Causing an Effect is a futures exhibition and research project that draws from individual foresight, design research, and design iction to build understanding for activists working in future-minded ways. Seeking to emphasize the work of Canadian and American activists, this project highlights and celebrates these bold citizens in their ability to unearth complex environmental problems that threaten the health and wellbeing of their community. The research aims to generate images of the future, give voice and build empathy for activists, and create a space for strategic conversation around the future of North American industrial communities.

Three case studies were developed to understand activists working in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada; Aamjiwnaang First Nation, Ontario, Canada; and Love Canal (Niagara Falls), New York. The project explores how three ordinary people living in industrial communities transform into changemakers, overcoming uncertainty to make positive social and environmental change. The research methodology began with a formal literature review followed by primary research based on the Ethnographic Futures Research (EFR) method. The insights and output were then processed and illustrated with the experiential futures method Reverse Archaeology.