Designhögskolan nyheter EN

Designhögskolan nyheter ENhttps://www.umu.se/A RSS feed provided by Umeå Universityen-usSun, 26 Jul 2026 20:13:17 +0200https://www.umu.se/en/news/crisis-communication-healthcare-at-home-and-future-mobility_12174845/Crisis communication, healthcare at home and future mobilityOn 2–3 June 2026, Umeå Institute of Design (UID), part of Umeå University, presents UID26 | Design Talks & Degree Show. Graduating students from MFA Advanced Product Design, MFA Interaction Design, MFA Transportation Design, and the BFA Programme in Industrial Design share their final projects through talks and a public exhibition.Tue, 26 May 2026 08:00:07 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>UID26 explores what design leaves behind: in materials, systems, and people’s lives.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>David Dahlberg</span></div></div><p>This year’s student-chosen theme, <strong>TRACES</strong>, explores what design leaves behind: in materials, systems, and people’s lives. It reflects the journey behind each project, from early research and fieldwork to tangible proposals, and invites discussion about the long-term impact of design on society and the planet.</p><h3>Design proposals grounded in real-world challenges</h3><p>UID26 presents design proposals that respond to current challenges across healthcare, mobility, sustainability, and everyday life. The projects move beyond concepts to address how systems work in practice, from hospital workflows and infrastructure to domestic routines and public spaces.</p><p>The exhibition brings together work that explores:</p><p>·      how care is moving from hospitals into the home</p><p>·      how cities adapt to changing mobility needs and climate conditions</p><p>·      how everyday products can support independence, dignity, and inclusion</p><p>·      how design can strengthen resilience in uncertain or fragile systems</p><p><strong>Highlights from the Class of 2026</strong></p><p>In <strong>MFA Advanced Product Design, Cosima Pauli</strong> explores how people can stay connected when digital infrastructure fails, proposing a discreet communication device designed for censorship, shutdowns, and crisis situations.</p><p>Also in Advanced Product Design, <strong>Pierre Brand</strong> develops a multisensory learning system that supports children with dyslexia through haptic feedback, translating reading into tactile cues that reduce cognitive overload and build confidence.</p><p>In the same programme, projects also address healthcare systems directly, from a next-generation anaesthesia platform that reduces complexity and material waste in operating rooms, to concepts that make long-term treatment in the home more manageable and less intrusive in everyday life. At the same time, other projects shift focus to everyday rituals, including a tactile music system designed to counter digital fatigue and restore a sense of presence at home.</p><p>In <strong>MFA Interaction Design, Ece Günesen</strong> questions how women’s health technologies represent the body, proposing more open and interpretative ways of engaging with health data that prioritise lived experience over constant optimisation.</p><p>“I would love to explore women’s health data as something that is to be lived with, and not something to be fixed,” says Günesen.</p><p>Across the <strong>Interaction Design programme</strong>, projects also explore how design can support attention, inclusion, and participation in everyday life, from gaze-aware interfaces in cars to tools that help people feel more confident navigating unfamiliar public spaces.</p><p>In <strong>MFA Transportation Design, David Dahlberg</strong> explores how long-distance rail travel could become more attractive by improving the social and emotional experience of night trains, balancing privacy with safe and optional interaction.</p><p>Other mobility projects in the programme address urgent challenges such as emergency response in remote terrain, climate adaptation in extreme heat, and how shared mobility can support more inclusive and service-oriented travel experiences.</p><p>In the <strong>BFA Programme in Industrial Design</strong>, students focus on everyday systems and lived experience, developing tangible solutions for areas such as home-based healthcare, food storage and preparedness, workplace safety, and access to nature. These projects show how design can make systemic challenges more manageable in daily life, without requiring large-scale change to existing infrastructure.</p><h3>A platform for critical conversation</h3><p>UID26 is both a public showcase and a moment to reflect on the responsibilities behind design decisions.</p><p>For Demian Horst, Head of Institute at Umeå Institute of Design, the theme highlights process as well as impact.</p><p>“TRACES reminds us that design is never only what we make, but also what we change through the act of making. At UID26, our students show how careful research, collaboration, and craft can lead to work that is inclusive, sustainability-minded, and honest about the imprint design leaves on the world,” says Horst.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="486d2a83-995d-4d2f-9d01-33a23e7262ac" data-contentname="Global access: digital exhibition and live programme">{}</div><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="363de611-b0b7-4a5b-b8bd-5f318a713306" data-contentname="Public exhibition: welcome to visit">{}</div><p> </p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/crisis-communication-healthcare-at-home-and-future-mobility_12174845/https://www.umu.se/en/news/industrial-designer-alex-liebert-appointed-honorary-doctor_12171865/Industrial designer Alex Liebert appointed honorary doctorAlex Liebert, CEO of Changeworks and guest lecturer at Umeå Institute of Design, has been appointed honorary doctor for 2026 at the Faculty of Science and Technology at Umeå University. He is recognised for his long-standing commitment to design education and for building bridges between academia and professional practice.Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:42:41 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/c5afffbb39b9456eb6af554dab7a9f52/alex_liebert_14.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c5afffbb39b9456eb6af554dab7a9f52/alex_liebert_14.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c5afffbb39b9456eb6af554dab7a9f52/alex_liebert_14.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/c5afffbb39b9456eb6af554dab7a9f52/alex_liebert_14.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c5afffbb39b9456eb6af554dab7a9f52/alex_liebert_14.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c5afffbb39b9456eb6af554dab7a9f52/alex_liebert_14.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Alex Liebert is appointed honorary doctor at Umeå University.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Sara-Lena Brännström</span></div></div><p>“I'm incredibly happy and pleasantly surprised. Being awarded an honorary doctorate is a great honour,” he says.</p><p>Alex Liebert is trained as an industrial designer and has held leading positions in industry, consultancy and the public sector. Today, he is CEO, change leader and design strategist at his own company, Changeworks.</p><p>He is awarded the title of honorary doctor for his significant contributions to design education, strategic design practice and academic development at Umeå Institute of Design.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Design as leadership</h2><p>In 2012, through his then role at Atlas Copco, Alex Liebert initiated his first collaborations with Umeå Institute of Design. Since then, he has served as a guest lecturer in the strategic design course, which he has also helped to develop and shape in terms of content.</p><p>Strategic design is about using design in a long-term perspective, not only to shape products but to influence how companies and organisations develop their business models and operations.</p><p>“As a designer, you can create almost anything – so why not a business strategy? I see strategic design as a leadership discipline and want to help students develop into leaders who can improve our world through design,” says Alex Liebert, who is keen to highlight the designer's role in organisational development.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Strengthening the programme internationally</h2><p>Each year, Thomas Degn, programme director for the master's programme, invites a company with exciting products to take part in the course. Students explore future design opportunities, develop concepts aligned with the company's brand and create a well-considered design language. At the same time, they are trained in addressing complex future-oriented and technological challenges.</p><p>“I am very grateful for the appreciation shown by Umeå Institute of Design and especially for the close and long-term collaboration with Thomas Degn. Without his commitment, this would not have been possible,” says Alex Liebert.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/c5afffbb39b9456eb6af554dab7a9f52/alex_liebert_22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c5afffbb39b9456eb6af554dab7a9f52/alex_liebert_22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c5afffbb39b9456eb6af554dab7a9f52/alex_liebert_22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/c5afffbb39b9456eb6af554dab7a9f52/alex_liebert_22.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c5afffbb39b9456eb6af554dab7a9f52/alex_liebert_22.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c5afffbb39b9456eb6af554dab7a9f52/alex_liebert_22.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>As a guest lecturer at Umeå Institute of Design, Alex Liebert has made a significant contribution to the programme.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Sara-Lena Brännström</span></div></div><p>Through his work, Alex Liebert has contributed to strengthening both the academic quality and the international relevance of the programme.</p><p>Now in his fourteenth year as a guest lecturer, he has no plans to stop. He praises the collaborative culture and positive spirit at Umeå Institute of Design.</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">“A unique school”</h2><p>“I love teaching and I feel genuinely happy every time I come here. It's a unique school with a spirit and level of engagement that I haven't seen anywhere else,” says Alex, who is based in Örebro and also teaches industrial design to mechanical engineering students at Örebro University.</p><p>He finds it particularly rewarding when former students describe the concrete benefits they have gained from the course tools in their collaborations with companies, especially their ability to measure the value of design and to develop a clear design language.</p><p>“I see how they gain confidence and dare to take greater initiative. That feels really wonderful,” he says.</p><p>Alex Liebert will be formally conferred as honorary doctor at Umeå University's annual celebration in October.</p><p> </p><p><strong>For more information, please contact:</strong></p><p>Alex Liebert, CEO of Changeworks and guest lecturer at Umeå Institute of Design</p><p>Phone: +46 70 607 46 55</p><p>E-mail: <a href="mailto:alex@changeworks.se">alex@changeworks.se</a></p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/industrial-designer-alex-liebert-appointed-honorary-doctor_12171865/https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-university-researchers-shaping-arctic-knowledge_12171727/Umeå University researchers shaping Arctic knowledge through UArctic’s thematic networksResearchers at Umeå University are playing an active role in shaping Arctic research and collaboration through UArctic’s thematic networks, a key international platform that connects expertise across disciplines and regions.Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:41:25 +0200<p class="quote-center">We see great potential for even more researchers at Umeå University to engage in and benefit from these networks.</p><p>These networks often function as small international research platforms, where collaborations, projects and ideas begin to take shape. This often happens long before they develop into larger funded initiatives.</p><p>With more than 60 thematic networks covering areas from climate and biodiversity to culture, health and governance, UArctic provides a structure for collaboration that is presented annually through the Year in Review publications.</p><p>The reports highlight how research communities contribute to Arctic knowledge. They also show that Umeå University is not only participating but, in several cases, helping to lead and develop these efforts.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Strong contributions across research fields</h2><p>Umeå University researchers are engaged in a wide range of thematic networks spanning the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.</p><p>In the Thematic Network on Northern Tourism, Umeå University is a key contributor, building on a strong research tradition while continuing to shape the field of Arctic tourism. Today, researchers from Umeå play an active role in advancing both knowledge development and international collaboration within the network.</p><p>Umeå is also strongly represented in the Arctic Sustainable Arts and Design (ASAD) network. Professor Cindy Kohtala, based at Umeå Institute of Design, serves as Vice-Lead of the network. The Institute will host an international workshop in 2026, further strengthening Umeå’s role as a hub for design and sustainability in Arctic contexts.</p><p>Beyond these examples, researchers from Umeå University contribute to networks such as Critical Arctic Studies, Herbivory, Health and Well-being in the Arctic, and several others, reflecting the breadth of Arctic-related research at the university.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Shaping Arctic research at a system level</h2><p>Umeå University also plays a unique role in supporting and shaping Arctic research more broadly through the Thematic Network on Polar Research Analytics, which is led by researchers at the university.</p><p class="quote-center">Through bibliometric analysis, we can better understand how Arctic research is evolving, where collaborations are emerging, and how knowledge flows across regions and disciplines.</p><p>The network is led by Professor Rickard Danell and Associate Professor Lena Maria Nilsson, with Arctic Centre Director Keith Larson serving as UArctic’s Associate Vice-President for Polar Research Analytics. Together, they contribute to mapping and analysing global Arctic research trends. This work provides a broader perspective on how Arctic research develops globally.</p><p>“Through bibliometric analysis, we can better understand how Arctic research is evolving, where collaborations are emerging, and how knowledge flows across regions and disciplines,” says Keith Larson. “This helps strengthen both individual research efforts and the collective impact of Arctic research.”</p><p>It also provides valuable insights for researchers, institutions and policymakers, and supports the continued development of UArctic’s thematic networks.</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">A platform for collaboration and impact</h2><p>UArctic’s thematic networks offer Umeå University researchers opportunities to engage in international collaboration, develop new research initiatives, and increase the visibility of their work.</p><p>The networks connect researchers globally, with activities and collaborations spanning Arctic regions as well as institutions around the world.</p><p class="quote-center">Participating in a thematic network creates opportunities not only for collaboration, but also for making research more visible and relevant.</p><p>Within the networks, researchers organise workshops and conferences, develop joint publications, run field courses and initiate collaborative research projects across institutions.</p><p>The recent Year in Review initiative also illustrates the growing importance of communicating research activities and outcomes within these networks.</p><p>“Participating in a thematic network creates opportunities not only for collaboration, but also for making research more visible and relevant,” says Professor Cindy Kohtala. “Working together across different contexts, including through bioregional perspectives, helps us better understand and develop the sustainability potential of art and design research and practice.”</p><p>Researchers at Umeå University interested in joining a thematic network or learning more about ongoing activities are encouraged to explore UArctic’s network structure or contact the Arctic Centre.</p><p>“From the perspective of the Arctic Centre, we see great potential for even more researchers at Umeå University to engage in and benefit from these networks,” says Simon Oja, Deputy Director, Arctic Centre. “Strengthening participation will not only support individual research, but also enhance Umeå University’s overall contribution to Arctic knowledge and collaboration.”</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-university-researchers-shaping-arctic-knowledge_12171727/https://www.umu.se/en/news/nordic-design-history-symposium-for-the-first-time-in-sapmi_12169904/Nordic design history symposium for the first time in SápmiFrom 6 to 8 May, Umeå Institute of Design at Umeå University will host the nineteenth symposium of the Nordic Forum for Design History, titled Many Places, Many Design Histories. The event will take place at the Arts Campus in Ubmeje/Umeå, within Sápmi, marking the first time the network gathers in Sápmi and outside a Nordic capital or major city.Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:29:07 +0200<p>The event brings together researchers, designers and craftspeople, museum curators and students from the Nordic countries and neighbouring regions to explore how design history can be written, presented and understood in a time of rapid transformation. The focus is on narratives grounded in diverse geographies, materials, experiences and interdisciplinary perspectives.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Place as a point of departure</h2><p>The fact that the symposium is held in Umeå and within Sápmi shapes this year’s theme. Design-historical narratives have often been formulated from the vantage point of large cities, museums and other established institutions, influencing which practices and perspectives become visible.</p><p>“Being in Sápmi makes it impossible to ignore colonial histories that have rarely been visible in Nordic design-historical contexts. It gives us a unique opportunity to extend the field and challenge what ‘Nordic design history’ can be,” says <strong>Maria Göransdotter</strong>, Senior Lecturer at the Umeå Institute of Design and a member of the Nordic Forum’s board.</p><p>Together with <strong>Elin</strong> <strong>Manker</strong> at Umeå University and <strong>Christina</strong> <strong>Zetterlund</strong> at Linnaeus University, the organising committee aims to widen the scope and foreground places, contexts and perspectives that challenge conventional ideas of Nordic design.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">A programme that redraws the map</h2><p>This year’s programme includes <strong>20 peer‑reviewed contributions</strong>, <strong>two keynotes</strong>, and a <strong>panel discussio</strong>n featuring crafts practitioners and regional craft consultants from Norrbotten. Several interactive works will be exhibited, and curators from <strong>Bauhaus Dessau</strong> will lead a workshop where participants contribute to the online digital atlas <strong>Schools of Departure</strong>.</p><p>The contributions range from studies of design and craft practices far beyond traditional centres, to new methods for exhibition‑making and digital mediation. <strong>Sámi duodji</strong> is highlighted alongside local museums and craft traditions from northern Sweden, Ostrobothnia and Northern Norway.</p><p>“Design shapes futures, and in doing so we also write history. This is why more voices, more geographies and more practices need to be included,” says Christina Zetterlund, Professor of Design History at Linnaeus University.</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">Keynotes with perspectives from the polar regions</h2><ul><li><strong>Professor Gunvor Guttorm</strong> (Sámi University of Applied Sciences, Kautokeino) sheds light on Indigenous knowledge traditions and contemporary Sámi material practices.</li><li><strong>Dr Bart Pushaw</strong> (University of Tennessee at Chattanooga) analyses colonial narratives and visual cultures in the Arctic.</li></ul><p>Together, the keynote speakers make visible design histories that have long been marginalised in the Nordic field and open conversations about knowledge, craft and place.</p><h2 id="info3" data-magellan-target="info3">Why this matters for the North</h2><p>The symposium strengthens collaboration between academia, cultural heritage and practice in northern Scandinavia. It creates new opportunities for research and regional partnerships, not least for early-career researchers and practitioners. By locating the gathering in Umeå, the event highlights the rich design and craft expertise in Västerbotten and Norrbotten, and invites participants from Ostrobothnia and Northern Norway.</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/nordic-design-history-symposium-for-the-first-time-in-sapmi_12169904/https://www.umu.se/en/news/bright-spring-weather-framed-arctic-forum-food-gathering-in-umea_12167195/Bright Spring Weather Framed Arctic Forum Food Gathering in UmeåAround thirty participants gathered on 2 March at Tráhppie, the Sámi Cultural House in Umeå, for Arctic Forum Food 2026 - an event that combined research, Indigenous knowledge and hands‑on food traditions. Tráhppie, the low white building beside historic Sävargården, offered a welcoming setting, with participants often stepping outside during breaks to warm themselves by the fire under brilliant early spring sun.Mon, 23 Mar 2026 14:32:43 +0100<p>The day opened with keynote presentations. Associate Professor Christina Storm Mienna, Director of Várdduo – Centre for Sámi Research, shared insights from the cross‑border project Máhtut, weaving research findings with personal reflections from her life in a reindeer‑herding Sámi community. Joining online from Australia, Patricia Ann Ellis, a Brinja Yuin elder and cultural knowledge holder, contributed perspectives on cultural stewardship and Indigenous education in navigating crisis situations within a changing climate.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Local Food Perspectives</h2><p>After morning workshops and a shared lunch, the afternoon programme continued with guest speakers who brought the local and global together. Angelika Schindler‑Egl from the Vindelälven‑Juhttátahkka Biosphere Reserve highlighted how pollination and biodiversity form the ecological foundations of local food systems. The final keynote, Dr. Adrianne Lickers Xavier of the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory in Canada, spoke about Indigenous food security and land connections- drawing parallels to the experiences described earlier by Storm Mienna.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Potluck dinner</h2><p>The event concluded with a lively potluck dinner featuring flavours from across the world and the circumpolar north: reindeer soup, vegan soup, blood dumplings, musk ox sausage from Greenland, honey from the Stavanger Airport runways and more. As darkness fell, participants gathered once more around the fire in the Lávvu, rounding off a day devoted to knowledge, community and the future of Arctic food </p><p>It was a truly inspiring day, says organiser Danielle Wilde, professor at Umeå Institute of Design and Arctic Six chair. The energy, the generosity in sharing experiences, and the strong commitment to sustainable and culturally grounded futures – where food, reflection and dialogue intertwine – made the gathering very special.</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/bright-spring-weather-framed-arctic-forum-food-gathering-in-umea_12167195/https://www.umu.se/en/news/och-de-nominerade-spin-off-foretagen-pa-umeagalan-ar_12148709/And the nominated spin-off companies at Umeågalan are...Three research-based companies with roots in Umeå University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) have been nominated for the University Spin-off of the Year award at the Umeå Gala 2025. What they have in common is that they are good examples of how academic innovation can contribute to a more sustainable and humane future.Wed, 05 Nov 2025 18:05:11 +0100<p>Nil Medical was founded by Martin Hanberger while he was studying at the Umeå Insitute of Design at Umeå University. Martin has since continued to develop a patented vest that gives patients greater freedom of movement during infusion treatment. Children who need treatment no longer have to walk around with a large stand, but instead carry everything in a vest on their back. The product is already in clinical use, and Nil Medical shows how design and innovation from Umeå University can make a big difference for young patients.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/nil_medical2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/nil_medical2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/nil_medical2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/nil_medical2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/nil_medical2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/nil_medical2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Martin Hanberger, CEO, and Malin Walfridsson, deputy managing director, at Nil Medcial. Photo: Tomas Ruuth</p></div></div><p>"It all started with my degree project at the Umeå Institute of Design. The programme has a very practical focus. We students were trained in a way of thinking and a process aimed at gaining an in-depth understanding of users' needs and perceived problems. This has therefore been a central starting point in all development from idea to production adaptation of the Vestpack vest.", says Martin Hanberger, CEO at Nil Medical.</p><p>"When I met children and parents in such a difficult situation and realised that this could potentially make things easier, it was what drove me to continue. There is also fantastic support available within the innovation system in and around Umeå University," concludes Martin Hanberger.</p><h3>Next-generation fertiliser system</h3><p>Cropcision is a spin-off company from Umeå University that is developing the next generation of fertiliser systems for agriculture, forestry and horticulture. With patented technology that has shown strong results in field trials, the company offers a solution that is both effective and plastic-free – something that benefits both the environment and human health. The founders, led by Jonathan Love, Co-Founder and CEO, say that they have benefited greatly from Umeå University on their journey to a finished product.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/cropcision2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/cropcision2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/cropcision2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/cropcision2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/cropcision2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/cropcision2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Cropcision's Co-Founder, Michael Holmboe, Associate professor at Department of Chemistry at Umeå University, and Jonathan Love, Co-Founder and CEO. Photo: Cropcision</p></div></div><p>"Certainly! My Co-Founder, Michael Holmboe, Associate professor at Department of Chemistry at Umeå University, has been a key in the development of the technology underlying our product. He is also a co-inventor and have enabled access to several University resources, such as X-ray diffraction and other techniques, generating supporting data crucial for the patents."</p><p>"Our ongoing collaboration continues to be productive and brings credibility when communication with external stakeholders and customers."</p><h3>Digitalisation of forestry from SLU</h3><p>Ecotype is a fast-growing spin-off from SLU in Umeå that has quickly become a key player in the digitalisation of forestry. With various digital services, they make forest data available to both the business community and the general public. By combining technology, sustainability and user-friendliness, Ecotype contributes to more transparent and efficient forestry.</p><p>The winner of the University Spin-off of the Year award will be announced at the Umegalan gala on 20 November 2025, and Jonathan Love from Cropcision has the last word with a tip for both students and academics:</p><p>"While I do believe in the serendipity of science, I suggest an entrepreneurial academic start with identifying a large problem and try to find the simplest solution possible rather than trying to fit a solution to a problem. Make sure you understand who your customer is and how your research could potentially help them in concrete ways."</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/och-de-nominerade-spin-off-foretagen-pa-umeagalan-ar_12148709/https://www.umu.se/en/news/eu-invests-in-umea-research--16-projects-tackle-major-societal-challenges_12146879/EU invests in Umeå research – 16 projects tackle major societal challengesHow do environmental toxins affect the brain? Can AI support teachers in the classroom? And how might autonomous machines contribute to a greener industry? Researchers at Umeå University have been awarded over €10 million in EU funding to address some of the most pressing issues of our time.Fri, 24 Oct 2025 09:25:54 +0200<p>Umeå University is participating in 16 new research projects that have collectively received more than €10.2 million – approximately SEK 112 million – through the EU’s 2024 funding calls.</p><p>“This funding strengthens the university’s international research collaborations and highlights how knowledge developed here helps push the boundaries of science,” says Agneta Hånell Plamboeck, head of the Research Support Office at Umeå University.</p><p>Support from programmes such as Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ enables researchers at the university to collaborate with colleagues, companies, and organisations across Europe. Together, they are developing new knowledge – ranging from the tiniest building blocks of life to large-scale innovations that advance health, sustainability, and technology.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/dcf1ee7fe611465fbac5264a581bf01e/marta-bally-5538-250325-mpn6.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/dcf1ee7fe611465fbac5264a581bf01e/marta-bally-5538-250325-mpn6.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/dcf1ee7fe611465fbac5264a581bf01e/marta-bally-5538-250325-mpn6.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/dcf1ee7fe611465fbac5264a581bf01e/marta-bally-5538-250325-mpn6.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/dcf1ee7fe611465fbac5264a581bf01e/marta-bally-5538-250325-mpn6.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/dcf1ee7fe611465fbac5264a581bf01e/marta-bally-5538-250325-mpn6.