that are focussing on the horizon, helping them answer the essential question, "What do I want this to look like in the future?"

We work with public sector organisations to help them define and shape better futures for their communities.

We work with industry leaders to better anticipate and preempt changes in their sector, while building strategy for the long term.

We work with charities and non-profits to communicate their visions for positive change and develop their own social innovation efforts.

We work with startups and growing businesses to design their proposition and to develop an inspirational vision.

Clients

Charities, Non-Profits and Social Enterprises

We’ve supported the leading mental health charity for several years, focussing on large-scale research, creative participation, and power sharing with marginalised groups of children and young people.

We’ve supported the leading mental health charity for several years, focussing on large-scale research, creative participation, and power sharing with marginalised groups of children and young people.

We supported the cultural hub, alongside other partners, to engage a broad cross section of designers across Scotland in creating a future vision for the sector, leading to sector-wide national policy recommendations. 

We supported the cultural hub, alongside other partners, to engage a broad cross section of designers across Scotland in creating a future vision for the sector, leading to sector-wide national policy recommendations. 

As one of their design-led user research partners, we proudly backed Nesta's Health Lab, providing a range of research services to assist grantees (health startups).

As one of their design-led user research partners, we proudly backed Nesta's Health Lab, providing a range of research services to assist grantees (health startups).

During a time of rapid growth, we helped the non-profit identify its values, evaluate potential trajectories of growth, and identify key development goals. 


During a time of rapid growth, we helped the non-profit identify its values, evaluate potential trajectories of growth, and identify key development goals. 


We helped Firstport use futures thinking to investigate possible futures for Social Enterprise in Scotland, and explore implications for the funding and support ecosystem.

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We helped Firstport use futures thinking to investigate possible futures for Social Enterprise in Scotland, and explore implications for the funding and support ecosystem.

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We supported Icebreaker One with research and insight across net zero projects—helping build trusted data systems for food supply chains, carbon reporting, and nature-related decision-making.

We supported Icebreaker One with research and insight across net zero projects—helping build trusted data systems for food supply chains, carbon reporting, and nature-related decision-making.

We worked over WhatsApp with over 50 graduates of the charity’s development program to build a shared vision for a Climate Positive Scotland.


We worked over WhatsApp with over 50 graduates of the charity’s development program to build a shared vision for a Climate Positive Scotland.


We’ve supported SBH Scotland to explore and subsequently socialise new approaches to measuring overall patient ‘wellbeing,’ with a view to providing more holistic ‘whole-person’ support.

We’ve supported SBH Scotland to explore and subsequently socialise new approaches to measuring overall patient ‘wellbeing,’ with a view to providing more holistic ‘whole-person’ support.

We worked with the network to support their ‘Curatorial Leadership in Collections’ project by helping curators think about their long term ambitions.  


We worked with the network to support their ‘Curatorial Leadership in Collections’ project by helping curators think about their long term ambitions.  


Over several years we’ve supported Scottish Care, helping them co-design visions for the future of care with their partners, and pilot experimental job roles in the care sector. 

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Over several years we’ve supported Scottish Care, helping them co-design visions for the future of care with their partners, and pilot experimental job roles in the care sector. 

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We supported MSFDN, a micro charity elevating the lives of disadvantaged young people, to develop an internal vision, which could be used as a tool that could speed up the onboarding of volunteers, employees and collaborators. 

We supported MSFDN, a micro charity elevating the lives of disadvantaged young people, to develop an internal vision, which could be used as a tool that could speed up the onboarding of volunteers, employees and collaborators. 

Public Sector

We supported the Mental Health Directorate by mapping training pathways for key roles in the children and families workforce, and the Early Learning and Childcare Directorate by helping them develop their vision for school aged childcare.

We worked with NES to evaluate their mental health improvement and suicide prevention knowledge and skills framework and its associated resources, using mixed methods research to highlight patterns of use, highlight interesting opportunities, and make design recommendations.

We supported the Futures team at Defra to carry out horizon scanning work, including authoring their Global Megatrends report 2024, and have supported other teams with public engagement and participatory futures work.

