Festool Workshop
As part of our course Analytical Design, we are investigating how the construction craft could develop by 2035, working closely with Festool as an industry partner. Our project focuses on understanding how materials, tools, learning cultures and the identity of craft professions may change in response to broader societal and environmental shifts.
To build a grounded perspective on these futures, we used a range of foresight and design-futuring methods. Through a STEEP analysis, we examined social, technological, economic, environmental and political signals, identifying patterns and tensions that are shaping long-term developments. These insights were expanded through Future Wheels, allowing us to explore potential ripple effects, second- and third-order consequences, and the systemic interconnections behind seemingly small signals.
Using the “Name It” method, we translated these patterns into clearer thematic lenses, helping us articulate emerging issues with precision. We then integrated these elements into 2×2 scenario frameworks, creating contrasting future worlds that highlight uncertainties, reveal alternative trajectories and make underlying assumptions visible.
The collaboration with Festool experts, including Tim Büttner (Business Center “New Product”) and Dorothee Koser (Environmental Management), enriched this process with practical industry knowledge and real-world perspectives. Their insights helped us understand how tools, workflows and learning practices might transform in response to factors such as sustainability pressures, digital augmentation, new material ecologies and shifts in professional identity.
Overall, this approach has allowed us to construct a multidimensional view of the futures of construction craft, and to explore both the opportunities and challenges that may arise for professionals, companies and users in the coming decades.