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>One of the researchers awarded EU funding is Marta Bally at the Department of Clinical Microbiology (to the right, here with postdoc Malgorzata Graul). She investigates the invisible and largely unknown protective layer of our cells, which, when disrupted, may contribute to cancer, autoimmune diseases, and neurodegenerative conditions.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Curious about what the researchers are working on?</h2><p>Click the expandable headings below to explore the projects and discover how Umeå researchers contribute to scientific progress and societal development.<br><br></p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">HORIZON EUROPE</h2><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">Pillar I: Scientific excellence<br><br></h2><h3>European Research Council – Starting Grant</h3><p class="foldable">ARIMETH – tracing methane emissions from Arctic rivers</p><p><strong>Methane is one of the most powerful greenhouse gases – many times stronger than carbon dioxide. Arctic rivers may be a hidden source, but researchers still know little about how these emissions arise and vary. The ARIMETH project aims to fill that gap.</strong></p><p>The team combines field experiments, high-resolution measurements with advanced sensors, isotope analyses, and modelling to understand the processes driving methane’s journey from land to river and into the atmosphere. By linking local studies with pan-Arctic comparisons, the project will develop new models to better predict both present and future emissions.</p><p>The results could offer groundbreaking insights into the Arctic carbon cycle – and reveal whether current climate models have underestimated the role of rivers in global warming.</p><p><strong>Researcher:</strong> <a href="~/link/f7439a65265c41869a7b464e080e2d3b.aspx">Gerard Rocher-Ros</a>, Department of Ecology, Environment and Geoscience<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €1,902,360</p><p class="foldable">MicroIMMUNE – mapping tiny proteins with a big impact</p><p><strong>Our immune system protects us every day – but many of the smallest proteins that regulate its functions remain a mystery. MicroIMMUNE aims to change that.</strong></p><p>Within our DNA are genes that give rise to very small proteins – known as microproteins – which have so far escaped scientific attention. Researchers in MicroIMMUNE are developing new methods to identify these proteins, map where they are found in immune cells, and uncover how they influence immune responses under different conditions.</p><p>By systematically building an atlas of microproteins and their interactions, the project seeks to reveal what has long been hidden. These discoveries could provide entirely new insights into how the immune system works – and pave the way for future treatments, such as antibiotics that mimic microproteins to strengthen the body’s defences against infection.<br><br><strong>Researcher: </strong><a href="~/link/71e2c62213f84c0ba36f9991a428fefc.aspx">Iker Valle Aramburu</a>, Department of Molecular Biology<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €1,500,000</p><h3>European Research Council – Synergy Grant</h3><p class="foldable">RESYDE – re-engineering life’s building blocks</p><p><strong>How does a flower know what shape to take? And why do living organisms develop the forms and patterns we see in nature? RESYDE explores the biological processes that break symmetry in cells and tissues – one of life’s great mysteries.</strong></p><p>The research team uses the plant <em>Arabidopsis</em> as a model. By combining gene analyses, advanced microscopy, experiments that alter protein function, and computational modelling, they study how molecules, signals and mechanical forces guide cell development. Using a virtual “4D cell template”, they can simulate these processes and test hypotheses about how forms arise and change.</p><p>The goal is to achieve a predictive understanding of how organisms develop their shapes. In the long run, this knowledge could be highly valuable for both medicine and agriculture – for example by guiding how tissues are built or how plants grow.</p><p><strong>Researcher:</strong> <a href="~/link/7fa34837022c4fdeb6932a274829a3b0.aspx">Stephan Wenkel</a>, Department of Plant Physiology<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €2,413,756 </p><h3>Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions – Doctoral Networks</h3><p class="foldable">ENGAGE – paving the way for future green and AI-controlled work machines</p><p><strong>Excavators, forestry machines and port cranes are essential to society – but they need to become safer, smarter and more environmentally friendly. ENGAGE trains the next generation of researchers to develop AI-powered mobile work machines for the demands of tomorrow.</strong></p><p>The project brings together European industrial leaders such as Volvo, Bosch and Liebherr with researchers in AI, robotics and physics from universities in Sweden, Finland, Germany and Austria, as well as tech companies like Algoryx. Within this collaborative framework, thirteen doctoral students are being trained in simulation and AI to develop machines that can operate more autonomously, with a lower carbon footprint and improved safety.</p><p>The initiative combines scientific and engineering expertise with practical knowledge of mobile work machines used in construction, agriculture and forestry. In this way, ENGAGE aims to strengthen European industry and make every day working machines a key part of the green transition.</p><p><strong>Researcher:</strong> <a href="~/link/e4bf4710029341f895bd7364fe9c0802.aspx">Martin Servin</a>, Department of Physics<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €108,210</p><p class="foldable">GLYCOCALYX – uncovering the invisible shield of our cells</p><p><strong>Every cell in your body wears a protective "sugar coat" – the glycocalyx. It shields the cell and helps it communicate, yet despite its crucial role in immunity, brain function, and tissue repair, much about it remains unknown.</strong></p><p>The European doctoral network GLYCOCALYX brings together 15 early-career researchers to find out how this delicate layer is built, how it functions, and what happens when it fails. When the system is disrupted, it can contribute to diseases such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, and neurodegeneration. Excessive degradation can also lead to severe infections, sometimes with fatal consequences.</p><p>By combining chemistry, physics, and biology, the researchers are mapping the glycocalyx and developing new tools to make the invisible visible. Their work could pave the way for innovative diagnostic methods and treatments – and provide a deeper understanding of our cells and their invisible shield.</p><p><strong>Researchers:</strong> <a href="~/link/1c0a359d7b484a57887181ad3ee98fab.aspx">Marta Bally</a> and <a href="~/link/b57dd5a6ea894941a99e05b60515339a.aspx">Anne-Marie Fors Connolly</a>, Department of Clinical Microbiology<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €649,260 </p><p class="foldable">MIPrecise – making cancer diagnostics faster and fairer</p><p><strong>Where you live should not determine how quickly you get a cancer diagnosis. MIPrecise aims to develop simple, robust, and eco-friendly tests that can detect cancer earlier – even in smaller clinics – making care more equitable.</strong></p><p>Instead of fragile biological reagents, the researchers use smart plastic molecules, called imprinted polymers. These act as artificial antibodies and can be tailored to recognise biomarkers – molecules in the body that signal cancer. The technology is used to develop tests that are both robust and accurate, and can be applied to liquid biopsies, home testing, and guide to more precise, personalised cancer therapies.</p><p>Within the European doctoral network MIPrecise, early-career researchers receive interdisciplinary training combining materials science, cell analyses, and clinical testing. The goal is to create new diagnostic platforms and contribute to more sustainable cancer diagnostics – benefiting patients, healthcare, and the environment.</p><p><strong>Researcher:</strong> <a href="~/link/ff3d0a52d56a45d8b10cb1301ab338cf.aspx">Jenny Persson</a>, Department of Molecular Biology<br><strong>Funding awarded: </strong>€324,630</p><h3>Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions – Postdoctoral Fellowships</h3><p class="foldable">CORALS – building ultra-fast data technology with light</p><p><strong>Today’s digital technology is both energy-hungry and approaching its speed limits. CORALS explores whether light can replace electricity – potentially paving the way for faster, more energy-efficient computers.</strong></p><p>The project focuses on so-called polaritons, hybrid particles where light and matter interact. These particles can oscillate between light and matter states at extremely high speeds, a phenomenon known as Rabi oscillation. So far, such oscillations have been too short-lived for practical use, but CORALS aims to investigate whether more stable signals can be achieved.</p><p>If successful, the research could lead to optical switches that make computers both much faster and possibly more energy-efficient than today’s devices – and eventually open doors to entirely new forms of quantum and light-based information technology.</p><p><strong>Researchers:</strong> <a href="~/link/873f450f972b440383861538726a54e6.aspx">Ben Johns</a> and <a href="~/link/5ea5c52cb8224f18944630d14e7e799a.aspx">Nicolò Maccaferri</a>, Department of Physics<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €252,180</p><p class="foldable">Cryo-GraPoTSS – revealing how bacteria spread antibiotic resistance</p><p><strong>Antibiotic-resistant bacteria pose an increasing threat to public health. One key reason is that bacteria can transfer resistance genes between each other using tiny protein machines – known as conjugative type 4 secretion systems (T4SS).</strong></p><p>These systems function like microscopic tunnels, passing genes from one bacterium to another. In the Cryo-GraPoTSS project, researchers will for the first time map what these systems look like in Gram-positive bacteria – a group that frequently causes serious hospital-acquired infections. Using cryo-electron microscopy and tomography, they aim to produce high-resolution images of T4SS in Enterococcus faecalis, directly in its natural environment.</p><p>By uncovering how these molecular machines are built and how they work, the researchers hope to identify new targets for antibiotics – a crucial piece of the puzzle in the fight against antibiotic resistance.</p><p><strong>Researchers: </strong><a href="~/link/74c44e57660641bba0b41ffe53be4bd4.aspx">Kieran Deane-Alder</a> and <a href="~/link/a88ab036b4fa4de7877561480f0ae3ba.aspx">Ronnie Berntsson</a>, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €236,340</p><h3>Research infrastructures<br><br></h3><p class="foldable">SoGreen – illuminating the social dimension of the green transition</p><p><strong>The green transition is not only about technology – it also affects how we live, work and build our communities. SoGreen develops methods to study how the social aspects of the transition can help make it fairer and more inclusive.</strong></p><p>By gathering knowledge about people’s living conditions and attitudes, researchers can offer important insights into how the transition impacts different groups in society, depending on factors such as age, income, and other social circumstances. SoGreen is developing a new questionnaire and geospatial data, laying the groundwork for better analysis and decision-making.</p><p>The project aims to give policymakers tools to better understand the social challenges – and to support inclusive policies for a green transition that takes people’s diverse experiences into account.</p><p><strong>Researcher:</strong> <a href="~/link/a748b03f92c348c282f54b65937c4027.aspx">Gunnar Malmberg</a>, Department of Geography<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €29,625</p><h2 id="info3" data-magellan-target="info3">Pillar II: Global challenges and European industrial competitiveness</h2><h3><br>Cluster 1: Health</h3><p class="foldable">EXPOSIGNALZ – investigating the link between pollutants and Alzheimer’s</p><p><strong>Could air pollution and other environmental chemicals contribute to dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease? EXPOSIGNALZ investigates how everyday chemical exposures affect the brain.</strong></p><p>Using laboratory experiments, advanced brain models, and studies in different population groups, the researchers aim to identify which substances are harmful, how they impact the brain over time, and whether they may contribute to disease development.</p><p>The project seeks to develop new biomarkers for early diagnosis and provide policymakers with knowledge and tools to reduce exposure and prevent disease.</p><p><strong>Researcher:</strong> <a href="~/link/32112574837542c9acbb60aedeca3c95.aspx">Anna Oudin</a>, Department of Epidemiology and Global Health<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €475,090</p><h3>Cluster 4: Digital, industry and space</h3><p class="foldable">XSCAVE – developing smart machines for construction and forestry</p><p><strong>Self-driving machines that can understand and adapt to their surroundings – that is the vision of XSCAVE. The project develops AI-solutions designed to make heavy-duty vehicles smarter, more environmentally friendly, and better able to support industries facing labour shortages.</strong></p><p>The researchers combine deep learning with physics-based models and data from machines in operation to create autonomous control systems that are fast and reliable. These systems will be able to adjust movements and navigation to suit both task and terrain – driving, excavating, and loading in loose soil, rocky ground, uneven forest terrain and snow.</p><p>In collaboration with industrial partners such as Algoryx, Komatsu, Novatron, and Toshiba, the technology will be tested in real-world environments. The goal is to create machines that can operate efficiently, safely, and with lower fuel consumption – even without a driver.</p><p><strong>Researcher:</strong> <a href="~/link/e4bf4710029341f895bd7364fe9c0802.aspx">Martin Servin</a>, Department of Physics<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €714,625 </p><h3>Cluster 6: Food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and environment</h3><p class="foldable">ArcticKnows – shaping the future of the Arctic with local knowledge</p><p><strong>How can Arctic communities and Indigenous peoples take an active role in shaping the development of their regions? ArcticKnows brings together researchers, businesses, and local stakeholders to amplify local voices in the transition towards more sustainable and equitable economies.</strong></p><p>The project bridges research, traditional knowledge, and practical work. In close collaboration with local communities, pilot initiatives are being developed in nature-based tourism, small-scale agriculture, and fisheries across Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Greenland. Emphasis is placed on including women and youth, as well as ensuring Indigenous perspectives are represented in decision-making.</p><p>The aim is to pave the way for new approaches where people in the Arctic can shape their own future, and where their knowledge becomes a valuable resource for the global transition.</p><p><strong>Researcher:</strong> <a href="~/link/6f100d6a98684f2da25d15c6c807c513.aspx">Linda Lundmark</a>, Department of Geography<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €363,075</p><p class="foldable">CoCo – aiding coexistence between agriculture and wildlife</p><p><strong>How can farmers and wild animals live alongside each other without constant conflict? CoCo addresses the growing challenges that come with the recovery of large carnivores and other wildlife in Europe.</strong></p><p>The project brings together thousands of farmers, hunters, and landowners across 12 countries. Researchers use collaborative methods – including policy analysis, interviews, field visits, focus groups, and modelling – to explore how people and wildlife can share the landscape, and how different stakeholders’ experiences and values influence decision-making.</p><p>The goal is to develop a “Roadmap for Coexistence” with practical recommendations that reduce conflicts, promote cooperation among stakeholders, and support sustainable, multi-functional landscapes – for both humans and wildlife.</p><p><strong>Researcher:</strong> <a href="~/link/b912ff988f754c4eb82ebec2eb23e87d.aspx">Camilla Sandström</a>, Department of Political Science<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €246,380</p><p class="foldable">FlavourFerm – making plant-based food tastier and more nutritious</p><p><strong>Why don’t more people choose plant-based food? Taste and texture are often the stumbling blocks. The FlavourFerm project aims to change that – by developing fermentation techniques that make green alternatives both tastier and more nutritious.</strong></p><p>The researchers combine traditional methods with modern precision fermentation, programming yeast to produce specific proteins – such as milk proteins without any animal origin. They also use legumes to cultivate fungal mycelium with meat-like properties.</p><p>These new ingredients will be tested in plant-based cheese, meat and milk – and scaled up to pilot and pre-commercial levels in collaboration with food companies across Europe. The goal is to create plant-based food that matches animal-based products in flavour and nutritional value – but is more sustainable for both people and the planet.</p><p><strong>Researchers:</strong> <a href="~/link/0034b495c740417e93862321442afc71.aspx">Armando Perez-Cueto</a>, Department of Food, Nutrition and Culinary Science, and <a href="~/link/4fc80be3f056492eb675ee2202eedb33.aspx">Danielle Wilde</a>, Umeå Institute of Design<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €393,392</p><h2 id="info4" data-magellan-target="info4">OTHER PROGRAMMES</h2><h2 id="info5" data-magellan-target="info5">Erasmus+</h2><p class="foldable">AI2PI – preparing teachers for AI in the classroom</p><p><strong>How can schools and teacher education together respond to societal change brought about by AI tools such as ChatGPT? The AI2PI Teacher Academy develops courses, networks, and practical models to help teachers understand and use AI responsibly.</strong></p><p>Digitalisation is reshaping both how education unfolds, and the skills students will need in the future. Beyond technical know-how, competencies such as critical thinking, collaboration, and empathy are becoming increasingly important – especially as AI technologies enter the classroom.</p><p>To support teachers in navigating this shift, seven universities, schools, and teacher-training organisations across Europe are joining forces. Together, they are developing short course modules (micro-credentials), a shared framework for AI literacy in schools, and communities of practice where educators can exchange experiences.</p><p>The goal is safe, research-informed teaching and learning with a focus on AI – helping young people act responsibly as citizens in a digital society.</p><p><strong>Researcher:</strong> <a href="~/link/7ff58d2ae47a41de84e38f7cff128387.aspx">Maria Rönnlund</a>, Department of Applied Educational Science<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €152,319</p><h2 id="info6" data-magellan-target="info6">Reseach Fund for Coal and Steel (RCFS)</h2><p class="foldable">AUSNANITE – baking stronger and more climate-smart steel</p><p><strong>Steel is one of our most important construction materials, but producing it requires a lot of energy and generates large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂). Now, researchers are testing a new way to make stronger, more climate-friendly steel – by <em>baking</em> it.</strong></p><p>In the AUSNANITE project, the team explores whether the well-established hardening method known as <em>austempering</em> can be combined with a controlled “baking” process to form a new type of ausferritic structure. This structure offers a unique combination of high strength and toughness – properties that make the steel particularly resistant to impact and wear, for example in construction and mining equipment.</p><p>The approach also promises a far more energy-efficient production of bar steel and forgings. Unlike conventional methods, it eliminates the need to reheat the steel a second time, substantially reducing both costs and CO₂ emissions.</p><p>If successful on an industrial scale, even a partial adoption of the process may reduce emissions by hundreds of thousands of tonnes each year. The result could be steel that lasts longer, costs less to produce, and supports Europe’s transition towards a more sustainable and competitive industry.</p><p><strong>Researcher:</strong> <a href="~/link/8dc84e451ed7496e8cfd907388115792.aspx">Richard Larker</a>, Department of Applied Physics and Electronics<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €254,171</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/eu-invests-in-umea-research--16-projects-tackle-major-societal-challenges_12146879/https://www.umu.se/en/news/leads-the-way-tap-marks-international-event_12146623/UID leads the way: tap-marks international eventWhen Umeå Institute of Design hosted the international Cirrus Network Meeting in October, it was not only a moment for regional knowledge exchange in art and design education. It also marked an important step in the university’s sustainability efforts. The event is the first at Umeå University to be officially certified with Kranmärkt.Mon, 20 Oct 2025 16:28:48 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/634092e4477c4db8a0c1bd0fdfbb046d/img_4681_kranmarkt_17.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/634092e4477c4db8a0c1bd0fdfbb046d/img_4681_kranmarkt_17.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/634092e4477c4db8a0c1bd0fdfbb046d/img_4681_kranmarkt_17.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/634092e4477c4db8a0c1bd0fdfbb046d/img_4681_kranmarkt_17.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/634092e4477c4db8a0c1bd0fdfbb046d/img_4681_kranmarkt_17.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/634092e4477c4db8a0c1bd0fdfbb046d/img_4681_kranmarkt_17.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Elin Kolterjahn</span></div></div><p><em>Kranmärkt</em> is a Swedish sustainability label that promotes the use of tap water instead of bottled water. Choosing tap water is a clear environmental choice, as producing and transporting bottled water requires significantly more energy than simply using water from the tap. Through its collaboration with Kranmärkt, developed by Svenskt Vatten, UID aims to show that even small decisions can make a big difference.</p><p>“This initiative is fully in line with our vision of shaping responsible design practices for the future. It’s a tangible way to demonstrate that sustainability runs through our education, research and events,” says Demian Horst, Head of Department at UID.</p><p>The certification is part of UID’s long-term commitment to integrating sustainability across all areas of its operations, including education, research, collaboration and communication.</p><p>“We’re pleased that UID has chosen to certify the event. Umeå has excellent tap water, and through our involvement we want to highlight the value of clean drinking water, one of our most important resources, and the need to use it sustainably,” say Anna-Lena Fomin, Head of Customer and Communications at Vakin.</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/leads-the-way-tap-marks-international-event_12146623/https://www.umu.se/en/news/cirrus-meeting-at-uid-explored-design-through-making_12146394/CIRRUS meeting at UID explored design through makingFrom 8 to 10 October, Umeå Institute of Design hosted the 2025 CIRRUS Network Meeting, welcoming educators, coordinators, workshop leaders and administrators from Nordic-Baltic art and design institutions. The theme, MAKING…, invited participants to reflect on the generative, hands-on nature of design as a way of understanding, shaping and transforming the world.Wed, 15 Oct 2025 08:07:17 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/828a79799297478b9bc33edd3785898b/img_3632-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/828a79799297478b9bc33edd3785898b/img_3632-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/828a79799297478b9bc33edd3785898b/img_3632-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/828a79799297478b9bc33edd3785898b/img_3632-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/828a79799297478b9bc33edd3785898b/img_3632-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/828a79799297478b9bc33edd3785898b/img_3632-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>The CIRRUS Network Meeting saw participants explore the 4D labs at UID under the stewardship of research engineer David Risberg.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Jens Persson</span></div></div><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Keynote: making as a path to sustainability</h2><p>The meeting opened with a keynote by Professor Cindy Kohtala, Programme Director of the MFA in Interaction Design at UID. Her research bridges Design Research and Science & Technology Studies, focusing on how grassroots initiatives such as makerspaces, citizen science and urban activism enable hands-on sustainability and local knowledge sharing. She presented various ways that we can think about 'making' in design, drawing on examples from design practice and sustainability research. Her talk set the tone for a programme centred on collaborative, design-led practices and the transformative potential of making.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Exploring making through practice</h2><p>Over the course of two days, attendees engaged in guided tours, workshops and discussions that explored making from multiple perspectives: as a tool for change, a material practice, and a critical question of purpose and agency. The programme included a visit to Bildmuseet, one of northern Europe's leading venues for international contemporary art, and a tour of UID and the Arts Campus.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/828a79799297478b9bc33edd3785898b/img_3705.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/828a79799297478b9bc33edd3785898b/img_3705.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/828a79799297478b9bc33edd3785898b/img_3705.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/828a79799297478b9bc33edd3785898b/img_3705.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/828a79799297478b9bc33edd3785898b/img_3705.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/828a79799297478b9bc33edd3785898b/img_3705.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Attendees got busy in the UID workshops, fashioning their very own kåsa, a traditional Nordic hand-carved wooden cup.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Jens Persson</span></div></div><p>Thursday’s afternoon workshops offered a range of approaches to the theme. Participants explored hybrid processes in 'Analogue Making and Digitised Workflow', where they crafted their own kåsa, a traditional Nordic hand-carved wooden cup. In 'Making Things from the Future', attendees stepped into a speculative bazaar set in the future, creating imaginative artefacts that reflected visions of climate futures, technological utopias and social transformations. Other sessions discussed global perspectives in 'Making Internationalisation Happen!', examined collaborative research methods in 'Collaborative Sense-Making: Sitting on the Same Side', and focused on colour theory and design judgement in the age of AI.</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">Collaborative making in education</h2><p>On Friday, the network held its formal meeting and board election, followed by a keynote delivered by the UID teaching team. The presentation explored different aspects of making collaborations, offering multiple examples of projects carried out with external partners across the school's educational programmes. These included industry collaborations, public sector engagements and community-based initiatives, highlighting the diverse ways in which making is embedded in UID’s pedagogical approach.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/828a79799297478b9bc33edd3785898b/img_3585.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/828a79799297478b9bc33edd3785898b/img_3585.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/828a79799297478b9bc33edd3785898b/img_3585.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/828a79799297478b9bc33edd3785898b/img_3585.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/828a79799297478b9bc33edd3785898b/img_3585.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/828a79799297478b9bc33edd3785898b/img_3585.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Visitors engaged with the UID research environment, here represented by Heather Wiltse, associate professor in design.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Jens Persson</span></div></div><p>In the afternoon and evening, participants had the opportunity to take part in cultural activities including guided tours of Umeå’s Gendered Landscape, the Museum of Women’s History and the Guitars Museum, as well as a slojd workshop at Västerbotten Museum.</p><h2 id="info3" data-magellan-target="info3">A platform for reflection and imagination</h2><p>The event reflected UID’s ongoing commitment to hands-on, inclusive and forward-thinking design education. It provided a platform for critical reflection, creative exchange and collective imagining, emphasising how the practice of making continues to shape the future of design.</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/cirrus-meeting-at-uid-explored-design-through-making_12146394/https://www.umu.se/en/news/uid-researchers-spark-dialogue-at-nordes-2025-in-oslo_12144963/UID researchers spark dialogue at NORDES 2025 in OsloA vibrant delegation from Umeå Institute of Design contributed to the Nordic Design Research Society (NORDES) conference in Oslo this August, engaging in rich discussions around the theme of relational design.Mon, 06 Oct 2025 13:52:06 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/c6b83db8ba214553840bc91123bdaba5/img_8055_sm_20250808-2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c6b83db8ba214553840bc91123bdaba5/img_8055_sm_20250808-2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c6b83db8ba214553840bc91123bdaba5/img_8055_sm_20250808-2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/c6b83db8ba214553840bc91123bdaba5/img_8055_sm_20250808-2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c6b83db8ba214553840bc91123bdaba5/img_8055_sm_20250808-2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c6b83db8ba214553840bc91123bdaba5/img_8055_sm_20250808-2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>UID at NORDES</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Cindy Kohtala</span></div></div><p>The 11th edition of the NORDES conference brought together design researchers from across the Nordic region and beyond to explore the evolving role of design in a complex and interconnected world.