Phenomena Types

All phenomena created by our team of futurists and foresight experts have been categorised and colour-coded into five phenomena types on our platform:

green  Strengthening

The presented issue is becoming more common or acute during the given timeframe. Most of its change potential is still ahead.

blue  Weakening

The presented issue is becoming more unusual. During the given timeframe, most of its change potential or value has already occurred.

grey  Weak signal 

A small emerging issue in the present. At the given timeframe, it is still hard to say whether it will become a trend.

red  Wild card

A possible but not probable event or change. Early information about a potential emerging risk or opportunity. The probability within the given timeframe is between 5% to 30%. 

summary-1  Summary

Description of the overall change in a larger theme. There are 30 theme summaries in total, spanning a timeframe from the present time to 2040.

summary  No type

Any other type of information one wants to add to the radar. It can be e.g a note, action point, idea, cause, effect or task.
 

Our team of futurists and foresight experts determine the phenomenon type in a team-reviewed process.

A colour-based structure means that a phenomenon description can be created to illustrate the core of the development, for example, the growth of the sharing economy, getting stronger or more significant (green). Alternatively, a phenomenon text can be formulated in a way, in which a weakening topic is described (blue). Also, the description may abstain from making any interpretation regarding further development of the observed matter (grey), or a bolder, challenging, speculative, and value-based, what if – approach may be adopted (red). The red colour code differs from the other phenomena types in that, whereas other types present probable or foreseeable developments, the red offers a speculative, threat or opportunity scenario.

The most critical changes' cores, e.g., Sharing economy, will often be described from all four colours' viewpoints. The topic stays the same, but the approach and formulation differ, which makes it possible to deal with the phenomenon in a broader and more diverse way.