The methodical and careful formulation of scenarios as the heart of strategic future work continues to grow in importance.

Within the framework of Cultural Strategic Foresight (CSF), scenarios do not serve as forecasts of possible developments, but are culturally reflected narratives of the future based on the first module of CSF, the deconstruction of reality for a better understanding. Scenarios make different futures tangible, promote perspective shifts, and open up spaces for design beyond linear progression. This complements analysis and enables the choice of a preferred future.

By purposefully using scenarios, hidden assumptions can be questioned, dominant narratives deconstructed, and new spaces for thinking and action can be unlocked.

Based on the four classic future archetypes – Continuity, Discipline, Collapse, and Transformation – CSF creates a structured and culturally sensitive stage for developing plausible, challenging, and desirable visions of the future. These scenarios not only act as surfaces for reflection but also as strategic maps for future-oriented navigation in the here and now.