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A LIFE-CENTRED DESIGN LAB TOOL

Holistic Futures Wheel

A LIFE-CENTRED DESIGN LAB TOOL

Holistic Futures Wheel

A life-centred Design Tool to map potential future impacts of an idea or activity on all life.

Holistic Futures Wheel Tool

ABOUT THIS TOOL

The original Futures Wheel was invented by futurist Jerome C. Glenn in 1971 as a tool to explore the consequences of a change. The Futures Wheel is often used in the early stages of strategy to help shape a plan. However, it can be used at any time a decision is made that might impact multiple scenarios. Basically, you write your idea or change at the centre, then brainstorm potential impacts it has, and then brainstorm the consequences of combining those various impacts.

WHY THIS TOOL IS IMPORTANT

The Holistic Futures Wheel provides reminders to include consideration of impacts upon more than humanity’s interests.

Holistic Futures Wheel Tool

A life-centred Design Tool to map potential future impacts of an idea or activity on all life.

ABOUT THIS TOOL

The original Futures Wheel was invented by futurist Jerome C. Glenn in 1971 as a tool to explore the consequences of a change. The Futures Wheel is often used in the early stages of strategy to help shape a plan. However, it can be used at any time a decision is made that might impact multiple scenarios. Basically, you write your idea or change at the centre, then brainstorm potential impacts it has, and then brainstorm the consequences of combining those various impacts.

WHY THIS TOOL IS IMPORTANT

The Holistic Futures Wheel provides reminders to include consideration of impacts upon more than humanity’s interests.

The Holistic Futures Wheel Template

TOOL OPTIONS

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1

Write your Challenge (idea/decision/change) in the centre.

Step 2
Imagine this challenge actually occurs, and identify (brainstorm or research) possible direct consequences. These can be positive, negative, or neutral. Write them in the first ring around the Challenge in the centre.

Step 3
Identify indirect consequences generated by the direct consequences. Use the connecting lines to help you think of what indirect results the combined effects of two direct results might generate. These lines are just a guide, feel free to ignore/remove as needed.

Step 4
Extend into new rings of indirect results as many times as desired. Feel free to go into third or more levels of consequences.

Step 5
Analyze for next steps-consider how to improve or manage the negative impacts, enhance and leverage the positive, and remove or energise the neutral.

The Holistic Futures Wheel Template

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1

Write your Challenge (idea/decision/change) in the centre.

Step 2
Imagine this challenge actually occurs, and identify (brainstorm or research) possible direct consequences. These can be positive, negative, or neutral. Write them in the first ring around the Challenge in the centre.

Step 3
Identify indirect consequences generated by the direct consequences. Use the connecting lines to help you think of what indirect results the combined effects of two direct results might generate. These lines are just a guide, feel free to ignore/remove as needed.

Step 4
Extend into new rings of indirect results as many times as desired. Feel free to go into third or more levels of consequences.

Step 5
Analyze for next steps-consider how to improve or manage the negative impacts, enhance and leverage the positive, and remove or energise the neutral.

TOOL OPTIONS

The Life-centred Design Guide book

Lead the way by redesigning your products and business to be:

  • Values-driven
  • Future-focused
  • Life-centred

“Super helpful tools for designers… I’ll be sharing them with the students.”

“The ideas really resonated with me as I’ve felt this growing unease with human centred design’s echo chamber”

“An amazing book about the topic.”

#2 Amazon Best Seller in Engineering Design, Dec ’22

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Damien Lutz, author of The Non-human Persona Guide, The Life-centred Design Guide, and Future Scouting

We replenish what we use

A percentage of profits from design guides by Damien Lutz are donated to onetreeplanted.org to replace the trees used to create the books

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Lifecentred.design aims to be low carbon, inclusive, and regenerative

This site's hosting is green

This website runs on green hosting - verified by thegreenwebfoundation.org
Energy used by the web hosting servers is offset by 3 times as much renewable energy returned to the grid

We're planting trees!
The number in the site's top bar shows how many we've planted

To regenerate trees used to make our books, we donate a percentage of printed book sales to onetreeplanted.org

Page CO2 emissions
Shown for high-traffic pages only

Sustainable web strategies are used to reduce page load emissions.
The current industry standard is 0.8g/page view—all lifecentred.design pages aim to be less than the standard.

Page accessibility rating
Shown for high-traffic pages only

Pages are designed for accessible use and rated out of 100

More about our commitments

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Lifecentred.design aims to be low carbon, inclusive, and regenerative

This site's hosting is green

This website runs on green hosting - verified by thegreenwebfoundation.org
Energy used by the web hosting servers is offset by 3 times as much renewable energy returned to the grid

We're planting trees!
The number in the site's top bar shows how many we've planted

To regenerate trees used to make our books, we donate a percentage of printed book sales to onetreeplanted.org

Page CO2 emissions
Shown for high-traffic pages only

Sustainable web strategies are used to reduce page load emissions.
The current industry standard is 0.8g/page view—all lifecentred.design pages aim to be less than the standard

Page accessibility rating
Shown for high-traffic pages only

Pages are designed for accessible use and rated out of 100

More about our commitments

This will close in 0 seconds

Lifecentred.design aims to be low carbon, inclusive, and regenerative

This site's hosting is green

This website runs on green hosting - verified by thegreenwebfoundation.org
Energy used by the web hosting servers is offset by 3 times as much renewable energy returned to the grid

We're planting trees!
The number in the site's top bar shows how many we've planted

To regenerate trees used to make our books, we donate a percentage of printed book sales to onetreeplanted.org

Page CO2 emissions
Shown for high-traffic pages only

Sustainable web strategies are used to reduce page load emissions.
The current industry standard is 0.8g/page view—all lifecentred.design pages aim to be less than the standard

Page accessibility rating
Shown for high-traffic pages only

Pages are designed for accessible use and rated out of 100

More about our commitments

This will close in 0 seconds

Lifecentred.design aims to be low carbon, inclusive, and regenerative

This site's hosting is green

This website runs on green hosting - verified by thegreenwebfoundation.org
Energy used by the web hosting servers is offset by 3 times as much renewable energy returned to the grid

We're planting trees!
The number in the site's top bar shows how many we've planted

To regenerate trees used to make our books, we donate a percentage of printed book sales to onetreeplanted.org

Page CO2 emissions
Shown for high-traffic pages only

Sustainable web strategies are used to reduce page load emissions.
The current industry standard is 0.8g/page view—all lifecentred.design pages aim to be less than the standard

Page accessibility rating
Shown for high-traffic pages only

Pages are designed for accessible use and rated out of 100

More about our commitments

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I am the voice of the trees who were taken to make the product I speak from.

We, the trees, gave shade, clean air, homes for countless creatures, and the gift of oxygen for you to breathe. We cooled the earth, held the soil, and stored the carbon that would have otherwise harmed you.

Now, as a user of this product, you are part of this legacy, and a custodian of the things we once were. 

I ask you to honor the role we played for your planet. Where we are taken, help new trees rise, and protect those who still stand tall. Nurture them as they nurture you, for your future is rooted in our regeneration.

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