As part of the Catapult’s ‘Design to Deliver’ programme, we helped two startups leveraging satellite technology to use design approaches to develop their early stage ideas around nature-based solutions into robust de-risked propositions.

We supported the Catapult’s team across a series of design sprints to define and sketch-prototype several speculative digital products which ultimately supported Scottish Government’s national vision for the future of Urban Planning.  


We helped SDS test ‘meta-skills’ a new model for thinking about skills in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution with initial panels of employers, to figure out how to communicate and scale it. This work informed a comms and growth strategy, as well as an online toolkit.


Building on past research we helped the council with a strategy to improve the digital experience for tourists visiting the Isle of Bute.


Alongside Edinburgh Living Lab we helped the council pilot a new approach to engaging citizens in urban planning projects.


Higher Education Institutions and partners

We’ve worked closely with teams and researchers across the University for the best part of a decade, supporting development of forward-looking strategies, managing partner engagement, and helping researchers build public participation into their work.


We’ve worked closely with teams and researchers across the University for the best part of a decade, supporting development of forward-looking strategies, managing partner engagement, and helping researchers build public participation into their work.


We’ve supported GSA over years, helping them develop their Strategic Plan in 2021, and then subsequently their Development Strategy. We also regularly support students, sharing expertise about design-led futures thinking. 


We’ve supported GSA over years, helping them develop their Strategic Plan in 2021, and then subsequently their Development Strategy. We also regularly support students, sharing expertise about design-led futures thinking. 


We’ve worked with researchers at the University supporting on a range of stakeholder engagement and collective visioning projects, primarily helping researchers build participation into their work.

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We’ve worked with researchers at the University supporting on a range of stakeholder engagement and collective visioning projects, primarily helping researchers build participation into their work.

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We supported researchers at the Open University to build engagement into their work around sexual and reproductive justice.

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We supported researchers at the Open University to build engagement into their work around sexual and reproductive justice.

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We supported SGSAH with a series of sessions for their funded PhD students, helping them create personal visions of their own career trajectories.


We supported SGSAH with a series of sessions for their funded PhD students, helping them create personal visions of their own career trajectories.


Industry leaders

Across several years, we’ve helped to conduct desk and field research for new and existing product lines, as well as helping to build and share internal innovation tools and processes. 

Across several years, we’ve helped to conduct desk and field research for new and existing product lines, as well as helping to build and share internal innovation tools and processes. 

We worked with the Bank’s ‘Open Experience’ innovation team to pilot design futures approaches and explore ways to embed this within their project process. 


We worked with the Bank’s ‘Open Experience’ innovation team to pilot design futures approaches and explore ways to embed this within their project process. 


Growing businesses

Ahead of a large brand and product overhaul, we helped the sunglasses brand build a better understanding of their international customer base, and why they care about Tens. 


Ahead of a large brand and product overhaul, we helped the sunglasses brand build a better understanding of their international customer base, and why they care about Tens. 


We’ve had a close relationship with the mindfulness company over the years, we’ve helped them consider what a ‘mindful’ approach to digital design looks like, and we’ve conducted design research for them in order to identify new product opportunities. 


We’ve had a close relationship with the mindfulness company over the years, we’ve helped them consider what a ‘mindful’ approach to digital design looks like, and we’ve conducted design research for them in order to identify new product opportunities. 


We’ve been working with the fintech startup, helping them design a proposition that saw them graduate from an idea in a living room to an FCA regulated body, with over £8m in funding, and 300k users. We continue to support Nude with roadmapping and innovation advice.


We’ve been working with the fintech startup, helping them design a proposition that saw them graduate from an idea in a living room to an FCA regulated body, with over £8m in funding, and 300k users. We continue to support Nude with roadmapping and innovation advice.


We helped Purpose Disruptors develop a self-guided futures workshop, and participatory platform to help advertisers reimagine their job in the service of a more sustainable future.

We helped Purpose Disruptors develop a self-guided futures workshop, and participatory platform to help advertisers reimagine their job in the service of a more sustainable future.

Featured Case Study

Vision

A Vision for a Climate Positive Scotland

Working with over 50 volunteers to build a participatory vision of a climate positive Scotland

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