Using the Building Utopia Toolkit
Dream it.
The Building Utopia toolkit was designed to help you consider more radical visions for your future and the community around you. Each card deck will help you frame current aspects or elements of the future you want to envision. The guidebook is set up to help you get familiar with the card decks, learn about a few design methods that may be new to you, and practice radical futures thinking. Throughout this guidebook we have provided space and prompts for you to envision different futures.
The Building Utopia toolkit is perfect for:
Community or organizational building
Establishing organizational values
Classroom educational materials and exercises
Setting product goals
Friend game night
Worldbuilding
Build it.
First, the group picks a Topic card. If the group does not yet have a topic area they would like to address, this card can be drawn randomly or voted on.
Next, the group turns over a card from the Forecasting deck. All future questions will be asked as if the group is designing in this time period.
Then, the group turns over a card from the Liberation deck and can take turns sharing their answer to the question on the card.
After, a Methods card is drawn to determine a method you can use to show how your future solution might look.
If you need solution prompts, look for a Tools card to get inspiration for possible categories.
If none of the Topics or Tools are fitting, you can swap in a Blank card and fill that out with your own input. Keep in mind that while this is the order the cards are typically used, you know your community best, and can substitute or rearrange the cards to suit your needs.
Reimagining Futures.
Building Utopia is also a great resource for reimagining organizational strategy, community development, and classroom curriculums…
Using the Building Utopia decks allowed my team to think beyond the bounds of our normal problem solving in a really fun and engaging way. The prompts on the cards pushed us to think about a radical future with true liberation at the center, instead of getting bogged down with the limits that we normally impose on ourselves. The tools deck was especially helpful in guiding us to think through what it would look like to build towards that radical future. The Building Utopia decks were so much fun to use and I cannot wait to use them with other teams!
- Marisa T., Educator