</p><p>UID’s presence was marked by a strong showing of PhD students and faculty members who presented papers and participated in workshops, sparking thoughtful conversations around relationality in design. Their contributions reflected UID’s commitment to inclusive, forward-thinking, and sustainability-driven design research.</p><p>“The whole conference was convivial with many compelling presentations and workshops,” said Cindy Kohtala, Professor in Design for Sustainability. “What we mean by ‘relational’ can be difficult to articulate, and we saw that UID researchers provoked a lot of discussion with their work. Plus it was a great chance to meet old acquaintances from Nordic and non-Nordic universities, as well as get to know new researchers and new work.”</p><p>Associate Professor Ylva Fernaeus echoed the sentiment, highlighting the value of connecting with peers and engaging in critical dialogue that pushes the boundaries of design research.</p><p>As the design research community looks ahead to the mid-21st century, UID remains dedicated to contributing knowledge, practices, and perspectives that support sustainable and transformative futures.</p><h3>Contributing papers from UID at NORDES</h3><ul><li><a href="https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/nordes/nordes2025/researchpapers/7/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reclaiming ‘autonomía(s)’: Governance through design</a> (P. Gil-Salas), </li><li><a href="https://doi.org/10.21606/nordes.2025.39" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Healing through collective textile-making: Crafting objects, places, and communities</a> (L. Yazirlıoğlu, C. Kohtala, H. Wiltse), </li><li><a href="https://doi.org/10.21606/nordes.2025.38" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Co-creating the good life through food-based inquiry</a> (D. Wilde, L. Naqvi, M. Karyda).</li><li><a href="https://doi.org/10.21606/nordes.2025.24" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Activating aesthetics - explorations for shifting design practices</a> (Nilsson, F., Hansen, L.A., and Göransdotter, M.)</li><li><a href="https://doi.org/10.21606/nordes.2025.3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Agonistic Design In Practice: Introducing Agonism to Interaction Design Pedagogy</a> (Collins, R., Acharya, A.T., van Wijland, T., Zhang, H., Redström, J., and Rozendaal, M.C.)</li><li><a href="https://doi.org/10.21606/nordes.2025.2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Is it About Time? On the Meanings of Temporal Representations in Object Art</a> (Ciobanu, P., and Fernaeus, Y.)</li><li><a href="https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/nordes/nordes2025/researchpapers/17/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Poetic engagements with technology: An alternative design space for embracing vulnerable human nature</a> (Lee, Y.S.)</li><li><a href="https://doi.org/10.21606/nordes.2025.18" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Poetic layers: Exploring the aesthetics of bias</a> (Lee, Y.S., and Redstöm, J.)</li><li><a href="https://doi.org/10.21606/nordes.2025.65" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Towards eco-social contracts through an entangled manifestation of digital litter</a> (Özçetin, S., Fernaeus, Y., Özçetin, Ş., and Pschetz, L.)</li><li><a href="https://doi.org/10.21606/nordes.2025.50" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Toying with relations: Speculative toys for children and sustainability</a> (Helms, K., Jääskeläinen, P., Lindberg, S., Sporrong, E., Menon, A., Schalk, M.,and Lampinen, A.)</li><li><a href="https://doi.org/10.21606/nordes.2025.79" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Design briefs after progress</a> (Jönsson, L., Göransdotter, M., Ståhl, Å., Lindström, K., and Laurien, T.)</li><li><a href="https://doi.org/10.21606/nordes.2025.69" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conspiracy Capitaliser: A Tool for Exploring the Intersection of AI, Politics and Profit</a> (Collins, R.)</li></ul>https://www.umu.se/en/news/uid-researchers-spark-dialogue-at-nordes-2025-in-oslo_12144963/https://www.umu.se/en/news/uid-launches-international-bachelors-in-industrial-design_12137626/UID launches international bachelor’s in industrial designUmeå Institute of Design (UID) introduces its bachelor’s programme in industrial design in English, opening doors to international students. Previously offered exclusively in Swedish, this transition marks a significant step towards internationalisation and inclusivity. Applications opened in mid-October 2025.Thu, 27 Nov 2025 10:36:55 +0100<h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Design tomorrow at one of Europe's leading design schools</h2><p>UID is inviting prospective designers to develop their skills within an international, creative environment focused on sustainable design practices. The programme is shaped to take ideas from vision to reality through a creative, people-centred design process. Small class sizes foster a tight-knit community that benefits from cultural diversity and collaborative learning.</p><p>"By offering the programme in English, we have not only expanded our potential student base but also taken the opportunity to reimagine our curriculum. This includes new content such as interaction design, service design, design research, and a strong sustainability perspective, ensuring our students are well-equipped to tackle contemporary design challenges," says Eva-Lena Bäckström, programme director.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Industry-integrated learning experience</h2><p>Students develop their concepts through traditional sketching and prototyping techniques, alongside hands-on experience in well-equipped workshops and digital labs. This combination of theoretical knowledge and practical skills forms the foundation of the UID educational experience.</p><p>A cornerstone of the programme is its practical approach, with students engaging in collaborative projects with business partners, public sector organisations, and authorities. These real-world challenges span diverse areas including digital solutions, medical equipment, and industrial applications. The programme’s strong links with industry, including a ten-week internship, enhance graduates' employability.</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">Exploration and individual pathways</h2><p>The programme embraces a philosophy of exploration, experimentation, and play, allowing students to forge their own paths as designers. Professional industrial designers guide students in developing research-based, norm-critical approaches that challenge existing systems and conventions within the field.</p><p>"We believe in nurturing individuality and critical thinking, enabling our students to become agents of change in the design world," says Per Sihlén, lecturer.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="448294cc-d535-4a1f-af9b-41ae563f5625" data-contentname="BFA ID">{}</div>https://www.umu.se/en/news/uid-launches-international-bachelors-in-industrial-design_12137626/https://www.umu.se/en/news/umu-researchers-represented-in-uarctics-shared-voices-magazine_12109904/UMU researchers represented in UArctic’s "Shared Voices" MagazineEarlier this year, the University of the Arctic (UArctic) published their annual magazine called “Shared Voices” where they share member research and activities related to the circumpolar North. Out the 16 articles, two of them were co-written by researchers at Umeå University.Wed, 11 Jun 2025 16:03:10 +0200<p>UArctic is an organization which gathers universities, colleges, research institutes, and other organisations concerned with education and research in and about the North, with the aim to develop knowledge to address challenges in the Arctic. Umeå University is one of the member institutions. In late 2024, members were asked to share their activities to the next magazine, and among the applications, two were selected from researchers at Umeå University: Ylva Sjöberg and Danielle Wilde.</p><p>Ylva Sjöberg is Associate professor at Department of Ecology and Environmental Science. Her research focuses on how a changing climate and cryosphere impact Arctic water resources at local and regional scales. She co-authored an article for the magazine about the launched PermaIntern project, where the aim is to bridge the gap between universities and real-world permafrost work.</p><p>Danielle Wilde is Professor at Umeå Institute of Design, and Arctic Six Chair. Her expertise lies in embodied design, and ways of knowing, being, and doing. Her research uses participatory, sensory, and co-creative methods to explore how direct engagement with what is at stake can inspire new ways of thinking. Her co-authored article describes a workshop where workers and authorities explored differences and challenges between policies and lived experiences.</p><p>Find more about the articles below.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="77ba9010-6c36-4ce0-b226-9c56aeed7163" data-contentname="Ylvas artikel">{}</div><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="59e31985-22ac-4b5f-8eb4-50da9b3c7219" data-contentname="Danielles artikel">{}</div><p><a href="https://www.uarctic.org/about-us/shared-voices-magazine/shared-voices-2025/">Find the Shared Voices Magazine 2025 here</a></p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="84f026ee-ee79-482c-b0ad-5f72aa1f6e89" data-contentname="Kontakt">{}</div>https://www.umu.se/en/news/umu-researchers-represented-in-uarctics-shared-voices-magazine_12109904/https://www.umu.se/en/news/designing-tomorrow-uid25-highlights-a-new-generation-of-ideas_12103468/Designing tomorrow: UID25 highlights a new generation of ideasOn June 3–4, Umeå Institute of Design presents UID25 | Design Talks & Degree Show, an exhibition of 40 student projects that reflect the evolving role of design in addressing today’s complex challenges. The event serves as both a showcase of creative work and a platform for dialogue about the future of design.Wed, 28 May 2025 11:44:38 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/0d8efe2143994f1699a724fdf2a0e533/02_apd2_jinying_cheng_prototype.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/0d8efe2143994f1699a724fdf2a0e533/02_apd2_jinying_cheng_prototype.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/0d8efe2143994f1699a724fdf2a0e533/02_apd2_jinying_cheng_prototype.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/0d8efe2143994f1699a724fdf2a0e533/02_apd2_jinying_cheng_prototype.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/0d8efe2143994f1699a724fdf2a0e533/02_apd2_jinying_cheng_prototype.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/0d8efe2143994f1699a724fdf2a0e533/02_apd2_jinying_cheng_prototype.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Umeå University</span></div></div><p>This year’s projects span a wide range of themes, including artificial intelligence, sustainable materials, virtual surgical training, and multispecies interaction. The diversity of topics reflects a broader shift in design education toward more socially and environmentally engaged practices.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Exploring new frontiers in design</h2><p>One of the featured projects, Tactile XR Surgical Training by Niklas Andreasen, explores how extended reality can enhance medical education. By combining tactile feedback with immersive digital environments, the project aims to make surgical training both more engaging and more accessible. “I want to enhance immersion for surgeons in training and make their education more accessible,” säger Andreasen. “It’s about creating a more realistic and inclusive learning experience.”</p><p>Another project, Uncommon Senses by Anjuli Acharya, considers how design might support more thoughtful interactions between humans and other species. Acharya challenges the traditional human-centered approach to design and instead proposes environments that foster mutual care and connection. “We’re used to thinking of design in human terms,” säger hon. “But what if we widened that circle to include the more-than-human world?”</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">A platform for critical conversation</h2><p>“UID25 is more than a graduation show,” says Demian Horst, Head of Institute at Umeå Institute of Design. “It is a platform for critical conversation and a celebration of how design can shape more inclusive, sustainable, and aspirational futures.”</p><p>The event includes live talks, physical models, installations, and digital visualizations. Visitors will have the opportunity to engage directly with the students and their work. A preview of the projects is available online in the UID25 Project Gallery.</p><p>As design continues to intersect with technology, ethics, and sustainability, events like UID25 offer a valuable look at how the next generation of designers is preparing to meet the challenges of the future.</p><p>Join the event <a href="/en/umea-institute-of-design/uid25/live-stream/">online</a> on June 3–4 to explore the future of design. Visit the <a href="/en/umea-institute-of-design/uid25/uid25-project-gallery/">UID25 | Project Gallery</a> for a preview already today.</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/designing-tomorrow-uid25-highlights-a-new-generation-of-ideas_12103468/https://www.umu.se/en/news/umeas-creative-heart-beats-extra-fast_12091604/Umeå's creative heart beats extra fastA sure sign of spring is that the Umeå University Arts Campus is coming alive with degree exhibitions and events at Umeå School of Architecture, Umeå Insitute of Design, Umeå Academy of Fine Arts, UmArts and Bildmuseet. Starting on 10 May, a mix of architecture, art and design is on offer with events and exhibitions. Most of them are open to the public, while some are aimed more at the industry, but what they all have in common is that they are of a high standard and well worth a visit.Mon, 12 May 2025 07:52:23 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/1eaf91d5fa97456181ee1a58982d5d66/holmberg-tora-5543-250403-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1eaf91d5fa97456181ee1a58982d5d66/holmberg-tora-5543-250403-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1eaf91d5fa97456181ee1a58982d5d66/holmberg-tora-5543-250403-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/1eaf91d5fa97456181ee1a58982d5d66/holmberg-tora-5543-250403-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1eaf91d5fa97456181ee1a58982d5d66/holmberg-tora-5543-250403-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1eaf91d5fa97456181ee1a58982d5d66/holmberg-tora-5543-250403-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Tora Holmberg, Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University. Photo: Mattias Pettersson.</p></div></div><p>"I look forward to attending as many exhibitions and events as I can and really encourage everyone to take part in as many as possible. I have always been fascinated by how the entire Arts Campus breathes creativity and artistry and since I took over as Vice-Chancellor, I have also realised that the programmes are of the highest quality, which is not least demonstrated by the School of Design, which year after year ends up at the top of the world rankings. Don't miss out on this," says Tora Holmberg, Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University.</p><p>First up this year is the Bachelor of Fine Arts exhibition at Umeå Academy of Fine Arts, which opens on 10 May at 13.00 with Studentkören followed by performances by some of the students and works around the Arts Campus and inside UmArts. The Bachelor's exhibition is titled Reflektor and is open until 26 May. You can read more about it <a href="/en/umea-academy-of-fine-arts/exhibitions/bfa3-2025---reflektor/">here on the School's website</a>. Two of the students' works can be found at UmArts, which also has several events of its own in May and June, please <a href="https://www.umarts.se/programme/">check the UmArts website</a> for all the information.</p><h3>Infinite Proposals at Bildmuseet</h3><p>A definite artistic highlight is, of course, the exhibition of students from the two-year Master's programme - the highest level of education in fine art - at the Bildmuseet. The title of the exhibition, <em>Infinite Proposals</em>, refers to the artistic process, from idea to creation and placement in the world. <em>Infinite Proposals</em> presents works by more than a dozen students and is curated by artist Annika Eriksson, a professor at Umeå Academy of Fine Arts and the students’ principal supervisor. <a href="~/link/7c1cc8254b9742adb0b20e11e1e77906.aspx">Read more about the exhibition on Bildmuseet's website.</a></p><p><em>Infinite Proposals</em> and the evocative exhibition on one of Cuba's most prominent and exciting artists Belkis Ayón (1967-1999) opens with a customary Art Friday on 23 May, <a href="https://www.bildmuseet.umu.se/en/events/art-friday-with-opening_12032572/">read more on Bildmuseet's website</a>.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/1eaf91d5fa97456181ee1a58982d5d66/brita_taljedal2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1eaf91d5fa97456181ee1a58982d5d66/brita_taljedal2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1eaf91d5fa97456181ee1a58982d5d66/brita_taljedal2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/1eaf91d5fa97456181ee1a58982d5d66/brita_taljedal2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1eaf91d5fa97456181ee1a58982d5d66/brita_taljedal2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1eaf91d5fa97456181ee1a58982d5d66/brita_taljedal2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Brita Täljedal, museum curator at Bildmuseet. Photo: Polly Yassin, Bildmuseet.</p></div></div><p>"We are so proud to show Belkis Ayón's monumental works inspired by the Abakuá, a secret Afro-Cuban brotherhood that she explored throughout her artistic career. In her interpretations of their myths, she speaks of belonging, silence, power and resistance, and introduces ideas about the fusion of religions and belief systems. ‘Ayón's iconic works form their own universe of traditions, hierarchies and worldviews and we will offer several lectures around the exhibition later this year," says museum curator Brita Täljedal, one of three curators.</p><p>Umeå School of Architecture and the Umeå Insitute of Design will open their final exhibitions to the public in early June. Umeå School of Architecture's final exhibition on 4-7 June will showcase the graduates' theses from the five-year architecture programme, as well as projects from other years in the School of Architecture's eight different design studios. The opening of the exhibition will take place on 4 June at 15:00, with presentations of a selection of the students' work. <a href="~/link/99f03d5db3994a458abd3156c3de0acd.aspx">Read more on the School of Architecture website.</a></p><h3>Degree Show live for everyone to watch</h3><p>Umeå Insitute of Design's <em>Design Talks & Degree Show - UID25</em> is now an important institution in the global design industry and is broadcast live for those who are not specially invited. However, on 4 June between 13:00-17:00, the entire exhibition inside the Umeå Institute of Design will be open to the public. <a href="/en/umea-institute-of-design/uid25/">Visit Umeå Insitute of Design's collection page</a> and marvel at all the exciting student projects by students from all over the world and, as mentioned, feel free to take part in the open live broadcast of UID25.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/1eaf91d5fa97456181ee1a58982d5d66/horst_demian_1687_220518_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1eaf91d5fa97456181ee1a58982d5d66/horst_demian_1687_220518_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1eaf91d5fa97456181ee1a58982d5d66/horst_demian_1687_220518_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/1eaf91d5fa97456181ee1a58982d5d66/horst_demian_1687_220518_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1eaf91d5fa97456181ee1a58982d5d66/horst_demian_1687_220518_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1eaf91d5fa97456181ee1a58982d5d66/horst_demian_1687_220518_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Demian Horst, Head of Umeå Institute of Design. Photo: Hans Karlsson.</p></div></div><p>"UID25 emphasises the strong values we have around collaboration, people and our planet. Visitors will have the chance to see our students' innovative work that pushes the boundaries of creativity and imagination. The event reflects our globally diverse student body and the school's commitment to creativity grounded in social responsibility," explains Demian Horst, Head of Umeå Institute of Design.</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/umeas-creative-heart-beats-extra-fast_12091604/https://www.umu.se/en/news/arts-campus-hosts-artistic-research-from-around-the-world_12011729/Arts Campus hosts artistic research from around the worldA national symposium on artistic research will bring together over 200 researchers from 26 countries at the Arts Campus. The event is organised by the Swedish Research Council and co-organised by UmArts Research Center at Umeå University. The symposium is a platform for critical and creative dialogue on artistic research and all departments and organisations on the Arts Campus are involved in one way or another in the event, which runs between 4 and 6 December. Mon, 02 Dec 2024 19:08:30 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/0d468ca526414e5d93716cdcf8633a1f/carpenter_eleanor_3264_210920_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/0d468ca526414e5d93716cdcf8633a1f/carpenter_eleanor_3264_210920_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/0d468ca526414e5d93716cdcf8633a1f/carpenter_eleanor_3264_210920_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/0d468ca526414e5d93716cdcf8633a1f/carpenter_eleanor_3264_210920_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/0d468ca526414e5d93716cdcf8633a1f/carpenter_eleanor_3264_210920_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/0d468ca526414e5d93716cdcf8633a1f/carpenter_eleanor_3264_210920_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Ele Carpenter, Professor at Umeå School of Architecture and Director at UmArts. Photo: Mattias Pettersson.</p></div></div><p>“UmArts is the Research Centre for Art, Architecture and Design at Umeå University, established in 2021. We’re supporting interdisciplinary critically engaged practice -based research across: Umeå Academy of Fine Arts, Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå School of Architecture, and Bildmuseet. Now that we are up-and-running with a team of postdocs and Small Visionary Projects, we thought it would be good to invite people involved in artistic research to come and think about some important questions with us.”, says Ele Carpenter, Professor at Umeå School of Architecture and Director at UmArts.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/0d468ca526414e5d93716cdcf8633a1f/vr_2022_maria_h2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/0d468ca526414e5d93716cdcf8633a1f/vr_2022_maria_h2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/0d468ca526414e5d93716cdcf8633a1f/vr_2022_maria_h2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/0d468ca526414e5d93716cdcf8633a1f/vr_2022_maria_h2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/0d468ca526414e5d93716cdcf8633a1f/vr_2022_maria_h2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/0d468ca526414e5d93716cdcf8633a1f/vr_2022_maria_h2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Maria Hellström Reimer, scientific adviser with special responsibility for artistic research at the Swedish Research Council. Photo: Swedish Research Council.</p></div></div><p>“When it comes to artistic research, Umeå and the artistic campus is a very exciting national environment. By co-organising the symposium, we can work together to strengthen curiosity-driven and method-developing research and make its diversity visible,” says Maria Hellström Reimer, scientific adviser with special responsibility for artistic research at the Swedish Research Council, which is responsible for the event.</p><h3>Hundreds of researchers from around the world</h3><p>The extensive programme is a mix of keynotes, panel debates and installations. The welcome address, keynotes and plenary sessions will be live streamed on the university website <a href="/live">www.umu.se/live</a>. </p><p>“The large turnout is no coincidence.There is a lot of focused and passionate work behind it, especially in the development of an inclusive structure with room for many voices and many burning topics. UmArts has also succeeded in bringing together the artistically orientated forces within the university and in a short time managed to build a strong research environment and a great commitment to artistic basic research,” says Maria Hellström Reimer.</p><h3>Actual and metaphorical hurricanes</h3><p>The symposium explores the dynamic interplay between more-than-human forces and culturally resilient structures. The inspiration for the symposium's name - Hurricanes and Scaffolding - comes from American art critic, curator and writer Nora N. Khan's essay ‘Towards a Poetics of Artificial Super Intelligence’.</p><p>“The theme of the symposium is hurricanes and scaffolding, exploring the dynamic interplay between more-than-human forces and culturally resilient structures. There are many hurricanes looming; actual and metaphorical; from Artificial Super Intelligence to tsunami’s, winds, fires and flooding; to the Atlantic meridional collapse of climate crisis; and the catastrophe of war and genocide;  and we need creative strategies and tactics for dealing with these increasingly commonplace challenges.”, explains Ele Carpenter.</p><p>“Which brings us to the concept of scaffolding – improvising temporary structures and infrastructures for building resilience, building back better, creating the communities we want to live in, to support us to be good humans in a multispecies environment. Our scaffolding should be critical and creative, and open up new spaces for the political imaginary – to imagine things otherwise.”</p><p>Hurricanes and Scaffolding - Symposium on Artistic Research 2024 takes place between 4 and 6 December and <a href="~/link/7543563ea2594cb18530be933146d268.aspx">here is the full programme</a>. The welcome address, keynotes and plenary sessions will be live streamed on the university website <a href="/live">www.umu.se/live</a>. </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/0d468ca526414e5d93716cdcf8633a1f/umarts_1920x10804.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/0d468ca526414e5d93716cdcf8633a1f/umarts_1920x10804.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/0d468ca526414e5d93716cdcf8633a1f/umarts_1920x10804.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/0d468ca526414e5d93716cdcf8633a1f/umarts_1920x10804.png?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/0d468ca526414e5d93716cdcf8633a1f/umarts_1920x10804.png?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/0d468ca526414e5d93716cdcf8633a1f/umarts_1920x10804.png?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Illustration made for the symposium by Ida Åberg.</p></div></div>https://www.umu.se/en/news/arts-campus-hosts-artistic-research-from-around-the-world_12011729/https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-institute-of-design-tops-red-dot-design-ranking-for-9th-year_11995115/Umeå Institute of Design Tops Red Dot Design ranking for 9th yearUmeå Institute of Design (UID) at Umeå University has once again secured top spot on the Red Dot Design Ranking. This achievement marks nine consecutive years that UID has led the rankings, underscoring the school’s leading position in design education on the international stage.Wed, 16 Oct 2024 15:01:01 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/img_3823-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/img_3823-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/img_3823-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/img_3823-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/img_3823-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/img_3823-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Yuchen Lan, during the development of ’Moii’, her Red Dot-winning winning project helping adolescents suffering from cystic fibrosis.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Yuchen Lan </span></div></div><p>The Red Dot Design Ranking tracks and measures the success of an organisation in producing exciting new design concepts. Universities are exclusively evaluated based on the merit of design projects executed by their students. This year, UID’s winning student projects highlight a diverse range of innovative designs – from smart police body cams to a training kit for people suffering from cystic fibrosis to the next generation of products in maritime cargo security.</p><p>“Achieving the top position once again highlights the exceptional accomplishments of our students and the quality of our teaching team supporting them,” says Demian Horst, Head of Umeå Institute of Design. “We are incredibly fortunate to cultivate such a diverse and talented group. Our goal remains to educate designers who are responsible, highly skilled and ready to tackle future challenges." </p><p class="quote-left">Achieving the top position once again highlights the exceptional accomplishments of our students and the quality of our teaching team supporting them</p><h3>The smart body camera for tomorrow’s law enforcement</h3><p>One of the winning projects from Umeå is C3-ID, a groundbreaking body camera designed to enhance roadside police interventions, created by Gerado Soler and Ellis Walker. In typical traffic stops, officers manage multiple tools and tasks, from checking licenses to assisting injured individuals, often leading to stress and mistakes. The C3-ID addresses these challenges with its four main features: 3D scanning, distance measuring, ID verification, as well as video and audio capturing. This easy-to-use, yet advanced tool, allows officers to focus on the people they serve rather than their equipment.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24234615-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24234615-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24234615-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24234615-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24234615-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24234615-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>The C3-ID body camera is a revolutionary device aimed at improving roadside police interventions.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Gerado Soler & Ellis Walker</span></div></div><p>“Juggling numerous tools, coupled with the perpetual stress of their environments, presents a significant challenge for officers in maintaining focus and effectively managing situations. In conversations with police officers during our research phase, we realised that we needed to design a product that helps officers and civilians communicate in a safe and open way”, says Gerardo Soler.