Things from the Future - Speculative Design with AI
What might everyday life in a climate-changed future feel like—and how can we design for it today?
This interactive workshop invites you to explore multiple possible futures through creative, hands-on activities. Instead of trying to predict what will happen, you’ll learn how to think critically about uncertainty, imagine alternative futures, and reflect on how climate change could shape the way we live, design, and interact.
Through a mix of short prompts, collaborative world-building, and speculative design, you’ll move from abstract ideas to tangible outcomes—designing an object from a future Toronto shaped by climate realities. Along the way, you’ll gain tools and frameworks to think more creatively and confidently about the future.
Who Should Attend
Open to students, designers, educators, researchers, and curious minds—no prior experience in futures thinking or design required. Especially relevant for those interested in cities, sustainability, storytelling, and emerging technologies.
What You’ll Gain
A clear introduction to futures thinking frameworks like the Cone of Possibility and Four Futures
Hands-on experience building climate-informed future scenarios
A speculative artifact grounded in everyday life in a future.
New ways to think about climate, systems, and human-centered design
Practical tools you can apply to your own work or creative practice.
What to Expect
This is a 4-hour in-person workshop that blends discussion, group activities, and creative exercises. You’ll begin by a creative exercise, followed by a discussion on Futures Thinking. Working in small groups, you’ll develop a climate scenarios tied to a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), and design a simple, everyday object from that world. The session wraps with AI-assisted visualizations and a group reflection.
About the Hosts
Facilitated by the Team at Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (COIE) at Centennial College
Sunidhi Naik from COIE is a Toronto-based Experience Designer working at the intersection of space, technology, and storytelling. With a background in architecture and a Master of Design in Digital Futures from OCAD University, she creates immersive experiences using AI, XR, and interactive media. She also leads design and technology initiatives through the Destech Studio at Centennial College’s Centre of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Patrick Robinson from COIE is a social-minded design strategist and Entrepreneur in Residence at Centennial College. He leads programs focused on entrepreneurship, community, and education, and brings expertise in design thinking, service design, and foresight to help individuals and teams build meaningful, future-focused solutions.
Find our other events and workshops by COIE: https://luma.com/coie-centennial-2526
How to get there:
Centennial College Event Centre, 8th Floor, Summer Room, Progress Campus, 937 Progress Ave, Scarborough, ON M1G 3T8
Please click the link below for directions to the venue: https://maps.app.goo.gl/kyXncCnw2Hm9jc7c9
Located at: 937 Progress Avenue, Toronto, “R – Hospitality” Building, 8th floor (Enter building using any entrance, or use the separate entrance to Event Centre and elevators to the 8th floor. Signs for Event Centre are throughout the building.)
Parking: Use Lot 2 or 3 to park your vehicle closest to the Event Centre, located in the Hospitality Building.