by Osmo Kuusi & Elina Hiltunen
ABSTRACT
Weak signals have aroused increasing interest among futurists in recent years. The dilemma caused by their varying definitions led Hiltunen (2008) to introduce the concept of ‘future sign’, which is based on Peirce’s semiotic model of the sign. Hiltunen’s conceptual framework is developed further in this paper. The focus of the analysis shifts from single future signs to the signification processes in which the future signs are perceived, interpreted and produced. The idea is that every future-oriented signification process is based on some issue on the agenda. It is a process of learning and acting, focused on the solving of problems related to the issue in question.