Most of you will know EPIC (Ethnographic Praxis in Industry Conference) by now. At least one paper presented at this year’s event discusses an ethnographic approach within a foresight context. Andrew Greenman and Scott Smith talked about “Embed: Mapping the Future of Work and Play: A Case for ‘Embedding’ Non-Ethnographers in the Field”.

The abstract to their paper reads as follows:

This paper reflects on an experiment to combine an “ethnographic walking tour” with futures and foresight methods, as a means of enhancing and validating foresight exercises through the addition of valuable first-hand observation. The project, entitled Embed, was created to familiarize senior strategists, product developers, foresight specialists and marketers with the potential of ethnographic research to inform decision making. We introduce the concept of “embedding” to describe the process of placing non-ethnographers into fieldwork situations.

There is no doubt about the added value of observation, real life context, ‘embedding’ oneself in the world … within foresight and beyond.

Via: Pasta & Vinegar

Visionary leaders are scarce. Jan Kriekels of Jaga, the radiator factory, however, fits the description once put forward so eloquently in Apple’s Think Different campaign. He belongs to “the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes, the ones who see things differently [...] they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire.”

A while ago, Jan & Co. launched Uchronians.org, which is, more than a mere meeting place, a benevolent virus set out to infect as many creative minds as possible, people daring to colour beyond traditional lines, to think of and work on alternative futures together … See it as an experiential time machine.
The term ‘uchronian’ is a time-variant of ‘utopian’, where place makes room for time, pointing at a state of ‘no time’. Uchronians was named after Uchronia, an installation made out of 150 km of timber with a floor span of 60 by 30 metres, and a height of 15 metres, built and burnt to the ground in Black Rock City, Nevada, at the Burning Man 2006 festival. It was a mindchild of Jan Kriekels and Arne Quinze.

PS. Jan Kriekels of Jaga was among the speakers at the enchanting C-mine site in Genk, Belgium on 29/09/2006 for the launching event of the Media & Design Academy’s Experience Design Lab, an initiative in which Pantopicon was involved as well.