</p><h3>Empowering youth with respiratory illness</h3><p>Inspired by the opportunity to make positive change, Red Dot winning student Yuchen Lan designed a motivational training kit for young people suffering from cystic fibrosis. By targeting patients during young adulthood, when they normally start to manage treatments themselves, she is hoping to get patients motivated about their daily treatment.</p><p>”Cystic fibrosis is a rare disease where patients are diagnosed from birth. The people suffering from it have a shortened life span, and their daily needs revolve around essential treatments for maintaining lung function. I chose this topic because I hope I can make their lives a little more colourful”, says Yuchen Lan.</p><p>Yuchen’s final concept, Moii, is a progressive “Airway Clearance Therapy” training kit, training adolescents to complete their home therapy more effectively, and gradually freeing them from cumbersome equipment. The kit comprises three key components: modular breathing devices for airflow detection, a chest mobility wearable, and an intuitive mobile application.</p><h3>A game-changer for safe and efficient maritime cargo operations</h3><p>FLIR-TS, a project by students Niklas Andreasen, Ellis Walker and Silvester Kössler, won the prestigious “Best of the Best” award at the Red Dot ceremony. Their innovative clamping device addresses a critical issue in the maritime cargo industry: the lack of real-time feedback on container lashings. Improper lashing can lead to accidents and losses, posing severe safety and environmental threats. FLIR-TS enhances maritime cargo security by providing real-time tension monitoring, offering timely warnings of loosening through LED indicators and remote feedback.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24335012-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24335012-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24335012-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24335012-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24335012-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24335012-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>FLIR-TS is a pioneering clamping device that tackles the absence of real-time feedback on container lashings, thereby minimizing the risk of pollution from lost cargo and vessel damage.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Ellis Walker, Silvester Kössler & Niklas Andreasen</span></div></div><p>“By turning this previously invisible aspect of cargo safety into precise, reliable, and actionable real-time data, we want to enhance maritime safety, reducing the risk of pollution from lost cargo and damaged vessels, as well as promoting responsible and resource-saving shipping practices.”, says Silvester Kössler.</p><p>In an effort to bring the product to market, the three young designers now hope to team up with specialists to build a functional prototype from cast steel and test its operations under laboratory conditions. </p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="0ec2e1c5-7570-424c-afbb-f2f974f6b0a6" data-contentname="ABOUT Red Dot Design ranking">{}</div><p><a title="Read more about education at Umeå Institute of Design" href="/en/umea-institute-of-design/education/">Read more about education at Umeå Institute of Design</a></p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-institute-of-design-tops-red-dot-design-ranking-for-9th-year_11995115/https://www.umu.se/en/news/feminist-design-strategies-for-transforming-design-museums_11987782/Feminist design strategies for transforming design museumsIn a world where design is often celebrated for its role in advancing humanity, it is important to also question this narrative through a critical lens. In her doctoral thesis, Anja Neidhardt-Mokoena investigates the role design has played in sustaining discriminatory and patriarchal systems. Through an intersectional feminist perspective, she explores how design museums can help us rethink and improve design to be more sustainable and fair. Mon, 23 Sep 2024 13:15:52 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/6f5b5f7b443140d2a8eb9373e82586ba/anja22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/6f5b5f7b443140d2a8eb9373e82586ba/anja22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/6f5b5f7b443140d2a8eb9373e82586ba/anja22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/6f5b5f7b443140d2a8eb9373e82586ba/anja22.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/6f5b5f7b443140d2a8eb9373e82586ba/anja22.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/6f5b5f7b443140d2a8eb9373e82586ba/anja22.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Anja Neidhardt-Mokoena has been studying design museums.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Jens Persson</span></div></div><p>The research of Neidhardt-Mokoena, a doctoral candidate at Umeå Institute of Design and the Gender Research School (Umeå Centre for Gender Studies) at Umeå University, highlights the uncomfortable truth that design is part of reproducing systems of oppression that contribute to environmental degradation and discrimination based on race and gender. Cars, for example, are primarily designed and tested using crash test dummies based on male bodies, making women 47 percent more likely to be seriously injured. Trousers for women often lack adequate pockets, limiting access to essential items like keys, money, or a phone. Speaking of the phone, the production of aesthetically pleasing and functional smartphones often involves environmentally harmful mining and exploitation of labour.</p><p class="quote-center">Design museums can support design to move towards more justice.</p><p>Despite these issues, design is usually celebrated uncritically in museums. The story often centres around the single star designer – typically a white, heterosexual, able-bodied man – whose shiny objects are displayed with a focus on aesthetics rather than societal impact. Neidhardt-Mokoena argues that design museums – which hold a prominent status in pop culture, politics, and the industry – could actually facilitate critical dialogue on design’s role and lead to more just design practices.</p><p>“Design museums can support design to move towards more justice. However, they too need to change. Currently they tend to preserve dominant and problematic narratives and definitions of design. In my thesis, I develop feminist design strategies that can start such processes of transformation”, says Anja Neidhardt-Mokoena.</p><p>Neidhardt-Mokoena’s research is based on museum visits, hosting participatory design workshops, consulting literature about activist spaces and social movements, and conducting visual analysis. Through these methods, she provides analysis and understanding into how design and its museums reproduce systems of oppression. In addition, the approaches employed by Neidhardt-Mokoena contribute towards activism in the field of design, proposing strategies for how design could be redesigned so that it can better contribute to the development of more just futures.</p><p>In her thesis, Neidhardt-Mokoena shows that much can be learnt from community archives and activist spaces. These are places where people and material come together at the heart of social justice movements. They make alternative histories accessible, and with this enable new ways of dealing with the present as well as envisioning different, better futures.</p><p>The feminist design strategies developed by Neidhardt-Mokoena are envisioned to spark transformational processes in design museums. However, she believes that they can also be applied towards initiating change in other design institutions such as design schools, hoping to support developments towards more equitable and just futures.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="a248bdf2-82bd-4e7a-8440-7f3438f9102c" data-contentname="About the dissertation">{}</div>https://www.umu.se/en/news/feminist-design-strategies-for-transforming-design-museums_11987782/https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-universitys-arctic-five-chairs-announced_11958405/Umeå University's Arctic Five Chairs AnnouncedThe Arctic Centre is proud to present Umeå University's new Arctic Five Chairs for 2024–2026. Through the Chairs program, five distinguished researchers will have the opportunity to develop transnational collaborations and new research projects that will benefit both the university and its partners.Wed, 19 Jun 2024 14:47:24 +0200<p>These five researchers represent a diversity of disciplines and research areas, from political science and design to ecology and food science. Once again, having chairs from several different faculties reinforces the idea that the Arctic is an issue that affects all parts of society.</p><p>Their work will promote new research, strengthen interdisciplinary collaborations, and contribute solutions to the Arctic's critical challenges. Through the Arctic Five Chairs initiative, Umeå University continues to lead the way in building bridges between research and society for a sustainable future in the Arctic region.</p><h3>Researchers and Projects</h3><p><strong>Niklas Eklund, Professor</strong> at the Department of Political Science, will focus on the civil-military relationship in the Arctic and analyse intersections between defence, trade, and climate-related security issues. His research aims to increase policy relevance and build interdisciplinary collaborations within the Arctic Five network.<br> <br><strong>Danielle Wilde, Professor</strong> at the Umeå Institute of Design, will lead a project on Arctic food citizenship. Her work emphasises environmental food citizenship and the integration of Indigenous ontologies to address climate change and sustainable food practices in the Arctic.<br> <br><strong>Björn Norlin, Associate Professor</strong> at the Department of Education, strives to strengthen the inclusion of Sami knowledge in teacher education in northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland. His project will develop a research network to support teacher education on Indigenous themes.<br> <br><strong>Armando Perez-Cueto, Professor</strong> at the Department of Food, Nutrition and Culinary Science, will conduct research on sustainable food transitions in the Arctic. His work focuses on promoting resilient food systems and dietary shifts with lower carbon footprints while respecting traditional Arctic food sources.<br> <br><strong>Daniel Metcalfe, Professor</strong> at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, will investigate ways to improve the monitoring of carbon storage in northern forests. His research will address the effects of climate change on carbon storage and cycling in northern forests, aiming to improve global climate change models.<br> <br>The Arctic Five Chairs program, a core activity of the Arctic Centre, is a vital enabler of international collaboration. By supporting these researchers, the program strengthens Umeå University's role in addressing critical Arctic issues, promoting innovation, and increasing interdisciplinary research efforts across the Arctic Five universities.</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-universitys-arctic-five-chairs-announced_11958405/https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-university-is-highly-represented-at-arctic-congress-2024_11957006/Umeå University is highly represented at Arctic Congress 2024Between 29 May and 3 June, the Arctic Congress 2024 was held in Bodø, Norway. The congress covered all sorts of research areas regarding the Arctic, and consisted of sessions, panels, discussions and receptions. It gathered researchers from all over the world, and not least many researchers from Umeå University, who covered a wide area of research fields and presented their research at the many sessions.Fri, 14 Jun 2024 16:12:06 +0200<p>Umeå University is an Arctic university, standing on traditional Sámi land, and has a wide range of Arctic-related research and education. At the congress, Umeå University researchers of all degrees were presenting their research within many different research areas. Some of the areas covered were Education, Health Care, Well-being, Medicine, Food Systems, Art, and Research Collaboration.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="1ddc9395-4cc9-4b9d-a9c6-e8a44d8c2860" data-contentname="PIC AC2024 RT">{}</div><p>Among the sessions, three researchers from Umeå University were hosting and presenting at a session about Occupational Medicine. Associate Professor and Arctic Five Fellow Albin Stjernbrandt talked about how cold exposure and hand-arm vibration may contribute to the development of Raynaud’s phenomenon. This has been examined through surveys of 5000 subjects who work outdoors in cold environments with vibrating tools. At the same session, Doctoral student Rebecca Tapper presented her research where she has conducted a scoping review to examine current knowledge on working in cold environments, as well as differences between sexes. Convener of the session was Hans Pettersson, Research fellow and Arctic Five Chair. All three work at the Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine at Umeå University.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="1df76cea-ecf4-4960-b377-23ad0594bfbf" data-contentname="PIC AC 2024 MZ">{}</div><p>Among other researchers holding sessions were Danielle Wilde from Umeå Institute of Design, Lennart Sauer from the Department of Social Work, and Magnus Zingmark from the Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation. Among the conveners were Postdoctoral Fellow and Arctic Five Fellow Audrey Schillings, Professor Peter Sköld and the University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor Dieter Müller. Apart from researchers holding sessions, representatives from the Arctic Centre were also present at the Congress to tie connections, present new reports from the Centre’s report series, and represent Umeå University at the connected UArctic Assembly.</p><p>The Congress really highlighted the width of the Arctic, its people, and its researchers all over the world conducting research of Arctic relevance throughout all research fields. As Sweden’s Arctic University, Umeå University is proud to have such great researchers representing both the University and the future of the Arctic!</p><p>The Arctic Congress 2024 was held in Bodø, Norway, and organised by Nord University, together with Nordlandsforskning AS - Nordland Research Institute and the conferences IASSA, UArctic (University of the Arctic) and High North Dialogue.</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-university-is-highly-represented-at-arctic-congress-2024_11957006/https://www.umu.se/en/news/democratised-ai-and-low-cost-prosthetics-at-uid24_11945322/Democratised AI and low-cost prosthetics at UID24On 28 May, a new crop of young designers reveal their 40-plus design concepts to the world. At UID24 | Design Talks & Degree Show, an intriguing collection of innovations – ranging from farming tools in the age of climate change, to youth activism in the digital realm, to tactile music listening – will be unveiled.Thu, 23 May 2024 07:30:06 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Heinrich Zaunschirm’s design project explores low-cost DIY technologies for a new generation of accessible and functional prosthetics.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Heinrich Zaunschirm</span></div></div><p>Take a step into the future as budding designers share their visions for a better tomorrow. At UID24, graduating students present their degree projects during a live-streamed show at Umeå Institute of Design (UID). The event sees students give bite-size talks on stage, unveiling their projects via 3D models and digital visualisations. The evening exhibition allows participants to engage with students and further explore their visions through physical models, installations, and video expositions. Already today, you can get a sneak peek of the projects in the UID24 | Project Gallery.</p><p>"This year’s event exposes the pivotal design challenges our students have committed to explore during the final moments of their education at UID. Our guests, both in-person and online, will experience innovative projects that push the boundaries of care, for people and planet. It is with immense pride that we exhibit their original proposals looking at the complex issues that confront us today", says Demian Horst, Head of Institute.</p><p class="quote-center">Our guests will experience innovative projects that push the boundaries of care, for people and planet.</p><p>The theme for UID24 is 'synergies'. The sentiment emanated from the students themselves and reflects the school’s collaborative atmosphere, the cross-pollination of ideas, and the interconnectedness of design ecosystems. Throughout this spring semester, the student design studios at UID have become laboratories for playful exploration and experimentation.</p><p>The projects showcased during UID24 delve into societal transformation, tackling both social and environmental challenges head-on. Prepare to have your curiosity piqued by a diverse range of captivating concepts, including a vehicle supporting new lifestyles in harsh environments, democratised AI services, as well as examining taboos surrounding menstruation in the military.</p><p>Heinrich Zaunschirm, graduating from the MFA Programme in Advanced Product Design, looked at how low-cost DIY technologies might kick off a new generation of accessible and functional prosthetics.</p><p>"I have investigated how recent developments in technology, new 3D printing methods for example, could help create prostheses that offer higher user benefits while making them more accessible. I believe that this could be achieved by creating simpler, more versatile devices that focus on practicability, comfort and individualisation", says Heinrich Zaunschirm.</p><p>Year after year, Umeå Institute of Design draw a diverse student body, culturally and geographically. The school’s extensive network of partners in research, industry, and civil society contributes to the grad show’s reputation as a birthplace for emerging design trends and a forum for forward-thinking design discourse. During UID24, global industry giants like Apple, Honda, Cisco, Philips, and Bang & Olufsen converge in Umeå to build upon student partnerships, look at project showcases, and scout for future design talent.</p><p><strong>UID24 | Design Talks & Degree Show, May 28–29</strong></p><p><a href="/en/umea-institute-of-design/uid24/uid24-project-gallery/">UID24 | Project Gallery</a></p><p><a href="/en/umea-institute-of-design/uid24/event-broadcast/">UID24 | Live Stream</a></p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/democratised-ai-and-low-cost-prosthetics-at-uid24_11945322/https://www.umu.se/en/news/karey-helms-returns-to-uid-as-associate-professor-of-design_11920272/Karey Helms Returns to UIDIn a exciting development, Karey Helms, alumna of the MFA Interaction Design Programme, has returned to Umeå Institute of Design (UID) as an Associate Professor of Design.Thu, 04 Apr 2024 14:32:13 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/50b200101ddd4a1db6923bd21d886328/karey_helms_portrait.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/50b200101ddd4a1db6923bd21d886328/karey_helms_portrait.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/50b200101ddd4a1db6923bd21d886328/karey_helms_portrait.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/50b200101ddd4a1db6923bd21d886328/karey_helms_portrait.png?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/50b200101ddd4a1db6923bd21d886328/karey_helms_portrait.png?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/50b200101ddd4a1db6923bd21d886328/karey_helms_portrait.png?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div></div><p>Helms, who has made significant contributions to the field of design, expressed her excitement about rejoining the UID community. “I’m flooded with such wonderful memories and already again feel the incredible support, energy, and creativity that has brought me back. I’m very much looking forward to reconnecting with familiar faces and getting to know new people and ideas,” she said.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Merging ethics and innovation in design</h2><p>Helms’ research is rooted in care ethics and more-than-human theories of collaborative survival. Her work primarily focuses on children’s relations with nature and explores new roles of technology for multi-species flourishing.</p><p>She has a passion for “living” materials and their potential in design. These materials, which blur the boundaries between the organic and the digital, breathe life into our creations.</p><p>In her design practice, Helms embraces performative and experimental methods. She believes that innovation thrives when we step outside our comfort zones and push the boundaries of what’s possible.</p><p>Ethics are at the core of her practice. She advocates for responsible design that considers the impact on people, the environment, and society as a whole.</p><p>With Karey Helms’ return, UID continues to foster an environment that encourages innovation, creativity, and ethical design practices.</p><p> </p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/karey-helms-returns-to-uid-as-associate-professor-of-design_11920272/https://www.umu.se/en/news/designing-for-robots-in-the-home-of-future_11845165/Designing for robots in the home of futureFor the sixth year running, students from Umeå Institute of Design have collaborated with Electrolux Group to develop product ideas for the home of the future. Their mission? To envision household appliances where robots to do the heavy lifting.Mon, 23 Oct 2023 00:06:38 +0200<p>The students, from the MFA Programme in Advanced Product Design, embarked on a creative journey where they were challenged to completely re-imagine the design landscape for appliances. In this bold new world, the robot becomes the primary force behind tasks like cleaning, cooking, dishwashing, and laundry, with humans serving as secondary participants.</p><p>“The level of storytelling by the students is pushing us to do better,” says Martin Alexanderson, Senior Design Manager, CX Product Line Wellbeing. “This partnership is not all about us sharing our experience and expertise – we are learning a lot from these talented students as we look into the future together.”</p><p>The final concepts encompass an array of innovations designed to meet the needs of a wide-ranging consumer base. From addressing the challenges faced by the visually impaired to accommodating the lifestyle of an elderly couple with limited mobility, as well as providing solutions for the elderly living alone. In collaboration with their partners at Electrolux, students pushed the boundaries of appliance design in a new world where robots are our trusted domestic companions.</p><p>“As we look to the future, we know that robots will play a greater role in all our lives. And that provides a fascinating opportunity to explore how we could design home appliances for personal robots to use to help consumers who face challenges,” says Thomas Johansson, Design Director, Dish Care, Business Area Europe, Electrolux Group. “We were pleased that the students’ ideas solved challenges faced by their target user but were also solutions that a wide variety of consumers would appreciate and even enjoy.”</p><p>Previous themes from the UID-Electrolux collaboration included designs for: single people living in small spaces (2022), multi-generational homes (2021), and the “new normal ” post-COVID world (2020).</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0"><strong>The student design concepts</strong></h2><p><strong>Tray flex assist</strong> is a dishwashing solution for a robot assisting a blind consumer. The robot carries dishes, glassware and cutlery to and from the table in trays with a handle at the top.</p><p>The trays – in high-contrast colors for those with partial sight – can be placed directly into the drawer-style dishwasher. The dishwasher, which is voice-operated, features an opening for the robot to place its hand to be washed by a silicone brush.</p><p><strong>Senti</strong> envisions the robot vacuuming difficult-to-reach areas for the elderly, who would clean together with the robot in their home as a way of staying active.</p><p>The robot lifts the vacuum and attachments from a docking station, and cleans according to instructions via the app. The robot returns the vacuum to its docking station, emptying the dust and cleaning the attachments.</p><p><strong>Atmos</strong> aims to reduce the dangers and ease the process of cooking using a robot assisting a blind consumer. The team designed a cooktop with a set of holes in the top to release steam or heat – but only when one of the custom pots is placed above it.</p><p>Steaming and airfrying are possible on the cooktop. The rectangular pots feature four high-contrast colors as well as tactile markings. The robot also delivers them to the table and back again. The consumer can operate everything via voice commands.</p><p><strong>Autocare </strong>is a compact laundry solution allowing a robot to help an older person living alone. The team designed a laundry basket with compartments and wheels, which the robot pulls over to the washing machine, embedded in the kitchen furniture at (human) waist height.</p><p>The drum pops out of the wall, and the robot places the clothing items in the top. The drum pops back in and displays the time remaining in large numbers glowing on its front. When the cycle finishes, the drum pops out, a drawer underneath opens, and the laundry drops out into the drawer. The robot can help take clothes to be hung to dry.</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/designing-for-robots-in-the-home-of-future_11845165/https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-institute-of-design-secures-top-spot-on-red-dot-ranking_11838074/Umeå Institute of Design secures top spot on Red Dot RankingUmeå Institute of Design (UID) has once again clinched top position on the prestigious Red Dot Ranking. With an impressive streak of eight consecutive years at the helm, UID's design education continues to make its mark on the international stage.Thu, 05 Oct 2023 09:00:12 +0200<p>The Red Dot Design Ranking assesses the performance of universities based on the merit of the design projects executed by their students over the past five years. This year, UID's winning student projects showcase a diverse range of designs, from an AI-powered streaming kit to a menstrual well-being assistant.</p><p>"Securing the top position is more than anything a real testament to the remarkable achievements of our students and the quality of their education," says Demian Horst, Head of Umeå Institute of Design. "We are truly privileged to get to nurture such a rich pool of talent. Our ambition continues to be to develop designers who are responsible, eager and well prepared to confront the challenges of the future. Their creative voices and powerful ideas seem to suggest that”.</p><p class="quote-left">Securing the top position is more than anything a real testament to the remarkable achievements of our students</p><h3>Innovative student project tackles menstrual health</h3><p>One of the winning projects this year is Yuchen Lan’s Orbi, a personalized concept allowing women to better manage menstrual cycles, leading to better health while also reducing the overuse of menstrual supplies. On average, a woman will experience approximately 450 menstrual cycles in her lifetime, amounting to a substantial ten-year duration dedicated to this natural biological process. Consequently, there is a growing consensus that menstrual wellness warrants greater recognition and emphasis.</p><p>“Menstruation is a very personal issue. Each woman's cycle, use, and needs are different. Therefore, 'Orbi' is designed to be completely personal. By allowing the user to record usage rates for the first three cycles, 'Orbi' obtains individual data and establishes a schedule tailor-made for the user”, says Yuchen Lan.</p><p>Orbi introduces a holistic system that integrates a user-friendly mobile application with innovative hygiene containers. Its primary objective is to carefully assess the user's menstrual status, leveraging scientific principles to calculate a personalized menstrual schedule, and deliver timely reminders. Furthermore, Orbi notifies the user when abnormalities or unusual blood levels are detected, making it easier to communicate issues with one’s gynaecologist.</p><h3>Portable streaming kit connects creators and viewers</h3><p>With the surging popularity of live streaming, Red Dot winning students Adrian Heymann and Tian Yuan saw an opportunity to explore concepts that could help bridge the gap between streamers and viewers. Their final design, Airo, is as a portable, wirelessly connected streaming system, empowering creators to share their narratives from virtually any location.</p><p>“We always wanted to create an easy-to-use product that can suit novice streamers as well as professionals. The end goal has been to foster deeper connections between content creators and their audiences”, says Adrian Heymann.</p><p>Through digital motion tracking, Airo enables streamers to maintain their focus on the action, while the connected stream app empowers viewers to select and control their preferred perspectives. Multiple audio and camera modules are seamlessly integrated into the setup, allowing Airo to effortlessly transition between different views, generating camera movements that would traditionally necessitate a manual operator. Utilizing smart technologies, for example machine learning eye tracking, constant eye contact during streaming could be achieved between streamers and guests.</p><p>“Winning a Red Dot is not only a powerful recognition towards the design concept itself, but also meaning the created design idea could be seen and shared globally among all the talented designers to spark more creative ideas, and in the end make our life better”, says Adrian Heymann.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="83321e99-7d46-45ca-8394-0c741b086895" data-contentname="ABOUT Red Dot Ranking">{}</div><p> </p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-institute-of-design-secures-top-spot-on-red-dot-ranking_11838074/https://www.umu.se/en/news/a-scientific-day-on-sustainable-food-systems-in-the-arctic_11807414/A Scientific Day on Sustainable Food Systems in the ArcticThe first ever Scientific Day on “Sustainable Food Systems in the Arctic” was held at Ljusgården, sponsored by the Arctic Centre and UTRI.Wed, 27 Sep 2023 09:55:12 +0200<p><strong>The event was the result of a fruitful collaboration between Department of Food, Nutrition and Culinary Science and Umeå Institute of Design. </strong></p><p>Professor Armando Perez-Cueto is a Professor at the Department of Food, Nutrition and Culinary Science at Umeå University, and an associated researcher at the Arctic Centre. He applied for funding from the Arctic Centre’s strategic funds for the event “<a href="~/link/0d0285ae1fe8451d8c95139aeff8197c.aspx">Sustainable Food Systems in the Arctic</a>” and was granted. He was one of the co-organisers, and the first one out to talk at the event. He describes what his talk was about.</p><p>– As one of the co-organisers, I underscored the urgency for changing the food system, and outlined the areas of work, and invited all to join the transformation.