Signal Scavenger Hunt

To practise horizon scanning and looking for trends in an accessible, active way, and to surface examples of emerging change from diverse perspectives. 

1. Briefly introduce the idea of a “signal of change”. A “signal of change” is a small, specific example of something new or unusual that might be a sign of a broader shift. Signals are often surprising, marginal, or contradictory.
2. Assign participants a time window (e.g., 10–15 minutes) to go on a “scavenger hunt” to collect one or more signals. These can be drawn from:
   
• Things they’ve read, seen, or heard recently
• A quick online search (e.g,. niche blogs, forums, news stories)
• Personal or local observations from daily life
  
  
3. Ask them to note each signal with:
   
• A short description (What is it?)
• A source (Where did you find it?)
• A hunch (Why might it matter?)

1. Bring the group back together and ask participants to briefly share their signals. You can collect them on a wall, flipchart, or digital board for the group to explore together.

Facilitation tips

• Encourage participants to avoid “big trends” and look instead for the unusual or emerging.
• If working with a specific domain (e.g., education, urban life), you can offer a focus, but be mindful of over-directing - it’s not needed.
• Highlight the diversity of sources and interpretations. What seems niche now might become mainstream later.

Horizon scanning is a key practice in futures and foresight. The Signal Scavenger Hunt adapts it into an interactive, participatory format that lowers the barrier to entry and builds pattern-recognition skills, ideal for workshop openings. Versions of this method are used by foresight teams in business, government, and NGOs.