I mentioned Dr. Peter Jones in a previous post and he shared his tools of Foresight planning used by the University of Toronto Libraries in the study of e-books.
I can see the usefulness of doing a Strategic Foresight Plan, but I also think that given limited time and resources there is much to be said for reviewing old plans, current visions, and then utilizing the engaged constituents - the students - to talk about what are they doing.
Work practice studies, in the tradition of ethnography, are integral to User Experience Design world - see post below -and in Participatory Design. Rather than trying to engage stakeholders in roundabout discussions on what they would like to see in the Graduate Resource Centre, it is far more fascinating to review what students, staff and faculty actually do in their work and extrapolate potential programs, services and resources that correspond to user needs.The University of Toronto ischool Inforum (a library by any other name...) is another example of how Andrew Clement's User Centred information Systems course led students to develop the floor plan with computer desks custom-made to offer space for collaboration and privacy as needed. It is a student-led project from more than 10 years ago which is still the dominant space plan today as you can sort of see in this image.