</p><p>He then proceeds to explain the setup of the event.</p><p>– The program was divided in four blocks, starting and closing with the co-organisers. The first focused on the research at Department of Food, Nutrition and Culinary Science and the overarching arena of food research in the Arctic, the second focused on indigenous peoples’ food systems, the third on national and international food research, and the fourth on the research at Umeå Institute of Design.</p><p>Apart from Professor Armando Perez-Cueto, there were ten other researchers from all over the world talking at the event, as well as four current PhD students.</p><p>– First Elisabeth Stoltz Sjöström presented the new National Graduate School InSyNc. Then four current PhD students shared the progress of their work that bear witness to the diversity and multi-disciplinary approach taken by the Department. Anna-Karin Karlsson from RISE then explained the vision for food-related research in Arctic, with emphasis on the current innovative projects. Hanna Tait Neufeld from the University of Waterloo shared her experience in Canada with the complexity of urban indigenous food environments. After her, Beno Juarez shared his experience of effective action accompanied by a film.</p><p>After a sustainable lunch at Restaurant Hjortron, the event continued with five more guest speakers who shared their insights on the food arena.</p><p>– Agnes Giboreau spoke about the role of the senses and food enjoyment in transitioning towards healthy and sustainable eating behaviours. Cornelia Redeker then showed strategies for design roles on food security in Umeå and surroundings. After her, Maria Wennberg shared the gem that is the Northen Sweden Diet Database and its potential for monitoring diet changes. She was followed by Lena Maria Nilsson who shared the initial information from the dietary survey directed to Sámi people and reflecting Sámi traditional foods. And then Jonatan Leer from Aalborg University explained how designing experiences could contribute towards sustainable food systems.</p><p>The scientific program was finalized with the presentation by co-organiser Professor Danielle Wilde from the Umeå Institute of Design, who showed how she engages across scales, leading situated, multi-actor research into more-than-human flourishing; focusing on food, health and microbiomes then going to bodies, communities and cities, and the interplays these have with regional and planetary concerns.</p><p>All in all, the event was successful with 58 people attending.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="acb8e9f0-3938-4aeb-b6a0-6c27c2cf5ac1" data-contentname="Kontakt Armando">{}</div><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="287ee703-d144-42ba-a9df-f5b3020b428d" data-contentname="Fakta Deltagare Food Day">{}</div>https://www.umu.se/en/news/a-scientific-day-on-sustainable-food-systems-in-the-arctic_11807414/https://www.umu.se/en/news/plant-wall-engages-design-and-molecular-biology-students-_11775068/Plant wall engages design and molecular biology students Pioneered by students, a new initiative has been launched – the vast, withering plant wall at the heart of the Arts Campus is about to be reborn. It is presenting an opportunity for students in design, forestry, and molecular biology to explore the interactive elements of the plant wall as well as seedling cultivation and the influence of bacteria on plant indoor survival. Thu, 25 May 2023 14:30:55 +0200<p>“With the return of the wall we want to create opportunities for interactions between people and the plant wall, as well as between the people that will engage in this space. We have spent the last couple of months trying to make it more tangible”, says William Roskaer, student in the Bachelor Programme in Industrial Design and part of the Climate Group at Umeå Institute of Design.</p><p>Once a vibrant façade welcoming people entering from the walkway by the Ume River, the formerly lush exterior of the UID workshops has recently acted a glum reminder of a distant spring. But where others saw decay, students in the Umeå Institute of Design Climate Group spotted an opportunity in the perishing plant wall.</p><p>Together with partners from SLU Forest Sciences, the Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), and Vertisà AB they are now bringing a unique climate ecosystem inside to inspire education, sensory engagement, and research.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Research on surviving plants</h2><p>Quite miraculously, there are a few plants that have been able to stay alive in the former plant wall without water, for months. What made these plants survive?</p><p>Undergraduate thesis students, Hanna Forsberg and Rana Zeeb, from the Department of Molecular Biology at Umeå University, were intrigued that there were some surviving plants, and since they knew that they were not taken care of at all, their attention was turned to the soil since it is a factor that has never changed since the plants were installed. Similarly, they were curious about the air condition in the presence of such plants.</p><p>“It got us wondering whether there were some bacteria that could be only found in surviving plants and other bacteria that could only found in dead plants. From this, we reasoned that if we find such bacteria then we could hypothesise that those bacteria promote plant survival. Also, the other harmful bacteria that are only found in dead plants suggest some environmental health conditions for plants to avoid the presence of such bacteria. This was the starting point of our thesis work,” says Rana Zeeb.</p><p>“Since we focused mainly on soil and air, we did not analyse the actual plants even though samples were collected. Focusing on plants will be another major point that would need its own analysis and hypothesis. That, we did not have time to do,” says Hanna Forsberg.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">From local to global – a variation of vegetation</h2><p>The few surviving plants have been integrated into the new wall as a testament to nature’s innate resilience.</p><p>Part of the mission is to find out which plants growing in the Swedish nature that can survive and thrive in an indoor climate. But the final wall concept will not only focus on the West Bothnian vegetation found in our local forests. Exotic plants, along with edible herbs and vegetables, will also be part of the eclectic mix of greeneries.</p><p>"In the end, we arrived at a couple different systems that we implement. On the left side, we will showcase a variety of plants from all over the world. From there, we move towards the plants that were rescued from the old wall. The main section will then showcase the Swedish boreal forest wrapped in an artistic panel made from living mycelium, the fungus that produces mushrooms”, says William Roskaer.</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">The cultivation of communication</h2><p>Besides from growing the connection between people and the surrounding nature, there is a clear mission with the wall to facilitate a stronger communal experience in the amazing joint space of Arts Campus, connecting Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå School of Architecture, Umeå Academy of Fine Arts and the internationally renowned arts venue Bildmuseet.</p><p>The unveiling of the plant wall takes place at The Institute of Design at Arts Campus on 31 May at 12:15.</p><p><em>Växtvägg is a growing collaboration between Umeå Institute of Design and the UID student-led Climate Group, the Department of Molecular Biology and Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR) at Umeå University, SLU Faculty of Forest Sciences and Vertisà AB.</em></p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/plant-wall-engages-design-and-molecular-biology-students-_11775068/https://www.umu.se/en/news/dancing-smart-homes-and-personalised-diets-at-uid23_11774632/Dancing smart homes and personalised diets at UID23On May 30th, an international crop of young designers revealed 30-plus design concepts to the world. At UID23 | Design Talks & Degree Show, an eye-catching collection of innovations – ranging from dance-inspired communication with our smart homes, to neonatal support in refugee camp, to wearable tech for personalised diets – were unveiled.Fri, 23 Jun 2023 01:16:49 +0200<p>Venture into the future, as up-and-coming designers from around the globe shared their visions for a different, and better, tomorrow. On May 30th, graduating students presented their degree projects during a live-streamed show at Umeå Institute of Design. The event saw students give bite-size talks on stage, showcasing their projects via 3D models and digital visualisations. The following exhibition allowed participants to engage with students and further explore their visions through physical models, installations, and video expositions.</p><p>Explore the grad projects in the<a title="lik to gallery" href="/en/umea-institute-of-design/uid-23/project-gallery/"> UID23 | Project Gallery.</a></p><p>“Once again, the event is a demonstration of the strong values we hold based around collaboration, people, and our planet. Visitors and online viewers were able to join us in witnessing our students’ innovative work that stretches the limits of creativity and imagination. This year, they have embarked on a transformative journey, exploring the boundaries of sustainability and design as a responsible practice. With great pride, we unveil their ingenious proposals and profound perspectives on tackling the difficult challenges facing our modern society”, says Demian Horst, Head of Institute.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Preparing to make waves</h2><p>As the world of design turned its gaze towards Umeå, graduating students prepared to make waves, intent on driving positive change through design. The visionary projects showcased during UID23 embody the essence of societal transformation, tackling both social and environmental challenges head-on. Visitors and on-line particpants alike had their curiosity piqued by a diverse range of captivating concepts, including the green digitization of small-scale agriculture, the reimagining of social encounters on sustainable ferries, and thought-provoking digital experiences that could pave the way for a fossil-free internet.</p><p class="quote-center">I wanted to move away from designers creating each interaction.</p><p>Amanda Wallgren, graduating from the MFA Programme in Interaction Design, used choreography and dancing in the design process to examine our relationship with our digital devices at home, with the aim to create more humanistic interactions.</p><p>“I wanted to move away from designers creating each interaction, to instead suggest that we might create the tools to empower users in utilising their own personal ways of moving. The proposal is a "Choreographic Interface" that, in different ways, turns the home into a place that encourages, empowers, and elevates personal movement languages by visualising opportunities for moving in fun, playful and creative ways”, says Amanda Wallgren.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="643e0b0a-912f-4498-b18a-78cf40786c02" data-contentname="Bildspel design eng">{}</div><p>Each year, the global reach of Umeå Institute of Design allows the school to attract students from all corners of the world. Along with an international network of collaborators within research, industry and civil society, the annual grad show has become a place where new trends are born, sparking discussions on where design is headed. For UID23, representatives from multinational corporations such as Nokia, BMW, PayPal, LEGO, and Huawei travelled to Umeå to follow up collaborations with students, to view demonstrations and portfolios, and to recruit the next generation of industrial designers.</p><p><a title="Live stream" href="/en/umea-institute-of-design/uid-23/event-broadcast/">Se the live stream.</a></p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/dancing-smart-homes-and-personalised-diets-at-uid23_11774632/https://www.umu.se/en/news/the-design-world-turns-its-gaze-towards-umea_11760677/The design world turns its gaze towards UmeåUmeå Institute of Design’s popular graduation event at the end of May is paired this year with Sweden's largest design competition – Design S - Swedish Design Awards – as it travels to Umeå. For the first time in 40 years, the prestigious event is venturing beyond the nation’s capital.Thu, 04 May 2023 16:37:39 +0200<p><strong>On May 30</strong>, <em>UID23 | Design Talks & Degree Show</em> kicks off. Since the turn of the century, Umeå Institute of Design's graduation event has emerged as an international hub for the design industry. For two days, students present their degree projects to a global audience through stage presentations, via 3D models and digital visualizations. During the evening exhibition, visitors can further delve into the students' visions and explore physical models, graphic posters, and video exhibitions.</p><p><strong>On May 31</strong>, UID23 closes with a select few invited speakers. They include Beno Juarez who runs a floating fab lab on the Amazon giving local communities along the river access to technological tools to help them cope with their daily challenges with water, energy, health, food, and education. On stage, we will also see Diana Africano Clark, UID alumna and Design S nominee in the – Digital Services and Products – category for her work with Kivra.</p><p>That same evening, the <em>Design S - Swedish Design Awards</em> gala event is taking place at Väven in central Umeå as this year's awardees are set to be announced. During the event, winners will be presented in twelve categories, among them architecture, product design, furniture, and service design. All categories are considered with sustainability as the primary assessment criterion.</p><p>Among the nominees for Design S, we find everything from a climate calculator for the Swedish film industry, to a smart waterless toilet, to a home test for sperm quality. One of the nominees in the new category – Design for Systemic Transformation – has, with the help of VR technology, created an empathy-generating tool where polarized groups are able to step into each other's worlds.</p><p>Ambra Trotto, Design and Research Director of d.centre|EU at RISE and Associate Professor at UID, has been involved in developing the new category.</p><p>"Design has an important role to play when Sweden, and the entire EU, tackles the green transition. This applies to both digital and social transformation. This new category opens up for nominations from all over Europe, because it is only together that we can create beautiful, sustainable futures", says Ambra Trotto.</p><p>The student projects presented during UID23 also bear a strong connection to societal transformation, both social and environmental. This year's project crop includes, among others, a green digitization of small-scale agriculture, reconstruction of social networks through public transport and digital experiences for a fossil-free internet.</p><p>Yearly, the degree projects attract long-distance representatives from education, research and multinational companies to Umeå. During UID23, they will follow up collaborations with students, look at demonstrations and portfolios, and recruit the next generation of industrial designers.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="61501ec1-de1e-4956-bca0-996a3ff8e779" data-contentname="UID23 & Design S English">{}</div>https://www.umu.se/en/news/the-design-world-turns-its-gaze-towards-umea_11760677/https://www.umu.se/en/news/from-render-to-reality--electric-atv-grad-project-to-hit-the-market_11696714/From render to reality – Electric ATV grad project to hit the market"The Kibb", Fanny Jonsson’s grad project concept for an electric all-terrain vehicle (ATV), is becoming reality. The design, developed during the spring of 2022, envisions an autonomous ATV built to respect the land’s biodiversity and agricultural challenges for delicate ecosystems.Thu, 15 Dec 2022 14:33:33 +0100<p>Fanny's design concept is now going from render to finalized product, expexted to hit the market in 2025. The vehicle is being developed by CAKE, a Swedish company creating light EV motorcycles, where Fanny is now employed.</p><p>From a sustainability perspective, it is important to develop regenerative agriculture. Currently, the access to non-pollutant transportation and machines is limited. Based on this, the idea of Kibb was born. The word Kibb means ox in Gutniska, a dialect from the Swedish island Gotland. The name is meant to represent the strength of the vehicle as well as the limited mark an animal has on nature, irrelevant of its size.</p><p class="quote-center">I’m so happy and honored that my thesis project will continue its journey from render to reality together with CAKE</p><p>"Agriculture is one of the industries that contributes the most to greenhouse emissions and therefore it could slowly lead to its own demise unless new solutions for regenerative farming can be reached", says Fanny Jonsson, recent graduate from the MFA Programme in Transportation Design.</p><p>The Kibb is a gentle vehicle designed to, at all times, make as little impact as possible, while still providing the user with the power and capability that’s needed. The modular body of the Kibb will have different attachment points to allow for compatibility with a wide variety of ATV accessories. It can also act as a mobile power station, providing the farmer with a new best friend to perform the day to day duties associated with regenerative agricultural life. With its level of autonomy, the Kibb can do many tasks by itself. This could free up time for the user to do tasks on the ranch or farm where supervision is needed.</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/from-render-to-reality--electric-atv-grad-project-to-hit-the-market_11696714/https://www.umu.se/en/news/re-imagining-design-beyond-materialism_11679202/Re-imagining design beyond materialismDesign has been a key driver in the material strides taken by our global civilization. The downsides to development driven by mass consumption are, however, becoming alarmingly apparent. Can design, which helped get us into this mess, respond differently to issues of social and ecological well-being in the future? The artistic research environment “Design after progress” will explore other ways of designing, looking beyond financial gain and towards more-than-human relationships in the world.Thu, 10 Nov 2022 13:23:00 +0100<p>In an unprecedent investment in artistic design research the Swedish Research Council (SRC) has granted 16,8 million SEK to the newly formed research environment "Design after progress: reimagining design histories and futures". Stretching over six years, 2023-2028, it is one of only two artistic research environments to be granted funding by the SRC. The introduction of this research environment will support collaborations within the national and Nordic research communities, further reinforce the expanding design research environment at Umeå Institute of Design and strengthen the overall artistic research at Umeå University.</p><p>“The experiments in the project aim to develop concepts, skills and capabilities for designing after progress. Through proposing alternative design practices, we wish to contribute to redirecting design education and design practice towards more socio-ecologically just and participatory processes and outcomes, says Maria Göransdotter, associate professor at Umeå Insitute of Design.</p><h3>Towards more-than-human perspectives</h3><p>The research environment will consist of three experimental design studios that build on each other. One that examines and presents alternative design histories, one that tests and explores new design practices and a final one focused on learning that stages future design schools. Through historical research, design experiments and educational situations, the researchers will explore the possibility of rehearsing new ways of designing by shifting towards more-than-human perspectives and emerging participatory, inclusive and democratic methods.</p><p>“Personally, I’m looking forward to our joint work in merging historical perspectives and research methods with practice-based and artistic design research practices. I will contribute mainly during the first 1,5 years of the project, with prototyping design histories that contribute to exploring concepts and practices of participation in and through design”, says Maria Göransdotter.</p><p>“This includes histories that have had great influence on how participation is enacted through design, but also histories previously given little or no attention in mainstream design history. These histories aim at presenting core values often embedded in design, and to create a space for thinking and doing participation in design otherwise”.</p><p>The team in the artistic research environment "Design beyond progress: ideas about design histories and futures" consists of five design researchers from Linnaeus University (Åsa Ståhl), Umeå University (Maria Göransdotter), Malmö University (Kristina Lindström and Li Jönsson) and Gothenburg University (Thomas Laurien). The research environment is hosted by Linneaus University and led by Åsa Ståhl, senior lecturer (and formerly post-doctoral researcher at Umeå Institute of Design together with Kristina Lindström).</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/re-imagining-design-beyond-materialism_11679202/https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-institute-of-design-claims-top-spot-in-red-dot-ranking-_11670963/Umeå Institute of Design claims top spot in Red Dot Ranking For the seventh year running, Umeå Institute of Design at Umeå University takes top position on the Red Dot Design Ranking, listing top design educations in the Americas and Europe. Tue, 11 Oct 2022 08:00:09 +0200<p class="quote-left">This ranking represents a strong seal of approval from the broader design community</p><p>The Red Dot ranking is based on design projects produced by the universities’ students over the past five years. This year’s winning student projects from Umeå Institute of Design (UID) range from a smartphone challenger for kids to a remote-controlled system for installing 5G antennas.</p><p>“Getting top spot again really is a testament to the extraordinary projects that our students have delivered” says Thomas Degn, Programme Director for the Master’s Programme in Advanced Product Design. “For our students to be able to perform at this level shows us that they are able to translate their visions, making their final design concepts accessible to all. In a way, this ranking represents a strong seal of approval from the broader design community. And to be able to do it seven years in a row and ten times in the last twelve years, that’s really something.”</p><p>As stated by the founder and CEO of Red Dot, Professor Dr. Peter Zec, the key criteria for being recognized for the Red Dot Award are originality and the ability to initiate positive change.</p><p>”In the Red Dot Award: Design Concept, we are looking for design concepts that aim to shape a better tomorrow. We are looking for inventive designers, clever ideas and solutions to create something new – something extraordinary”, says Professor Dr. Peter Zec.</p><h3>A smartphone challenger for kids</h3><p>In today’s digital landscape, premature exposure to adult content such as news casts, violence and sex, are forcing children to grow up too fast. One of this year’s winning entries from Umeå Institute of Design is Playpal, a device with the potential to replace smartphones among young children, thus helping parents to introduce technology in a less intrusive manner.</p><p>“Most parents seem to agree that children should not own a smartphone at very young age. However, the smartphone has allowed kids to be independent as parents are now able to get a hold of them easily. With PlayPal, we aimed to develop a device that lets parents reach their kids, while at the same time motivating them to get physical and to go outside and explore, and connect with friends of the same age”, says Jovan Vulic, student at the Master’s Programme in Advanced Product Design.</p><p>The main feature of Playpal is the use of modules, to personalize the experience. The different applications can be traded among friends or used to collaborate. The SoundBox, for example, lets kids jam along with their friends, record and playback voices. A flashlight guides them on their adventures through the neighborhood. With the camera module, children are able to capture interesting stuff around them. Playpal also lets children share, relive and reflect on the experiences they had during the day along with their parents, as they begin to develop a healthy, long-term relationship with technology.</p><h3>5G installations free from climbing</h3><p>As technology continues to move faster and faster our demands on the speed of online communication grows. In order to keep up, telecommunication infrastructres, such as 5G antennas, need to be renewed or upgraded. Another student project that received special honours at the Red Dot awards is a design concept for vertically moving sensitive equipment on telecom sites safely and quickly while also protecting the components and preventing injuries among technicians.</p><p>Sinan Altun, a recent graduate from the Master’s Programme in Advanced Product Design, realized that current methods are inefficient and that today’s technicians needed a specialized solution to fit their unique needs.</p><p>”The overall benefits of the ASC Sensitive Handling System gives protection to valuable components, limits the amount of climbing for technicians, lowers the physical workload while also saving time and energy since the solution makes the use of cranes redundant”, says Sinan Altun.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="6f5e0b70-cdd8-48a4-b57b-b08594a009fe" data-contentname="About Red Dot">{}</div><p><a title="Press photos" href="https://mediabank-umu.qbank-mediaportal.se/selection/9b98947e9caff0627abd1cf102ab2c7a">Press photos</a></p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-institute-of-design-claims-top-spot-in-red-dot-ranking-_11670963/https://www.umu.se/en/news/design-evolution-through-the-martial-art-of-capoeira_11656514/Design evolution through the martial art of CapoeiraCould an ancient martial art created by African slaves in Brazil unlock new perspectives on design? For his doctoral thesis, defended at Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå University, Nicholas Torretta drew upon his native culture to shine a light on the oppressive and consumeristic power structures that still permeate industrial design thinking. Inspired by the intrinsic decolonial traits within Capoeira, he began to explore alternative ways of designing, and living.Mon, 19 Sep 2022 08:00:11 +0200<p class="quote-left">My hope is that we, as designers, become better at realizing that all design theories and practices come from somewhere</p><p>As design attempts to tackle the effects of climate change and social injustice, it has found itself intertwined with the oppressive global structures responsible for these very developments. In his research, Nicholas Torretta has tried to disentangle design from the dominating financial and political systems in order to find openings for different ways of doing design. In Capoeira, he identified a gateway for designers hoping to create real change.</p><h3>The art of decolonization</h3><p>“Capoeira has a very strong ethos of accepting, not directly confronting, the attacks of the colonizers, in order to then expose openings and counter movements to escape and create something new. Similarly, I have in my research tried to, for example, explore and move with Eurocentric design traditions to see when they fail or slow down, in order to use that as an opening for new design solutions”, says Nicholas Torretta.</p><p>The roots of industrial design are closely tied to the very beginnings of industrialisation, a movement often associated with mass production and overconsumption. While responsible for lifting multitudes out of poverty, industrialisation has also fuelled the powerful economic forces that ultimately have contributed to the over-exploitation of the world’s natural resources and a rampant climate crisis. At the start of the millennium, design movements arose attempting to tackle the environmental crisis by developing new design processes. However, they have yet proven unfruitful in pushing through broader systemic changes. So, could martial arts lead the way?</p><h3>The road to parallel universes in design</h3><p>Equipped with a research methodology inspired by Capoeira, Nicholas is seeking to decolonize design through pluriversality. That is to allow various ways of doing design to exist simultaneously, and that those design avenues are more connected to the place and the people from where they emerge. Nicholas has explored non-linear design thinking where direct growth and progression are not the ultimate goals but rather to garner a holistic understanding of the space within where the design is created, including aspects such as individuality, local culture and nature.</p><p>“My hope is that we, as designers, become better at realizing that all design theories and practices come from somewhere. Today in design, we are always positioning ourselves within the colonial matrix of power, therefore it is of critical importance that we are aware of how our acts of designing may be oppressive, even if we don't intend them to be”, says Nicholas Torretta.</p><p>Rather than replacing existing design systems and theories, Nicholas has set out to reflect on them by creating greater awareness of their origins. To move forward, his research suggests that the future evolution of design must be driven by multiple perspectives shaped by various positions, places, practices and cultures.</p><p><strong>About the dissertation<br></strong><em>On Wednesday 21 September Nicholas Torretta, Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå University defends his doctoral thesis titled Moving decolonially in design for sustainabilities: Spaces, rhythms, rituals, celebrations, conflicts. Swedish title: Rörandes dekolonialt inom design for hållbarhet: utrymmen, rytmer, ritualer, firanden, konflikter. The dissertation takes place online, participate with this link: <a title="Participate in the dissertation" href="~/link/4ff1112456c5402fa73dd39d5d4200bd.aspx">Participate in the dissertation</a> Faculty opponent is Andrea Botero Cabrera, Aalto University/Universidad de los Andes.</em></p><p><a title="Read the full dissertation" href="http://umu.