We live in a time marked by uncertainty, technological acceleration, the climate crisis, and the transformation of social, economic, and cultural systems. In this context, design can no longer be limited to responding to immediate needs: it must anticipate change, interpret emerging signals, and guide present decisions towards more sustainable, inclusive, and shared futures.

ESDI’s Master’s in Futures Design trains professionals capable of combining creativity, critical thinking, foresight research, and strategy. Through an interdisciplinary methodology, the programme enables students to explore possible, probable, and desirable futures, translating them into narratives, scenarios, strategies, and prototypes with real-world impact.

The master’s programme combines pedagogical and design methodologies, integrating critical reflection, applied research, experimentation, collaborative work, and project development. Theoretical subjects provide the analytical framework needed to connect design with the sociocultural, economic, and technological processes that shape contemporary environments. Practical subjects enable students to acquire specific tools and languages for analysing, representing, and communicating future scenarios.

Project-based subjects form the practical core of the programme. Students work on challenges, briefs, workshops, and processes involving research, ideation, experimentation, and formalisation. The programme’s methodological approach promotes autonomy, participation, critical thinking, and the ability to work in interdisciplinary teams. It also fosters the integration of ethical, social, and sustainable values throughout all phases of the design process.