Step into the future of healthcare with this hands-on workshop exploring how futures thinking can expand design practice. Learn about the forces reshaping healthcare and gain a practical introduction to futures methods — from scanning signals and identifying drivers of change, to building plausible future scenarios and designing for uncertainty.
In a world of rapid technological advancement, shifting demographics, and systemic disruption, the ability to interpret signals and navigate ambiguity has never been more critical. Futures thinking offers a powerful strategic lens, helping organizations move from reactive decision-making toward proactively imagining and shaping possible futures. This session introduces practical frameworks for thinking beyond the immediate horizon, equipping participants to engage complexity with greater creativity, adaptability, and confidence, whether in healthcare or any other domain experiencing rapid change.
The session will be structured as an immersive collaboration:
Method
BDI Academic Director Emma Aiken-Klar will introduce the foundations of futures thinking and its application to design practice, outlining how signals, drivers, uncertainties, and scenarios can be used to explore and design for alternative futures.
Context
Health futurist Zayna Khayat will guide participants through the evolving healthcare landscape, highlighting key signals of change and major drivers shaping the future of health and care systems.
Sprint
Participants will work in teams to apply these methods to a plausible future healthcare scenario, exploring emerging tensions, identifying opportunities, and developing concepts, strategies, or artifacts designed for that world.
Share Back
The session will conclude with teams sharing their outcomes, followed by collaborative discussion and reflection.
Learning Objectives
- Explore key drivers and uncertainties shaping the future of healthcare
- Understand how futures thinking can expand design and strategic practice
- Apply futures methods to develop ideas, concepts, or strategies for uncertain future healthcare contexts
Moderators
Dr. Zayna Khayat
Dr. Zayna Khayat is adjunct faculty and Executive in Residence in Health Sector Strategy at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. She instructs in various programs including the health MBA stream, the global executive MBA in healthcare and life sciences, and executive education programs. She is also a member of the School’s Healthcare and Life Sciences Advisory Board.
Zayna is the health futurist in residence with the healthcare and life sciences practice of Deloitte in Canada. Dr. Khayat is an advisor to various companies, organizations, governments and initiatives including virtual care company Teladoc Health, Kudos, Public Health Agency of Canada, Novartis Canada, and Canadian Agency for Drugs & Technologies in Health.
Emma Aiken-Klar
Emma is an anthropologist, educator, consultant and coach with nearly 20 years of industry experience applying human-centered methodologies to complex innovation and organizational challenges. Formally trained in anthropological theory and ethnographic methodologies, Emma’s expertise is in translating her insights into practical strategic guidance for her clients.
Using a range of social science, design and strategic foresight methods, Emma uncovers insights about human beliefs and behaviour and then works with business leaders to apply these learnings to make meaningful transformative change. She enjoys working on a broad range of challenges, including talent engagement, organizational change, strategic innovation, experience and service design.
Sponsors