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?aq2=%5B%5B%5D%5D&c=1&af=%5B%5D&searchType=SIMPLE&sortOrder2=title_sort_asc&query=torretta&language=sv&pid=diva2%3A1687538&aq=%5B%5B%5D%5D&sf=all&aqe=%5B%5D&sortOrder=author_sort_asc&onlyFullText=false&noOfRows=50&dswid=8050">Read the full dissertation</a></p><p><a title="Press photos" href="https://mediabank-umu.qbank-mediaportal.se/selection/c3ef52424e3d0f837403e8654dbbff37">Press photos</a></p><p> </p><p> </p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/design-evolution-through-the-martial-art-of-capoeira_11656514/https://www.umu.se/en/news/uid22---the-story_11614196/Family and future at UID22 as the grad show returnsFor the first time since 2019, the Design Talks & Degree Show was back in the shape of a real-life event. Combining the best from the digital and physical worlds, UID22 was an event defined by inclusion, focused on a more resilient future.Mon, 20 Jun 2022 13:22:25 +0200<p>At UID22, 49 graduates pitched their visions for a different, and better, future, presenting everything from a vulva-kit, to autonomous vehicles, to AI-assisted grieving. Three-minute presentations followed by a professional exhibition of physical models gave visitors a glimpse of how to take on the challenges facing our global society. The Golden Seed Award, a student-initiated price, put further focus on sustainability in design. The event ended with keynotes by leading designers and a spirited panel discussion led by Daniela Bohlinger.</p><h3>A physical event with many digital followers</h3><p>A physical event, allowing designers to meet in person and have tangible experiences, added soul and substance to the experience. However, the digital world has its benefits and by combining these two, UID managed to create an inclusive event according to Demian Horst, Head of Department.</p><p>"With a modular setup of the agenda, inspired by a digital event, students and companies had great opportunities for networking, and around 30 companies from all over the world signed up students for interviews".</p><p>Graduates who couldn't make it to Umeå presented and signed thir own digital "wall of fame" to mimick the physical event, as over 4000 people followed the live stream online.</p><h3>A broader perspective on sustainability</h3><p>Sustainability has become an ever-present perspective in current UID design projects, where Mother Earth is often referred to as a stakeholder. The focus has shifted from what to how and broadened into other areas, such as regenerative agriculture and medication. The students show responsibility for the effect their design might have on the planet and put a focus on how to make make a difference on a broader societal, systemic level. One of the attendees applauds the responsible mindset. </p><p>"I appreciate that many projects have a wide sustainability scope and that the students dare to think big", says Joel Grundström from SMS Evoko. </p><p>Social sustainability gets more focus this year, for example through My Enetjärn whose vulva-kit creates awareness about vaginal microbiome by empowering the individual.</p><p>Many products are now designed to work in a circular economy, in cooperation with companies like Volvo and Electrolux. More obvious problems are also taken care of this year which Mårten Skoger from Ericsson has looked forward to seeing.</p><p>"All the disposable waste in healthcare has irritated me, so I was happy to see that the diabetes project addresses that", says Mårten who mainly came here to look for new talents.</p><h3>The pandemic effect on design</h3><p>Autonomous vehicles and AI pops up in a number of projects, with a focus on how to create trust for these new technologies. Participants could also see the efect off the pandemic in this year's transportation design concepts, something that Nathalie Hübscher from design agency Kiska in Austria was curious about. </p><p>"From my HR perspective I think that we will need solutions in the future where you can work from a vehicle", raises Nathalie who also gave credit to the school for a very well structured event, a level she is not used to.</p><h3>The UID atmosphere</h3><p>UID students and alumni talk about "the UID family" and the friendly and supportive atmosphere, something that was truly present thorughout the student pitches. Graduates are nervous, of course, but it's obvious that they feel support from the audience.</p><p>"It's not that much of a competition within UID, but more a feeling of cooperation and becoming great together", says Rebecka Rosenlind, a former student of UID. "Own initiatives are welcomed, and the school has become more circular design focused because the students wanted that", she continues.</p><p>Jens Asserlind from McKinsey Design misses his time in Umeå as a progressive oasis where the long winter makes you focus. It's obvious that Umeå has a special place in the hearts of the alumni community.</p><h3>Planning for next year</h3><p>Demian Horst, Head of Institute, is already looking forward to next year's event and reveals that he is aiming at a cooperation that would make the event even bigger.<br>He ended UID22 with an impassioned speech about how the pandemic made us all become quiet and how dangerous perfection could be.</p><p>"Go out there, make mistakes, do it with noise!"</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/uid22---the-story_11614196/https://www.umu.se/en/news/playful-child-therapies-and-honest-ai-vehicles-at-uid22_11601552/Playful child therapies and honest AI vehicles at UID22And we’re back! For the first time since 2019, the real-life grad show is returning to Umeå Institute of Design. At UID22, the next generation of designers will uncover concepts covering a wide range of topics; from AI in autonomous vehicles, to playful therapies for children, to a device for managing your crypto assets.Wed, 25 May 2022 08:00:11 +0200<p>Step into the future as budding designers from around the globe share their visions for a different, and better, tomorrow. On May 31st, graduating students present their grad projects during UID22 | Design Talks & Degree Show. The event sees students give bite-size talks on stage, showcasing their projects via 3D models and digital visualisations. The following exhibition allows visitors to speak to students and further explore their visions through physical models, graphic posters and video expositions.</p><p>“We are really looking forward to welcoming so many alumni and external guests, and seeing our students pitching their outstanding design concepts in real life again. It’s an especially joyous occasion since many of the graduates themselves endured a global pandemic during most of their studies at the school”, says Demian Horst, Head of Institute.</p><h3>Creating resilient futures</h3><p>Many of the 50 grad projects are based in the digital realm, often with the objective of making technology more accessible or more human. A host of projects also carry an aspect of sustainability, whether it be through the lens of environment, social innovation or healthcare. This year’s student-generated theme - r<em>esilient futures</em> – responds to these particular challenges facing our global society.</p><p>Natalia Ikebara, graduating from the MFA Programme in Advanced Product Design, designed a holistic therapy concept for children with motor disabilities, focusing on creating a more engaging and enjoyable experience. Another project saw Mario Schaffeld, MFA Programme in Transportation Design, explore the issue of trust in future intelligent vehicles. Inspired by soft robotics, he created interactive interior surfaces giving passengers the freedom to control the level of engagement from the vehicle’s artificial intelligence.</p><h3>Celebrating talents and ideas</h3><p>“UID22 will be a celebration of talent and a rich display of ideas for more resilient futures by design. Looking at their latest visions, we are proud to see so many powerful perspectives on what responsible industrial design could mean now, and in the future”, says Demian Horst.</p><p>Each year, the global reach of UID allows the school to attract students from all corners of the world. This year, the 32 MFA graduates alone represent 17 different nationalities. UID’s international network of collaborators within research, industry and civil society help create an event that sets new trends and sparks discussion on where design is headed. For UID22, representatives from multinational corporations such as Apple, Microsoft, BMW, Volvo and Philips travel to Umeå to follow up collaborations with students, to view demonstrations and portfolios, and to recruit the next generation of industrial designers.</p><p><strong>UID22 | Design Talks & Degree Show, May 31 – June 1:</strong></p><p><a title="UID22 Project gallery" href="https://www.uid.umu.se/en/uid22/project-gallery/">UID22 | Project Gallery</a></p><p><a title="UID22 Live stream" href="https://www.uid.umu.se/en/uid22/event-broadcast/">UID22 | Live Stream</a></p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/playful-child-therapies-and-honest-ai-vehicles-at-uid22_11601552/https://www.umu.se/en/news/alumni-visions-of-end-of-century-mobility-inspire-at-guggenheim_11578249/Alumni visions of end-of-century mobility inspire at the GuggenheimOn April 8, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao premieres the exhibition: Motion. Autos, Art, Architecture. Among the exhibition objects are four visionary graduate projects created by alumni from the MFA Programme in Transportation Design at Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå University, Sweden.Fri, 08 Apr 2022 11:08:47 +0200<p>The six-month-long exhibition, curated by renowned British architect Norman Foster, celebrates the artistic dimension of the automobile, linking it to the parallel worlds of painting, sculpture, architecture, photography and film. The exhibition features iconic automobiles hand-picked from private collections and public institutions, as well as architecture and artworks connected to speed and movement.</p><p>Demian Horst, Head of Umeå Institute of Design (UID), is in Bilbao to take part in the opening weekend.</p><p>“We are thrilled to be invited as a contributor to this rather unique show hosted at the Guggenheim Museum. Being asked to share an important global stage alongside peers from a selected group of international universities in the fields of architecture and design clearly shows that we’re doing something right.”</p><h3>From advanced cars to airborne and marine mobility solutions</h3><p>The four UID alumni showcasing their grad projects at the exhibition have been given a rare opportunity to inform and inspire with their visions of future mobility through the lens of sustainable design. The UID exhibition space is entitled “Speculative Mobility” with the four projects ranging from advanced automobiles to airborne and marine transportation solutions. The strategic, speculative, and conceptual nature of these projects aim to trigger public discussion about what kinds of futures (and mobility) our society would wish to have.</p><p>Lars Welten, from the Netherlands, graduated last year with a project exploring what it might look like if climate change would compel the vulnerable coastal regions in his home country to transition into life on water.</p><p>“Having grown up in The Netherlands, a country with rich history in water management, I was inspired to frame my degree project around the fact that sea level is rising and by the end of this century will result in uninhabitable areas. The main goal of my degree project is to emit a positive answer to climate change; to show that instead of seeing the water as a problem it can also be seen as a solution.”</p><p>The exhibition is spread over ten spaces in the museum. UID alumni join the final of the seven galleries, Future, which is devoted to works by a young generation of students who were invited to imagine what mobility may be like at the end of this century. The proposals on display reflect collaborations between students and industry partners, designers, artists, architects, through a variety of models, films, renderings, drawings and manifestos.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0"><strong>UID student projects at the Guggenheim Bilbao</strong></h2><p><strong>Max Troicher - Exterior Interactions</strong></p><p>Max Troicher developed a design concept in collaboration with BMW exploring how cars can enhance human senses in a new and emotional way. The final result is a compact autonomous electric vehicle, using multiple ways of communicating with its surrounding. Light, sound and haptic feedback are combined in countless situations to create unique experiences on the vehicle’s exterior.</p><p><strong>Wanyi Du - Geely Sooyun</strong></p><p>What might mobility look like in our vertical megacities 40 years from now? For her grad project, Wanyi Du created a design vision for an ecological air taxi system in Shanghai in the year 2060. The service is inspired by the needs of future business tourists in megacities like Shanghai. Geely Sooyun brings passengers a pleasant feeling by providing a reliable, seamless and efficient transportation service across the future vertical city.</p><p><strong>Lars Welten - Dutch Water Ways</strong>          </p><p>What will future transportation look like in vulnerable coastal regions threatened by climate change? For his grad project, Lars Welten looked ahead to the year 2086 in his native Netherlands. The result, an autonomous water taxi with futuristic methods of propulsion.</p><p>Lars proposes not only the design of a radically different and extremely safe and self-driving water taxi, but also a clear picture of the advanced floating society and infrastructure that enables its existence.</p><p><strong>David Wolter – Terra Nova</strong></p><p>How will we reforest the future barren lands in the wake of climate change? For his grad project, David Wolter explored how to combat desertification in the year 2086 by developing mobility strategies for large-scale reforestation efforts with the help of cutting-edge technologies. His final design concept, ’Terra Nova’, is a lighter-than-air propelled solution that allows long-term mobility in barren areas with minimal impact to the operational environment.</p><p><a title="Read more about Umeå Institute of Design" href="https://uid.umu.se/en/">Read more about Umeå Institute of Design</a></p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/alumni-visions-of-end-of-century-mobility-inspire-at-guggenheim_11578249/https://www.umu.se/en/news/umarts-post-doctoral-researchers_11520466/UmArts Call for Artistic Post-Doctoral Researchers The UmArts research center at Umeå University is looking for excellent candidates for two postdoctoral positions in interdisciplinary research. The post-docs will be part of the UmArts research environment developing new art, architecture and design practices that generate a critical and creative discourse within the public realm.Tue, 22 Mar 2022 11:10:51 +0100<p>We have identified two very specific research areas that will make an important contribution to expanding the scope of artistic research:</p><p>The post-doc in Art and Architecture will be based at <a href="https://www.arch.umu.se/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Umeå School of Architecture</a> (UMA) in partnership with <a href="~/link/2ef6b4f1a89f453fa0f14c470ccc0795.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bildmuseet</a> museum of contemporary art. Whilst the post-doc in Design and Molecular Biology will be based at <a href="https://www.dh.umu.se/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Umeå Institute of Design</a>, in partnership with the <a href="~/link/659b08dc1a0140919eca984863e58cf5.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department of Molecular Biology</a>. Each post doc will work independently on their own creative project with support from supervisors in their two departments and the Director of <a href="https://umarts.se" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UmArts</a>. </p><p> </p><h3>UmArts Post-doc in Art and Architecture  </h3><p>This post-doctoral research will be focused on the intersection of art and architecture, and will be based at Umeå School of Architecture (UMA), in partnership with the Bildmuseet museum of contemporary art.</p><p>The broad aim is to develop new critical frameworks for investigating spatial politics including: territorial divisions, decolonisation, social cohesion, sustainability and resilience, which have relationships to northern Scandinavia. Proposals can develop new ways of inhabiting through the re-use, adaptation and occupation of space. </p><p><a href="~/link/7dc2dfda7ae940588441b6174ee54429.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full details of the role and application details can be found here.</a></p><p> </p><h3>UmArts Post-doc in Design and Molecular Biology</h3><p>This post-doctoral research will be focused on the intersection of design and molecular biology, and will be based at Umeå Institute of Design (UID), working in partnership with the Department of Molecular Biology. The broad aim is to investigate the potential roles of more-than-human and multispecies entanglement in designing our futures. We welcome proposals that converge the making and growing practices of Design and Molecular Biology, that conceptually entangle human and more-than-human bodies and world-making.</p><p><a href="~/link/9c274b63cd9d4f6b8c17f5f140b7673e.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full details of the role and application details can be found here.</a></p><p> </p><h3>Contact information</h3><p>If you would like to discuss a research proposal please contact Director of UmArts Ele Carpenter, ele.carpenter@umu.se </p><p> </p><p> </p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/umarts-post-doctoral-researchers_11520466/https://www.umu.se/en/news/unga-designers-visar-framtidens-rallybilar-under-rally-sweden-_11406364/Young designers exhibit the sustainable rally cars of the futureFor over half a century, the rumbling engines have been the beating heart of rally. Is the accelerating electric revolution about to throw the sport into an identity crisis? During 'Rally Sweden', students at UID presented the next generation of silent, sustainable rally cars, created in clay.Fri, 04 Mar 2022 14:53:00 +0100<div class="bildText qbankproperty3"></div><p>When 'Rally Sweden' descended upon Umeå on February 24, the sound of the roaring engines reverberated across the West Bothnian forests, from Kroksjö to Örträsk. Those days are soon over. Tomorrow's rally cars will likely be driven with the quieter electric motors. Students from the Master's Programme in Transportation Design at UID were challenged to take the rally sport into a new era, with a focus on sustainability, safety and the visual experience.</p><p>In a showroom at Utopia Shopping in central Umeå, visitors got a glimpse of a futuristic and positive vision of tomorrow's sustainable electric rally series. The design concepts strive to give rally fans a stronger visual overall experience, in the absence of the roaring petrol engines. The students' artistic ambitions have centered around capturing the essence of the state-ot-the-art electric machinery in order to design the vehicle exteriors to reflect the new technology.</p><p class="quote-center">An important goal has been to communicate the technological advances that the new drivelines in EV rally cars entail</p><p>"There are so many work hours behind the creation of an engine concept for a rally car and you really want it to be visible on the outside as well", says Lotta Quist, supervisor during the project and design consultant at Knightec.</p><p>The exhibition 'Group Be Electric' got its name from the mythical Group B era in the 1980s when International Automobile Federation (FIA) eased regulations and the rally cars were allowed to pack over 600 horsepower. Many enthusiasts still label it the golden era of rallying, but a series of tragic accidents forced FIA to close down the racing class in 1986.</p><p>The sport of rally is expected to experience a new dawn due to the revolutionary technological shift towards electrification. The lightness of the new technology gives designers more freedom when forming the cars' exterior compared to the traditional internal combustion engines. The students at Umeå Insitute of Design have seized the opportunity and sculpted challenging shapes that benefit from the flexibility of packing an electric driveline.</p><p>"In contrast to today's rally cars, which are based on the appearance of production cars, the students here created a design language that is intended for competitive racing in the first place, with the opportunity to influence the look of production cars going forward. So, the dynamic is reversed from today", says Jonas Sandström, Programme Director for the Master's Programme in Transportation Design.</p><p>"The goal here was to create continued spectacular experiences for the audience, where the design of the vehicles and the brands' opportunities to create unique expressions will be an important component for success in tomorrow's sustainable motorsport".</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="36e75bbd-7e22-4071-a4f5-98625243176e" data-contentname="Quick Facts">{}</div>https://www.umu.se/en/news/unga-designers-visar-framtidens-rallybilar-under-rally-sweden-_11406364/https://www.umu.se/en/news/can-and-should-ai-systems-set-student-grades-_11192032/Can and should AI systems set student grades? Umeå University constantly strives to develop interdisciplinary research and education. In this direction, the hackathon “AutogrAIde” will be organised on Wednesday 19 January. It is an interdisciplinary event where students, teachers and the public are invited to discuss whether and how AI can be used to automate part of grading and assessment activities.Wed, 15 Dec 2021 11:29:25 +0100<p>Today, many automated tools are already being used to help teachers organizing the learning environment and the question is: is there acceptable uses for AI technologies to support grading and assessing students, and how can we do it? What are the benefits and what are the difficulties? The Hackathon, led by Loïs Vanhée, Associate Professor at the Department of Computing Science, setting a university-wide collaboration across six departments; Computing Science, Design, Informatics, Philosophy, Law, and Pedagogy.</p><h3>Interesting possibilities</h3><p>“AI systems offer interesting possibilities, but we have to be very careful when it comes to discussing AI for supporting grading. It’s a sensitive topic connected to legal, ethical, pedagogic, and social issues,” says Loïs Vanhée. </p><p>This Hackathon is dedicated to developing students’ awareness, critical thinking and empowerment. The event will focus on looking at the landscape of possibilities and critically argue for its viability (or not!) along with integrated interdisciplinary perspectives. <br>“Technology concerns are merely one facet of AutogrAIde. We hope to learn from all participants’ viewpoints: if grading is to change, all voices should be heard” says Loïs Vanhée.</p><h3>More than programming</h3><p>Usually, hackathons are events where experts get together in collaborative teams and work intensively to try to solve a concrete (programming) problem. Loïs Vanhée clarifies: “Hackathons are now more than programming events. In our case, we want student experts from multiple disciplines and backgrounds to collaborate together. Inclusive diversity is the key concept here.”<br>The hackathon should not just be for discussing, but also for the participants to work towards a goal and returning home with a feeling of accomplishment and participation. “I wish all the participants to return home and say ‘we found a possible use of AI for grading, we studied carefully and my viewpoint brought something significant to the discussion’. Everyone has something interesting to say, not only computing scientists’," says Loïs Vanhée.</p><h3>University-wide</h3><p>As AI is becoming a major social factor, discussions about AI need to be illuminated from multiple viewpoints. The Council for Artificial Intelligence, RAI, works to strengthen and develop interdisciplinary research and education in AI at Umeå University and has funded the project. <br>“We encourage collaboration across disciplines when it comes to AI. It is important that applied issues and challenges are highlighted by several different fields” says Katrine Riklund, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chair of <a href="~/link/e92106cc0f754d7a84be7de155b9e01f.aspx">RAI at Umeå University.</a></p><h3>Engaging event </h3><p>This hackathon will be an engaging, interdisciplinary and exciting collaboration where participants will have the opportunity to discuss and develop different solutions. By creating more interdisciplinary events, heterogeneous groups can meet and discuss important issues that benefit research and policy-making. <br>“Our hope is that this event is a first step in building sustainable interdisciplinary bridges across the university to create better collaboration in the future, we strive to make of this hackathon a well-flagged interdisciplinary pathway that everyone at the university can use for innovative education, research, and creation of value for society," says Loïs Vanhée.   </p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/can-and-should-ai-systems-set-student-grades-_11192032/https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-institute-of-design-atop-red-dot-ranking-six-years-running_11040919/Umeå Institute of Design atop Red Dot Ranking six years runningFor a record sixth consecutive year, Umeå institute of Design at Umeå University, Sweden, has claimed top spot in the Red Dot Ranking, listing top design educations in Europe and the Americas.Wed, 27 Oct 2021 11:20:29 +0200<p>Red Dot Ranking is a reflection of the designs created by students over a five year-period. This year’s winning student projects from Umeå institute of Design (UID) range from innovative tools for telecom tower technicians to equipment for the next generation of intensive care units.</p><p>“For a small industrial design school like Umeå Institute of Design, this result is a clear recognition of the pool of top talent that can always be found here. It’s a confirmation of the quality of the work that our students deliver and it’s testament to our dedication to prepare skilled and responsible designers willing to tackle the challenges of tomorrow”, says Demian Horst, Head of Umeå Institute of Design.</p><h3>An intelligent helmet for high altitudes</h3><p>One of the UID student projects that received special honours at the Red Dot awards is a design concept for a high-tech helmet, called SYNC, improving communications for telecom technicians climbing high-rise telecom towers. The operators typically work in extreme conditions that challenge the senses; strong winds, noisy surroundings, dusty environments or extremely cold conditions. The helmet, developed by Yilin Lyu, integrates a wide-angle camera, lidar scanner, laser sensor, earphone, and a microphone, allowing telecom technicians to communicate intuitively with team members and helicopter pilots in real-time.</p><p>Yilin Lyu is from China and is currently studying the second year of the Master’s Programme in Advanced Product Design. She believes that “the UID spirit” is the secret recipe behind the record number of top spots on the Red Dot ranking.</p><p>“I think all the awards and rankings are probably best explained by the quite unique atmosphere that exists at UID. As a student here I am able to learn a lot, not only from tutors, but also from my classmates. Throughout my education, the school has supported me a lot, not just during the projects, but also in my personal development”, says Yilin Lyu.</p><h3>Pioneering the next generation of intensive care units</h3><p>Another of the winning UID student projects explored new design solutions for vital sign monitoring in an intensive care unit (ICU). The student team - consisting of Jacob Jensen, Johannes Rieder, Marius Kindler, Tim Schwarz - identified a pain point relating to the messy jumble of cables that characterises ECG monitoring systems in today’s hospitals. The student design team developed a single-cable solution that feeds data wirelessly into the existing monitoring systems. The sensor, called Array, can be adjusted to different body shapes and its minimal shape makes it easy to clean, intuitive to handle and declutters the patient's appearance.</p><p>"Array hopefully represents the next generation of the ECG monitoring setup, where less cables are being used. We believe that it can be implemented into the current practices of intensive care. It is designed to help streamline the workflow of health care professionals and improve the patient's comfort during intensive care treatment", says Tim Schwarz.</p><p><strong>About Red Dot Ranking<br></strong><em>The Red Dot Design Ranking for Design Concept recognises pioneering design concepts created by enterprises and institutions. It is a reflection of sustainable design and innovation capability withing an organisation. The ranking takes into account all levels of awards at the Red Dot Award for Design Concept over the past five years and ranked into six distinct honorary lists for Companies, Design Studios and Universities, in the Americas & Europe and Asia Pacific regions.</em></p><p><em>National Taiwan University of Science and Technology emerged to claim first position at the list for Universities in Asia Pacific, with Massey University and Dalian Minzu University ranked second and third. Umeå Institute of Design and Savannah College of Art and Design maintained their first and second in the list for Universities in Americas & Europe for the sixth consecutive year while University of Montreal, School of Design made significant achievements this year and is now at #3 in the list for Universities in Americas & Europe.</em></p><p><a title="Read more about Umeå Institute of Design" href="http://uid.umu.se/en/">Read more about Umeå Institute of Design</a></p><p> </p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-institute-of-design-atop-red-dot-ranking-six-years-running_11040919/https://www.umu.se/en/news/home-delivery-cpr-kit-made-of-cardboard-wins-prestigious-award_10842672/Home delivery CPR kit made of cardboard wins prestigious awardUmeå Institute of Design alumnus Shuai Li is the national winner of the James Dyson Award with his graduate project CANNE, a self-directed CPR kit consisting only of cardboard and a smartphone app.Thu, 02 Sep 2021 11:26:53 +0200<p>More than 17 million people die from cardiac arrests each year in the world. In China alone that figure is 540,000, with the out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rate sitting below one percent. </p><p>Shuai Li wanted to explore an affordable way to offer millions of people training in Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, CPR, in developing countries, China specifically. The result, CANNE, is a home delivery CPR kit that is self-directed, low-cost and sustainable. The CANNE CPR kit improves on today’s on-site CPR training by enhancing cardiac arrest scenario simulation through AR and AI technologies via the smartphone.</p><p>The CANNE design concept consists of two parts:</p><p>• A corrugated cardboard Basic Life Support (BLS) learning kit that allows laypeople to practice CPR, such as cardiac arrest identification, chest compression and ventilation by themselves.</p><p>• The BLS self-directed application on the smartphone that enhances the learning experience by simulating cardiac arrest scenarios and emergency medical services (EMS), providing real-time feedback of compression and ventilation, as well as encouraging lay people to join a final examination and granting an online BLS certificate.