Three ways to work with Compass

Choose the work you need to do

Compass is a method and platform for examining emerging technologies. It helps people make a purpose, the evidence behind it, possible consequences and conditions for action easier to inspect and discuss

BCI is available now. Brain–computer interfaces are the first domain offered through all three experiences. The shared method and platform support other adaptations, each requiring its own domain knowledge and validation. See Domains and availability

These are alternative starting points. You can enter any experience that fits your question; completing Explore is not a prerequisite for Assess

Follow one human question

Explore: what could help?

Describe the communication need, everyday setting, desired action and support available. Compare alternatives and inspect published examples. A similar case is a lead for further inquiry; it does not establish suitability for this person

Assess: what matters for this project?

If a team proposes a particular system, describe who it is for, how it works and what supports its claims. Examine evidence, uncertainty, safeguards and conditions. A new application needs its own inputs and evidence

Monitor: what does the wider picture show?

Inspect the published field to understand the range of documented approaches, beneficiaries and maturity. A team with accessible saved assessments can separately examine its portfolio. Neither population represents every person, project or technology in the world

Know what you are working with

Exploration draft

A browser-local record of a question and alternatives. It is scoped to the deployment and account or visitor context, and is not a server-synced assessment.

Published case

A catalogue record with sources, classifications and possible gaps. Public access to it does not grant access to private assessments.

Saved assessment

An authenticated record you are permitted to access. It is a mutable snapshot, not an immutable institutional decision ledger.

Passport

An assessment output that carries reasoning into a discussion or decision setting. It does not confer approval or certification.

Choosing a perspective changes the guidance you see. It does not grant permissions, establish professional authority or change your account identity

A shared discipline of reasoning

Across the experiences, ask what is being proposed, for whom and in which context; what evidence supports the claims; what is assumed or unknown; which alternatives and consequences matter; and what conditions would justify proceeding or reviewing the decision

The method explains those questions independently of the interface. Project Profile, Project Briefing and Decision Surface are capabilities within Assess. Pathways and stress testing help examine assumptions. A Passport is an output

Cartographer is the separate specialist application for maintaining domain knowledge through review and controlled publication. It is not an additional compulsory stage for everyday Compass users

Begin with a concrete task

• Explore a need or possibility — public, with a local draft.
• Create a BCI assessment — sign-in required.
• Review an assessment — sign-in and access to the record required.
• Read the published BCI landscape — public catalogue.

Open Explore BCI

About this guide edition

Reviewed 2 October 2026 against the current interface and maintained product guide. Screenshots show either the public GESDA catalogue or a local demonstration using fictional Aurora data, as identified in each caption

Local captures illustrate the interface, not sign-in, server persistence or successful export. Use Print / save PDF for a reading copy and follow the live application for current availability