The Four Phases of a Futures Literacy Lab

Stefan Bergheim believes that Futures Literacy Labs are designed to expand how we think about the future and open new pathways for action. The process follows four phases:

1. Reveal – Surface our assumptions by discussing expected and desirable futures.
2. Reframe – Challenge those assumptions by exploring alternatives, even reversing them, to imagine different possibilities.
3. Rethink – Reflect on what feels uncomfortable, identify what has become visible, and formulate new, powerful questions.
4. Quest – Choose one or more of those questions as starting points for innovation and concrete next steps.

Rather than predicting a single outcome, this method invites participants to stretch their imagination, uncover hidden assumptions, and collectively explore multiple futures.