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="dde18485-95d7-4c88-a907-89df8becbcab" data-contentname="Film about CANNE">{}</div><h3>A target group of four billion people</h3><p>“During my Master’s in Advanced Product Design at UID, my interest in healthcare industrial design led to an internship in Laerdal Medical, Norway, where I explored the CPR training area. This experience inspired me to further examine CPR training in different demanding and realistic situations. In China and other developing countries, where the economy is developing rapidly, I identified a host of challenges and opportunities worth exploring further” says Shuai Li.</p><p>It has proven difficult to increase the survival rate of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in developing countries because of the low implementation rate of CPR training, which can often be too costly in rural areas. With CANNE, Shuai Li hopes to provide an affordable and accessible CPR training ecosystem that motivates more laypeople to learn CPR by themselves. The product has the potential to reach all smartphone users, a number that is fast approaching four billion globally.</p><p>“I am currently looking into how I can move forward with this project and would love to reach the market and improve the life-saving skills of the lay public in China and beyond. For me, it's important that the final design follows a sustainable vision. The next steps will be to iterate the physical and digital product, such as simplifying the assembly process and decreasing the colour of prints on cardboard for a sustainable and lower cost purpose. I also hope to work with the collaborating company, Laerdal Medical, to test it in a current process“ says Shuai Li.</p><p>With CANNE, Shuai Li became Sweden’s national winners of the James Dyson Award, an international design award promoting the next generation of design engineers. On November 17th, the international winner and the winner of the sustainability award will be announced.</p><p><a title="Explore CANNE in the UID21 project gallery" href="http://www.uid.umu.se/en/uid21/project-gallery/apd/shuai-li/">Explore CANNE in the UID21 Project Gallery</a></p><p> </p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/home-delivery-cpr-kit-made-of-cardboard-wins-prestigious-award_10842672/https://www.umu.se/en/news/new-leadership-team-at-uid_11516735/New leadership team at UIDUmeå Institute of Design is set to have a new leadership team in place on July 1st. Demian Horst will become the Head of Institute, while Linda Bresäter takes the position of Deputy Head of Institute and Oscar Björk assumes the role of Assistant Head of Department.Mon, 21 Mar 2022 11:21:19 +0100<p>Demian Horst assumes the role of Head of Institute on July 1. He is joined in the newly formed leadership team by Linda Bresäter and Oscar Björk, both with a long history of serving in different roles at Umeå Institute of Design. The recruitment process for the leadership position was initiated in December 2020 and consisted of an open call for applications. Interviews were conducted in March and Demian Horst's appointment received unanimous support from the recruitment committee at the Faculty of Science and Technology, Umeå University.</p><p class="quote-center">I feel very honored and extremely proud to take on this important role during the coming 4 years, and understand the responsibility involved in leading an institution that has real impact in the field of design, says Demian Horst</p><p>Demian Horst now steps down from his role as Programme Director for the MFA Transportation Design. Demian's involvement at UID stretches back twenty years to when he first started his master's degree. After a stint in the automotive industry with ties to General Motors, Opel and Saab, he returned in 2009 to direct the Transportation Design programme. In the new role as Head of Institute he hopes to contribute with his experience and expertise to support a process of continuous development at UID.</p><p class="quote-center">UID is well aware of the critical transformations needed to reach the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and how sustainable design is such an important component in that process</p><p>"My goal is to create the best possible conditions so that our highly committed colleagues, researchers and students can continuously explore the future foundations of industrial design to be the drivers of such transformations", says Demian Horst.</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/new-leadership-team-at-uid_11516735/https://www.umu.se/en/news/uid21-selfdriving-taxi-boats-and-tasting-box-with-edible-insects_10499310/UID21: Selfdriving taxi boats and tasting box with edible insectsGet a glimpse of tomorrow as the next generation of designers showcase their visionary grad projects. This year's degree show at Umeå Institute of Design offers up a unique collection of innovations - ranging from autonomous taxi boats in the year 2086, to a crisis device for producing your own electricity, to a culinary tasting box with edible insects.Thu, 27 May 2021 08:00:04 +0200<p>On June 1st, graduating students present their degree projects during Umeå Institute of Design’s (UID) digital graduate exhibition, <a title="UID21 | A Design Talk Show" href="http://www.uid.umu.se/en/uid21/the-event/">UID21 | A Design Talk Show</a>. From May 31st, the grad projects can be explored in the virtual <a title="UID21 | Project Gallery" href="http://www.uid.umu.se/en/uid21/project-gallery/">UID21 | Project Gallery</a>. The gallery presents a 360-degree view of all projects, including; concept videos, images, interactive 3D-models and prototypes. This year’s event will be presented in a talk show format, gathering special guests from across the globe.</p><p>During an unprecedented academic year at UID, students have been made to redefine the role of the designer, as the boundaries between the physical and the digital dissolved. More time and effort have gone into developing holistic experiences that include services and digital solutions. Many projects have also displayed a stronger engagement in regards to sustainability and environmental impact.</p><p>“Covid has largely forced students to stay away from our design studios and workshops, as many are now spread out across the world. However, they have demonstrated exceptional ingenuity in reinventing the design process in multiple digital ways”, says Demian Horst, Associate Professor and incoming Head of Department at Umeå Institute of Design.</p><h3>A hotbed of creative, life-centered design</h3><p>Could an eco-centric tourist experience help people reconnect with our forests? Will accessible music-making become the next big thing in therapy? Can the introduction of digital tokens help make taxes visible in our immediate environment? Will the future barren landscapes created by climate change be reforested by expert teams in massive airships? These are some of the questions posed by grad students as they aim to shape our common future through powerful design ideas.</p><p>UID’s standing on the global design stage continues to translate into a culturally diverse student body. This year alone, the graduating students represent 18 different nationalities. The educational programmes and student projects at UID are conducted in close collaboration with major multinational companies as well as research institutions, municipalities and health care units. Each year, representatives from companies, organizations and the design community join the event to follow up collaborations with students, to view demonstrations and portfolios, and to recruit the next generation of industrial designers.</p><p><strong>UID21 | A Design Talk Show, June 1st, 15.00 (CEST)</strong><br><a title="UID21 – Live broadcast" href="https://live.umu.se/uid21/">UID21 Live Broadcast</a><br><a title="UID21 – Project Gallery" href="http://www.uid.umu.se/en/uid21/project-gallery/">UID21 Project Gallery</a></p><p><strong>For more information, please contact:</strong></p><p>Jens Persson, Communications Officer, Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå University<br>Phone: +46 73 626 35 51<br>Email: jens.persson@umu.se</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/uid21-selfdriving-taxi-boats-and-tasting-box-with-edible-insects_10499310/https://www.umu.se/en/news/uid-alumnus-praised-for-visionary-car-interior-concept_11516775/UID alumnus praised for visionary car interior conceptUID alumnus Alvaro Sanz (IDI) has won the Grupo Antolín Design Challenge Design where students from around the world were challenged to imagine future car interior concepts.Mon, 21 Mar 2022 14:29:57 +0100<p>In 2018, Alvaro graduated from the one-year-course 'Industrial Design Intensive' at UID. He then went on to study the Transportation Design MA at the Technical University of Valencia, Spain. </p><p>"UID has played quite an important role in my development as a designer. In fact, most of my designs still have a Scandinavian touch, influences that I gained in Umeå. After all, this is where I began my design career, and where I built my basis as a designer. Maybe the strong impact it had on me is due to the intensity of the UID life, or the way of teaching. Either way, I'll always keep Umeå in my mind and heart", says Alvaro Sanz.</p><p> Álvaro's project is titled ANTOLÍN VIVAR. It's a vehicle whose main attribute is being welcoming. It seeks to create an environment that makes you feel at home, a room in which the occupants simply want to be and spend time.</p><p class="quote-center">Álvaro's project has deserved to be the winner in all categories for its high quality throughout the design process</p><p>"Álvaro's project has deserved to be the winner in all categories for its high quality throughout the design process, its innovation and consistency in the set of the proposal. He has developed a complete interior with a design very attractive that perfectly combines and integrates new technologies and innovative and sustainable materials", said Javier Villacampa, Corporate Director of Innovation, during the award ceremony at the GRUPO ANTOLIN headquarters.</p><p>Being the winner in all four categories (ambient lighting, functional criteria, smart decorative surfaces, new materials) Alvaro Sanz received a total prize of 10,000 euros.</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/uid-alumnus-praised-for-visionary-car-interior-concept_11516775/https://www.umu.se/en/news/the-end-of-the-television---revolutionizes-the-digital-wall-our-homes_10193246/The end of the television - Will the digital wall revolutionize our homes?In his research, Morteza Abdipour has explored how a major roll out of the so called digital wall might influence how we arrange our future households and the impact it could have on our everyday behaviour. He will present his licentiate thesis on March 10 at Umeå University.Wed, 03 Mar 2021 13:52:09 +0100<p>Few cultural events have inspired a revolution in our homes more than the introduction of the television in the 1950s. The social dynamic and the interior setup of the living room had forever changed. Now, we might be at the precipice of a similar transformation. Enter, the digital wall. Imagine our living room walls covered by digital e-paper, rather than wallpaper. It’s a home makeover that would undoubtedly affect our daily lives in a big way.</p><p>But what would the actual implications be? In his licentiate thesis, Morteza Abdipour tries to find out.</p><p>The main bulk of his research efforts was spent observing participants interacting with a fully equipped digital wall, set up in a unique exploratory space called the ‘Design Research Lab’ at Mid Sweden University. Here, he was able to prototype all aspects of the digital wall and carry out design experiments using multiple methods to collect data while people were experiencing the new technology.But what would the actual implications be? In his licentiate thesis ‘Arrangement Design Studies – the introduction of the digital wall in domestic environment’, Morteza Abdipour tries to find out.</p><p>“The Lab was really useful as a platform to understand user experiences and the barriers for interactions created in this simulated space of a domestic environment. The experiments resulted in some interesting findings regarding the visible and invisible impact the digital wall might have in our future homes”, says Morteza Abdipour.</p><p><strong>The visible and invisible impact of the digital wall</strong></p><p>The immediate visible impact, witnessed during initial observations, saw participants reduce the number of domestic products in the room: such as furniture, bookshelves and the television. People also expressed a need for new types of furniture that were better adapted to the digital wall and the body positions that resulted from interacting with it. Other participants voiced the need for curved walls to further the interactive experience.</p><p>The invisible impact of the digital wall was mainly discovered during the final stages of the research when Morteza revisited the video recordings of the sessions. Here, he realized that the digital wall creates an unseen gravitational pull towards the center of the room. He could see that the digital content seemed to carry an invisible weight and volume of its own that occupied the room and greatly impacted the people in it. It affected how they moved around and also shaped their interactions with each other.</p><p>“The power of the technological content appears to push things a certain distance from the wall, toward the center of the room. It almost creates an invisible matter or substance between participants and the digital wall. While the television has a similar effect, a room with three out of four walls being digital radically multiplies that impact”, says Morteza Abdipour.</p><p><strong>Adapting to the digitalization of our everyday lives</strong></p><p>The digital wall is likely to be one of the big next steps in the continued digitalization of our everyday lives. Today’s digital devices - smartphones, digital wearables and virtual home assistants - are already getting increasingly intertwined with all facets of life, and as such they have begun influencing human behaviour on a deeper level.</p><p>According to Morteza Abdipour, a heavy responsibility falls on the shoulders of designers and design researchers to explore different scenarios in order to understand the far-reaching consequences of something like the digital wall, a potentially transformational product in our future homes.</p><p>“My objective here is to create awareness for future designers, producers and people. By bringing the digital wall into our living rooms, it will gradually start to form us and our day-to-day behaviour, like the smartphone has. With such powerful technology in our homes, we are going to start changing so many things, not just objects but behaviour and even, by extension, perhaps values. The goal of my research is to make these potential invisible changes visible so that we can adjust and adapt in the best way”, says Morteza Abdipour.</p><p><em>Morteza Abdipour holds a Master of Art & Science in Industrial Design from Mid Sweden University with a focus on 'Design for All'. After his studies he worked as a research assistant to develop the concept of the ‘Design Research Lab’ at the Mid Sweden University. The aim of the Lab was to set up various design scenarios to assist researcher and designers identify the impact of design solutions on users’ behavior in design evaluation process. His PhLic study, ‘Arrangement Design Studies’, is the first PhD study collaboration between Department of Industrial Design at Mid Sweden University and Umeå Institute of Design at Umeå University. </em></p><p><a href="http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-179883">Read the dissertation</a></p><p><a href="https://mediabank-umu.qbank-mediaportal.se/selection/7c409961c65274e914ac332d0b98008f">Press images</a></p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">About the dissertation:</h2><p>On Wednesday 10 March, Morteza Abdipour, Umeå Institute of Design and Mid Sweden University, will defend his dissertation entitled: <em>Arrangement Design Studies - introducing of the digital wall in domestic environment.</em></p><p>The licenciate thesis presentation takes place at 14:00 in the Project Studio, Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå University</p><p>Supervisor: Erik Stolterman</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/the-end-of-the-television---revolutionizes-the-digital-wall-our-homes_10193246/https://www.umu.se/en/news/art-curator-returns-to-umea-as-director-for-umarts_10003921/Art curator returns to Umeå as director of UmArtsProfessor Ele Carpenter has been appointed director of the Umeå Centre for Architecture, Design and the Arts, shortened UmArts at Umeå University. She will be given the overall responsibility to develop, lead and coordinate the university’s art activities. Ele Carpenter will be based at the Umeå School of Architecture where she has an appointment as professor.Mon, 18 Jan 2021 10:59:06 +0100<p>“I’m delighted to become the director of UmArts. It’s a fantastic opportunity to develop arts research across the university. As a curator of contemporary art, I develop new contexts for creative interdisciplinary research with universities, public museums and galleries, so I’m looking forward to the new possibilities in Umeå,” says Professor Ele Carpenter at the Umeå School of Architecture at Umeå University.</p><p>UmArts consists of the Bildmuseet contemporary arts museum, the Umeå Institute of Design, the Umeå School of Architecture, the Umeå Academy of Fine Arts, and the Department of Creative Studies.</p><p>The new centre aims to take a holistic approach to the art activities at Umeå University to maintain and advance its high quality, as well as establish a distinctive art profile and strengthen its visibility and impact both nationally and internationally.</p><p>“I’m pleased that we have now recruited a director of UmArts and Ele Carpenter is a highly competent person well suited to lead this part of the organisation. The recruitment team has done an excellent job in landing all the details. I’m looking forward to following the progress of UmArts and the activities in the Arts under Ele Carpenter’s guidance,” says Hans Adolfsson, Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University.</p><p>As a new director, Ele Carpenter is prioritising to establish a new research network for all contributing parts of UmArts.</p><p>“UmArts will host research reading groups, lectures, workshops and exhibitions focusing on some of the most important questions of our time: Caring for the Planet, Decolonisation and the Nuclear Anthopocene. This internationally important programme will help to support existing art research at Umeå University and develop new regional, national and international partnerships,” she says.</p><p>Ele Carpenter has a long-standing relationship with Umeå University. Already in 2008, she undertook a postdoctoral fellowship in art at Humlab to research her Open Source Embroidery exhibition for Bildmuseet. In 2010, during the lead up to Umeå becoming the European Capital of Culture, she joined the jury on their tour of the city to highlight Umeå’s international cultural network, which she found was a particularly honourable assignment.</p><p>In 2016, she curated the exhibition Perpetual Uncertainty at Bildmuseet and commissioned artists to make new work in response to the Nuclear Antropocene. She also participated in the publishing of the Nuclear Culture Source Book that accompanied the exhibition, which also toured to Z33 in Belgium and the Malmö Konstmuseum between 2016–2018.</p><p><a href="https://mediabank-umu.qbank-mediaportal.se/selection/487ccc17d1d37994a264be61a12626f5">Portrait photo for download Photo: Darren Banks</a></p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Biography:</h2><p>Professor Ele Carpenter joins Umeå University from Goldsmiths University of London where she is reader in curating at the Department of Art, and director of the Nuclear Culture Research Group. One of her most recent exhibitions include Splitting the Atom at the CAC Centre for Contemporary Art and the Energy & Technology Museum in Vilnius, Lithuania (2020). Ele Carpenter’s nuclear research has led to her participation in the OECD/Nuclear Energy Agency where she gives lectures and workshops on art and nuclear culture including deep time markers for high level radioactive waste. She is a visiting research fellow at the Institute of the Arts, University of Cumbria, and in 2019, she was awarded her Radiation Protection Supervisor Certificate.</p><p>Ele Carpenter originally trained as an artist at Leeds Metropolitan University (1993) and undertook a postgraduate diploma in Art Gallery and Museum Studies at Manchester University (1996) before a traineeship at the Museum of Modern Art in Oxford. Ele Carpenter then ran a public gallery in Sunderland in Northern England for five years before helping to establish a community cinema collective called the Star & Shadow where she programmed artists’ film and video. She completed her doctoral degree with CRUMB in 2008 at the University of Sunderland, whilst working as an associate curator at CCA Glasgow. She then undertook postdoctoral research at Umeå University before joining the MFA Curating programme at Goldsmiths in 2009.</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/art-curator-returns-to-umea-as-director-for-umarts_10003921/https://www.umu.se/en/news/ecocentric-design-for-future-forestry_9909038/Ecocentric design for future forestryRecently, students from Umeå Institute of Design at Umeå University, Sweden, completed a unique project in collaboration with the Cluster of Forest Technology along with several major stakeholders in the forest industry. But the intended client was not industry, but nature.Wed, 16 Dec 2020 08:00:06 +0100<p>“In collaboration with these creative and smart students, we have had the pleasure of exploring new ways forward, with nature and man in focus. It is these types of ideas and concepts that are needed to take necessary steps towards the sustainable forestry of the future” says Linda Nyström, CEO of the Cluster of Forest Technology.</p><p>A platform for open dialogue between Sami people and forestry companies. Self-propelled forwarders acting as responsive employees in the forest. And drones that can be used both in forestry and in school education at the same time. These are some examples of what students at Umeå Institute of Design have come up with during the project. Most of them come from the bachelor's programme in industrial design, while some students from other programmes at Umeå University participated in the project via an independent course.</p><p>The project concept was created by Umeå Institute of Design in collaboration with the Cluster of Forest Technology with the aim of investigating new perspectives in design and forestry. All six design concepts developed by the students are summarized briefly below.</p><p>“By designating nature and man as a "client", we created an interesting shift in perspectives. It allowed us to see sustainability as a system in relation to other systems. The students have dealt with a very complex reality and I am deeply impressed by how they approached this challenge” says Monica Lindh Karlsson, senior lecturer in industrial design at Umeå Institute of Design.</p><p>A large number of stakeholders from the forest sector have participated in the project: Sveaskog, Holmen, SCA, Norra Skog, Cranab, Vimek, Algoryx, SLU and the forest contractors Gallringsproffs AB. Recently, Magnus Bergman, head of forest technology at SCA, followed the students' final presentations with great interest and he believes that several concepts and ideas can be useful in future efforts to develop the forestry industry.</p><p>“The students make new perspectives around our industry visible, giving me new and valuable insights. What at first glance might give the impression that "it is not possible", can give you food for thought that in the end makes you see whole new opportunities” he says.</p><p><strong>Facts<br></strong><a title="Umeå Institute of Design" href="http://uid.umu.se/en/">Umeå Institute of Design</a> at Umeå University is a highly regarded school for industrial design in Umeå, Sweden. Recently, the school ranked number one in the international Red Dot ranking, for the fifth year in a row.</p><p>The Cluster of Forest Technology is an economic association that supports the development of new technology for sustainable forestry, through collaborations between the forest industry and academia.</p><p><strong>For more information, please contact:</strong></p><p>Jens Persson, Communications officer, Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå University<br>Phone: +46907865063<br>Email: jens.persson@umu.se</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">About the students’ design concepts:</h2><h3 class="foldable">A digital platform for open dialogue</h3><p><strong>Group:</strong> Emilia Bengtsson, Emma Sundin, Frida Åberg, Isac Klemets, Oscar Némethy och Thea Burlin.</p><p><strong>The problem:</strong> In our research, we saw a need for a platform for an open dialogue between nature's various stakeholders. We therefore chose to investigate: How can a holistic perspective on forestry improve our symbiotic relationship with nature and contribute to creating a more sustainable future?</p><p><strong>The solution:</strong> Our concept SYM is a digital platform that aims to increase the symbiosis between man and nature by opening up for a more democratic dialogue between all stakeholders in nature.</p><p><strong>The goal:</strong> The goal of our digital platform is to create a stronger connection between man and nature, a connection that increases our awareness by opening up for dialogues in society where nature’s conditions are put in focus.</p><p><strong>The experience:</strong> The project has challenged and broadened our perspectives. Who has the right to speak for nature? Is it possible to make all perspectives heard? Who owns the forest and how is ownership defined?</p><h3 class="foldable">A human link between nature and machine</h3><p><strong>Group:</strong> Algot Gustafsson, Axel Höijertz, Dana Hölzer, Karin Myhrberg and Stina Nilsson.</p><p><strong>The problem:</strong> Our basic problem was to ensure the needs of both nature and the forest industry for a long-term, healthy relationship.</p><p><strong>The solution:</strong> Our concept is based on separating man from machine in a new work role, the Forest Curator, which is the communicating link between forest and technology. A work role that can make decisions based on independent information and thus have a long-term approach to both nature and industry.</p><p><strong>The goal:</strong> We hope that this concept leads to a healthier relationship between forest, industry and nature, where more conscious choices are made and the results are environmentally friendly while promoting nature's biodiversity.</p><p><strong>The experience:</strong> Working with this project has been very challenging and interesting. Both in terms of the subject, having nature as a client, but also regarding the digital work situation. We have all gained a new perspective on nature and forestry during this project.</p><h3 class="foldable">Artificial intelligence in the machine operator window</h3><p><strong>Group:</strong> Emanuel Berglund, Lisa Selin, Mathias Nordin, Flora Jameson, Nina Långströma and Joel Bystedt.</p><p><strong>The problem:</strong> How can we ensure that the machine operator receives relevant information, so that his or hers decisions are effective, but also ethically and environmentally sound.</p><p><strong>The solution:</strong> The concept consists of two parts; an app that both forest owners and machine operators use and an AR heads-up display that is located in the forest machine's glass pane. The AR box is designed to help the driver make the right decision in the forest, based on the need for biodiversity and efficiency. It can, for example, show which trees should be cut and which should be saved, and wetlands that should be avoided.</p><p><strong>The goal:</strong> We hope that our concept can lead to forestry becoming more sustainable and at the same time the machine operators find it easier to make the right decisions.</p><p><strong>The experience:</strong> It has been very interesting to work with this project, especially with nature as a client. It has opened up completely new perspectives and given us a completely different understanding of the needs of nature and how we humans often completely overlook these needs in order to instead focus on economic gain.</p><h3 class="foldable">Autonomous forwarders as responsive employees in the forest</h3><p><strong>Group:</strong> Ellinor Werner, Petra Persson, Oscar Olsson, Lisa Holmgren and Nikita Zatonskiy.</p><p><strong>The problem:</strong> We saw a problem with soil compaction. A fully loaded forwarder can today weigh 40 tons, which is very stressful for the ground. In a future climate where more precipitation is expected, this problem will be further exacerbated due to the softer composition of the soil.</p><p><strong>The solution:</strong> We call our solution the Ambulo System. The system consists of a new, autonomous, forwarder with legs instead of wheels. These smaller and lighter forwarders work together in groups in order to spread the total weight while at the same time maintaining a satisfactory production. The other part of the system is the planner, who has the important task of coordinating the forwarders' routes with the help of a digital map you wear on your arm and a stick that takes soil samples.</p><p><strong>The goal:</strong> We hope that this project will be inspiring for the forest industry. Our project aims to shed light on current problems in timber transport at the felling site, and to contribute with a concept for a future solution.</p><p><strong>The experience:</strong> It has been a challenge! We have had nature as our client, which was new to all of us. This raised interesting questions during the design process that have allowed us to develop or thinking. We have also gained great insight into the Swedish forest industry and the importance of sustainable forestry.</p><h3 class="foldable">Technology that unites foresters and school children</h3><p><strong>Group:</strong> Daniel Wikström, Emma Dahlgren, Linn Yue Thomessen, Lisa Karlsson, Lotta Sahlin, Patrik Härnvall and William Lantz Winberg.</p><p><strong>The problem:</strong> Can drones be used as a tool to improve the relationship between nature and man?</p><p><strong>The solution:</strong> A system with ground-going vehicles, with associated drones to efficiently collect data from forestry. This data should be easy to share between forest owners and can also be used in school, as educational material. For the educational material, there is an interactive AR-based app, developed for children, to help them learn more about the forest, nature and forestry.</p><p><strong>The goal:</strong> A healthier view of forestry with greater transparency and more sustainable thinking. We also hope to give people in modern society a stronger connection and relationship to nature.</p><p><strong>The experience:</strong> We have learned how difficult it is to have nature as a "client" and how different views and ideas us humans can have on what nature really is.</p><h3 class="foldable">Encouraging entrepreneurs to rethink business models</h3><p><strong>The group:</strong> Hadi Hussein, Frida Ylitalo, Hanna Nilsson, Sanna Riihimäki, My Enetjärn, Mika Sinclair and Jesper Mattsson</p><p><strong>The problem:</strong> How can we create conditions for biodiversity and move the forest industry towards a more sustainable generational legacy? We saw two narratives that were connected but required different solutions. Partly how we humans value nature and in the long run create companies based on these values, partly the forest industry's twofold demands to protect biodiversity and to meet the market's need for materials.</p><p><strong>The solution:</strong> Part of our solution is Credula Scanner, a heat-seeking software that interactively affects the user emotionally, by illuminating life in nature that is otherwise invisible to the naked eye. We also propose a new system for dividing the forest into sections that help the forest user to separate the areas and protect larger parts of the forest from a natural occurrence.</p><p><strong>What do you hope this could lead to? </strong>We hope to inspire the individuals behind the companies to reflect on their personal values and investigate whether these are expressed in their business models. The objective solutions are practical and can be implemented today, and we hope to be able to inspire change.</p><p><strong>The experience:</strong> We can all agree on the importance of biodiversity. It permeates all systems and is the basic complex foundation on which all life depends. We can argue in an emotional and rational way with a research basis for our solutions, and that knowledge is highly valued by all members of the group.</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/ecocentric-design-for-future-forestry_9909038/https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-institute-of-design-at-the-top-of-red-dot-ranking-again_9854163/Umeå Institute of Design at the top of Red Dot Ranking againFor the fifth year running, Umeå Institute of Design (UID) at Umeå University takes top position on the Red Dot Design Ranking, rating design educations in the Americas and Europe.Tue, 01 Dec 2020 08:00:05 +0100<p>The Red Dot ranking is based on design projects created by the schools’ students over the past five years. This year’s winning UID student projects range from coral reef restoration drones to storytelling tools for parent-child interactions.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="271e20f4-27d0-4251-8b7d-13a3649fc44d" data-contentname="Film Red Dot 2020 eng">{}</div><p>“It’s a testament to the valuable work that our students are doing” says Thomas Degn, Programme Director for the Master’s Programme in Advanced Product Design. “It shows us that our students are able to present their projects in a way that people outside the industrial design community can really appreciate them. The ranking is a kind of quality stamp on the things that go on here. Maybe anybody can get top spot once but to do it five years in a row and eight times in ten years, that has never been done before”</p><h3>A keyboard for the futuristic screenless workplace</h3><p>One UID student project received special honours at the Red Dot Awards. The next-generation keyboard Logi ULTRA was presented with the Red Dot: Best of the Best award. The concept is a keyboard that bridges the gap to the future screenless workplace by utilizing technologies such as virtual- and augmented realities (VR and AR).</p><p>Students Shuai Li and Tillmann Schrempf created the product with the aim of improving remote working efficiency, especially in the home office or in shared offices. Shuai Li, currently in his final year of the Master’s Programme in Advanced Product Design, believes that the office technology we surround ourselves with will change significantly in the next decade.</p><p>“Logi ULTRA can adapt to different working situations, which will be key in the future” says Shuai Li. “We’ve used emerging technologies such as ultrahaptics, which enables sensory feedback in mid-air, and a capacitive touchscreen that responds to your slightest touch. The keyboard changes layouts according to the user's ergonomics and preferences and over time it also adapts to the user's way of working through machine learning technology. By pushing the fingerprint login button, users can wake up any Logi ULTRA keyboard with their familiar layout in any shared office in the world. We are really proud of winning the notable Red Dot: Best of the Best award for this particular product.”</p><p>Tillmann Schrempf believes that the highly international student body at UID is part of the secret recipe behind the visionary design concepts produced each year by students from all corners of the world.</p><p>“For us, being a German and a Chinese designer working in the very north of Sweden, we constantly face intercultural communication challenges. But this gives us a unique perspective on the changing, globalizing workplace. We believe that the mixed cultural heritage of students at UID provides us with a wider perspectives to explore the design world and tackle the problems we want and need to solve”, says Tillmann Schrempf.</p><p><a title="Read more about Umeå Institute of Design" href="http://uid.umu.se/en/">Read more about Umeå Institute of Design</a></p><p><strong>For more information, please contact:</strong><br><br>Jens Persson, Communications Officer, Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå University<br>Phone: +4690 786 50 63<br>E-post: jens.persson@umu.se</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-institute-of-design-at-the-top-of-red-dot-ranking-again_9854163/https://www.umu.se/en/news/back-to-the-future---design-histories-tackle-tomorrow_9550245/Back to the future - design histories tackle tomorrowAn ever-accelerating materialism has put humanity on a seemingly inevitable collision course with our planet's ecosystem. In her PhD thesis, design researcher Maria Göransdotter examines what role the industrial design’s history may have played in taking us here. Her research explores whether forgotten episodes in design history could open up new perspectives on how we can understand and do design today.Mon, 10 Jun 2024 13:27:18 +0200<p>Maria Göransdotter believes that an increased awareness of the historical values embedded in the practices of design can contribute to avoiding the reproduction of the ideals that have contributed to Western civilization’s movement towards an increasingly unsustainable future.</p><p>In her dissertation, Maria Göransdotter argues that activating the transformative power within design requires an understanding of designing as fluid and changing, rather than something that is stable over time. While central concepts of industrial design may appear to be stable - such as "form", "participation" or "user" - they have indeed been introduced, established and changed over time.</p><p>According to Maria Göransdotter, many of the values that prevailed when industrial design came into being are still activated in how designers think and work today. With the major changes we are facing on a global scale, we need a fluid understanding of how design can be understood – and this requires fluid and changing design histories. Before we can create new ways of designing for a sustainable future, we need an understanding of how the past has shaped our present.</p><p>“The problem is that design is a rather a-historical field. If we are really going to try to understand where some difficulties come from in the ways we design, we need to understand where our design methods come from. But so far, design history has mostly been about things, how they look, who made them, and how they have acquired meaning in different contexts. When it comes to the history of our methods, processes and thinking in design, there is not much presence of such perspectives within design. It is almost as if methods and processes were given by nature”, says Maria Göransdotter.</p><p>“My aim has been to explore which kinds of stories about design emerge when we take our starting point in the practices of design, instead of in things or design outcomes. The idea has not been to search for the "true story" of what design is or has been, but instead to find other, and more, perspectives on what design could be, and could become. To perhaps see things we have not seen before through discovering that our design methods carry a lot of presupposed notions and expectations that steer us towards things that we may not really want to do at all”.</p><p>One of the stories that Maria Göransdotter explores is the one about the origins of Scandinavian user-centered design. According to current design histories, user-centered originated in the United States during World War II, when the Armed Forces designed ergonomic cockpit environments for fighter pilots. But according to Maria Göransdotter, the historical roots of user-centered design can just as plausibly be traced to a completely different context, on the other side of the Atlantic. Namely to Sweden.</p><p>In the 1940s, Hemmens forskningsinstitut (Home Research Institute) was founded with the aim of fundamentally changing women's opportunities for societal influence through systematically studying, and changing, housewives' work in the home. Many of the methods that were developed to create new tools and working methods introduced new, iterative and participatory design processes, including prototyping and iterative clay modelling based on in-depth user participation.</p><p>“The processes and methods that were developed during the 1940s and 50s had clear roots in both folkbildning (adult learning) and the Folkhem, a ‘People’s Home’, as well as in the women's movement and general efforts to reform and revalue women's work and perspectives in society. These ideas, methods and values later become important for how participatory design formed a few decades later. But stories like the one about Hemmens forskningsinstitut have never really been considered as "real" design, which of course plays a big role in how we think about where design practices come from and which trajectories the field of design might take”.</p><p>Maria Göransdotter hopes that the creation of other kinds, and more diverse, design histories can contribute to new ways of activating and informing today's and tomorrow's design processes by taking on more perspectives, related to, for example - environment, culture, ethnicity, gender and different power structures.</p><p><em>Maria Göransdotter was born in Umeå, and grew up there and in Saudi Arabia. She has previously studied the history of ideas at undergraduate and postgraduate level at Umeå University, and has also studied semiotics and aesthetics at the University of Bologna. She has been teaching at Umeå Institute of Design since 1995, and was between 2008-2018 part of the school's leadership group. Between 2013-15 she was head of department, and between 2015-18 she was vice rector. She is now defending her dissertation in industrial design, working as a teacher in design history and design theory, and currently has assignments in pedagogical development projects at Umeå Institute of Design and as an external expert in quality review of design educations in the Nordic countries.</em></p><p> </p><p><a href="http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-174353">Read the dissertation</a></p><p><a href="https://mediabank-umu.qbank-mediaportal.se/selection/dde60bc3f2b7b07b720e00e226991eb1">Press photos. Credit: Erik Abel</a></p><p> </p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">About the dissertation:</h2><p>On Friday 18 September, Maria Göransdotter, Umeå Institute of Design, will defend her dissertation entitled Transitional Design Histories.<br>The PhD Defense takes place at 13:30 in the Project Studio, Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå University<br>Faculty opponent is Molly Wright Steenson, Carnegie Mellon University.<br>The main supervisor is Professor Johan Redström, Umeå Institute of Design.<br>Secondary supervisor is Professor Kjetil Fallan, University of Oslo.</p><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/230175171731863">The event on Facebook</a></p><p>For participation via Zoom, send a request to: <a href="mailto:participation.uid@umu.se">participation.uid@umu.se</a></p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/back-to-the-future---design-histories-tackle-tomorrow_9550245/https://www.umu.se/en/news/app-for-activists-and-biotech-wearable-for-the-grieving-at-uid202_9218254/App for activists and biotech wearable for the grieving at UID20Peek into the future as design students from all over the world showcase their grad projects in the form of tomorrow's products and services. This year's grad show at Umeå Institute of Design offers a series of innovations ranging from a biotech wearable for people suffering loss and an app for young activists, to solutions for future firefighters in the wake of climate change.Tue, 02 Jun 2020 09:00:05 +0200<p>On June 4th, graduating students present their projects during Umeå Institute of Design’s digital graduate exhibition, UID20 | Design Talks & Degree Show. From June 2nd, the grad projects can be explored in the virtual <a title="UID20 Project Gallery" href="http://www.uid.umu.se/en/uid20/project-gallery/">UID20 Project Gallery</a>.</p><p>What happens when the digital products we wear on our bodies start "collaborating" with our biology? Can an app for young people create the next generation of activists following in the footsteps of Greta Thunberg? Will accelerating climate change force us to find new ways of living with wildfires? Could a new type of two-wheel electric vehicle - focusing on environment, safety, storage and convenience - attract new groups to start riding motorcycles?</p><p>Linda Bresäter, deputy head of department at Umeå Institute of Design, explains that this year's graduating students have worked with a clear user perspective, innovative storytelling and visions for a better society.</p><p>“Despite the changes that Covid-19 brought us this spring term, our students have found incredible ways of solving situations by adapting and reinventing” she says. “They have taken on a wide range of challenges and found innovative solutions, highlighting new aspects of how we humans live, both now and in the future. Throughout this past year, they have worked purposefully to grow as designers, and to develop the area of design. The high level of this year's degree project shows that they are now ready to take on new challenges outside UID, around the world”.</p><p>At UID20, students will present their degree projects during a virtual, live-streamed event. From their apartments and homes in Umeå, Sweden and around the world, they will demonstrate all facets of their projects via 3D models, image/video galleries and digital visualizations. Many of the 48 projects take their starting point in the digital realm, often with the objective of making technology more human. Several projects also have a strong focus towards, for example, healthcare or sustainability.</p><p>UID’s visibility on the global design stage has led to a highly international group of students. This year alone, the graduating students represent 15 different nationalities. The educational programmes and student projects at UID are conducted in close collaboration with major multinational companies as well as research institutions, municipalities and health care units. Each year, representatives from companies, organizations and the design community join the event to follow up collaborations with students, to view demonstrations and portfolios, and to recruit the next generation of industrial designers.</p><p>UID20 | Design Talks & Degree Show, June 4th, 15.00 (CEST):<br><a title="UID20 Live broadcast" href="https://live.umu.se/">UID20 Live Broadcast</a> <br><a title="UID20 Project Gallery" href="http://www.uid.umu.se/en/uid20/project-gallery/">UID20 Project Gallery</a></p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/app-for-activists-and-biotech-wearable-for-the-grieving-at-uid202_9218254/https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-institute-of-design-takes-top-spot-in-red-dot-ranking_8499055/Umeå Institute of Design takes top spot in Red Dot RankingFor the fourth year in a row, Umeå Institute of Design at Umeå University occupies top position on the Red Dot Design Ranking, rating design educations in the Americas and Europe.Tue, 22 Oct 2019 11:29:02 +0200<p>The top spot claimed by UID is based on design projects created by the school's students over the past five years. Among the individual student winners from UID this year's Red Dot competitions we find projects and products dealing with aircraft assembly and serious knee injuries.</p><p>“The fact that we once again place ourselves atop the Red Dot Ranking shows that we continue to position ourselves on the global stage in a competitive and challenging climate” says Thomas Olofsson, Head of Department at Umeå Institute of Design. “The unique environment that has been created over the years here at UID is the result of some outstanding work by both students, employees and alumni. The essence of the creative process that we aim to convey is always based on participation, sustainability and personal commitment. The fact that UID is continuously recognized worldwide gives us a strong belief that we have the tools to continue to develop both design education and design research in the coming years.”</p><h3>Smart rehabilitation bracelet for knee injuries gives real-time feedback</h3><p>Rik Oudenhoven from the Netherlands, who won an individual award for his UID degree project at this year's Red Dot gala, graduated from the Master's Programme in Advanced Product Design last year. He believes that UID’s success can be explained by the passionate atmosphere surrounding the school, where the love of design permeates almost everything.</p><p>“UID has had a huge impact on my design career. The school pushed me to become the best designer I can be. Upon arrival, you are placed in a group of talented people, with many different backgrounds, who keep motivating and inspiring each other to push the limits of what is currently possible. The sheer passion of both students and staff for design and improving life in general is what makes this school such a unique place in the world. Without a doubt, this plays a huge part in why it is once again ranked among the top design educations in the world”, says Rik Oudenhoven.</p><p>The project that landed Rik Oudenhoven a Red Dot award is aimed at helping people who have suffered severe cruciate ligament injury. The product, developed in collaboration with Nokia, is called Ara. It is a smart rehabilitation bracelet that is attached under and over the knee. Ara continuously monitors the injured knee and collects data that is translated into daily updated measures allowing users to optimize an individually designed rehabilitation. The daily feedback from Ara gives patients the opportunity to take an active part in their own rehabilitation.</p><p>“What was especially rewarding with this project was the human-centered and holistic approach I was able to take, which means that I was finding real problems people were facing in order to improve their daily live. It also allowed me to challenge current production methods and see if we could produce products and services in a more sustainable way. The process of putting the human first but also having the holistic approach is in my opinion key to finding purpose-driven innovation and developing solutions that can truly make a difference” explains Rik Oudenhoven.</p><p><a title="Read more about Umeå Institute of Design" href="http://uid.umu.se/en/">Read more about Umeå Institute of Design</a></p><p><strong>For more information, please contact:</strong><br>Jens Persson, Communications Officer, Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå University<br>Phone: +4690 786 50 63<br>E-post: jens.persson@umu.se</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-institute-of-design-takes-top-spot-in-red-dot-ranking_8499055/https://www.umu.se/en/news/hedersdoktorer-vid-teknisk-naturvetenskaplig-fakultet-_8017272/Honorary doctors at the Faculty of Science and TechnologyJohn Anderson, professor of Natural Geography and Paleolimology from the UK, and Anne Asensio, industrial designer from France, have been appointed as the 2019 honorary doctors of the Faculty of Science and Technology at Umeå University, Sweden.Tue, 23 Jul 2019 15:37:18 +0200<p><strong>John Anderson</strong>, a professor at Loughborough University in the UK, is an internationally recognized scholar in paleolimology and global environmental change. He has extensive experience of Arctic issues from about 20 years of work in Western Greenland.</p><p>Anderson's collaboration with Umeå University began as a postdoctoral fellow, and after that he has conducted a number of collaborative projects about carbon turnover in soil and water in Arctic environments with researchers at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, EMG. This culminated in John Anderson being appointed H. M. King Carl XVI’s professorship in environmental science 2017–2018 with EMG as the host institution. Over the years, John Anderson's research activities have been of great importance for strengthening Umeå University's position in Arctic research.</p><p><strong>Anne Asensio</strong>, industrial designer and vice president of design experience at Dassault Systèmes holds a master's degree in transportation design from the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit and a DSAA in industrial design from the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Appliques in Paris. Her work shows a consistent interest in innovation and definition of future design practices and methods.</p><p>Asensio has for almost fifteen years been an important person in the activities of Umeå Institute of Design at Umeå University. She was recruited by the schools former Vice-Chancellor Anna Valtonen to assist in her strategic advisory council. Anne Asensio, with her extensive knowledge of industrial design, her personal commitment and with her broad international network, contributed to the great success of Umeå Institute of Design. Anne Asensio has subsequently assisted the school in various ways and was, by 2017, the keynote speaker at Umeå Institute of Design’s degree exhibition Design Talks & Degree Show.</p><p> </p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">For more information about John Anderson, please contact:</h2><p>Jan Karlsson, professor at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Climate Impacts Research Centre, Umeå University<br>Telephone: +46 70 980 28 65<br>Email: <a href="mailto:jan.p.karlsson@umu.se">jan.p.karlsson@umu.se</a></p><p> </p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">For more information about Anne Asensio, please contact:</h2><p>Demian Horst, deputy head of Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå University<br>Telephone: +46 90 786 97 82<br>Email: <a href="mailto:demian.horst@umu.se">demian.horst@umu.se</a></p><p> </p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/hedersdoktorer-vid-teknisk-naturvetenskaplig-fakultet-_8017272/https://www.umu.se/en/news/changing-things---designing-for-transparency-in-a-digital-world_8149764/Changing Things - Designing for Transparency in a Digital WorldIn their new book, "Changing Things: The Future of Objects in a Digital World", assistant professor Heather Wiltse and professor Johan Redström explore what the networked, digital products of our time actually do and whom they are really designed for.Fri, 19 Jul 2019 12:30:38 +0200<p>The tech gadgets we surround ourselves with in our everyday lives are getting more complex each year. At the same time, they often seem more simple and intuitive to use. These digital products of our time are constantly changing and adapting with our behaviour, finding new ways to be helpful. Devices such as smart phones, laptops and wearable fitness trackers are simply more complex in nature than the physical objects created by designers in the past.</p><p>I sat down with Heather Wiltse to talk about how we can unpack and understand these multi-faceted digital products. How can designers contribute in promoting transparency for the user and perhaps influence what these networked digital things could look like in the future?</p><p>"These things are developing so quickly and design is having a hard time keeping up as they are being shaped by other trajectories; such as marketing, business and technological engineering. For example, a smart home is all about making our lives more convenient and efficient, but connected devices are also designed to collect data about people and their behaviour. The actual needs of the end user are not the only ones considered when these products are developed, or even the primary ones", says Heather Wiltse.</p><p>The message here is that design needs to catch up in defining and shaping these products, ultimately to take care of all of the users and functions of modern digital things in a more holistic way. Today, that is often not the case.</p><p><strong>"If you're not paying for it, then you're the product"</strong></p><p>In the book, Heather and Johan coin the term "fluid assemblages", referring to these layered, networked things that are composed of a variety of components (assemblages) and that are constantly changing (fluid). One such product is Spotify.</p><p>"In the case of Spotify for example, which we discuss at length in the book, they are turning their users into an audience in order to then be able to deliver their attention to advertisers. This may be fine, but we need to recognize that using Spotify to listen to music involves a very different set of dynamics and consequences than using something like a tape player to listen to music. Today, the creation of such digital products and services are driven by these other forces that have a vested interest in collecting data. As is often said now, 'if you're not paying for it, then you're the product'.</p><p>"This is the case with Spotify, Google, Facebook, and other free services that rely on an advertising model. So, this is clearly not user-centred design in the sense of caring about human experience, values, and integrity. Although the experience that users have with these things is often quite good in terms of engagement and ease of use, this is often an experience that is intended to mask what is actually going on when people interact with these things."</p><p>"So, the book actually poses an open question: How can we, going forward, work with these things which are in fact really exciting and full of possibilities? For us, it's a question of figuring out how we can do it in a responsible way, exposing current and often problematic dynamics but also imagining and prototyping how things could be different."</p><p><strong>Design vs. Platform Capitalism</strong></p><p>Heather and Johan make the case that it is vital to provide some form of meaningful transparency and choice regarding what fluid assemblages actually do. Clearly, design has fallen behind here. In at least recent decades, design has been driven by user centeredness, the goal being to create useful and appealing products for end users such that they will want to buy them. Today, other considerations drive the creation of networked products. "Platform capitalism" is one way to describe the complex nature of such products, services and companies and the larger forces driving their development.</p><p>Platforms - such as Amazon, Google, Facebook, Spotify, and others - provide hardware and software resources that others can use in creating products and services.</p><p>"This is of course quite useful, but it also puts these companies that own the platforms in key positions where they are serving as the meeting ground for many different actors, and where they can record all of the activities that run through them. This is an enormously advantageous position, especially since the primary way of pursuing economic growth now is through leveraging data. This situation has been called platform capitalism."</p><p>"Under platform capitalism, data collection is a top priority. So, rather than making things that are transferred from producer to consumer at the time of sale, there are now ongoing relations between producers and consumers. Consumers get continual product updates and personalization, while producers collect tons of data about what people do. The ultimate goal is to have people logged in all the time across devices, as Spotify boasts to advertisers. This is a drastically different kind of design, and of relations between making and use, than the industrial design that came into being at the time of the industrial revolution"</p><p>"We have already seen that if you have companies that are extremely powerful with no checks on them, things can quite easily go wrong."</p><p>Today, everything is designed around keeping users logged in, keeping us interacting, ultimately making it an addictive experience. That means that often new functions and products are developed solely with the purpose of keeping people on the platform. Such product development is hardly driven by the real needs of the user."</p><p><strong>Being Digital - The Human Experience in a Digital World</strong></p><p>Design research is very much about going from an existing to a preferred situation. It's not just about understanding, it's also initiating change. So, how do Heather and Johan presume to create a framework where these things, these fluid assemblages, can be unpacked and understood? And how should a new foundation be put in place where user-centred design once again become part of influencing what these fluid assemblages will look like in the future?</p><p>"The goal for the next three years of this research project is to try to develop ideas that can help us understand and talk with others about what is going on, and how these things could be different. Number one, how do these fluid assemblages show up in the world? This relates to the actual making of things, and to their expression and aesthetics. Often fluid assemblages try to mimic earlier types of things - for example, an Apple watch that is really more like a small computer than a mechanical watch - and try to hide the complexity of what they are actually doing. But what other aesthetics could be possible, and more appropriate and transparent?</p><p>"Obviously, it's a massive design challenge to make something visible that is so complex and layered. And these things might be like computational black boxes, but they are not ones that we can just open up in any straightforward sense! But one way to get there is to create new design practices describing how these products show up in the world and how they could be different."</p><p>"Number two, we want to further explore what these things actually do as part of larger networks. What are the functions that are not facing the users but other entities, what kind of data collecting is going on? At a larger scale, we can even ask how our images of the world are being shaped when we as societies represent and deal with everything in the terms of computation.</p><p>"From the social media products that many of us use every day to industrial processes, scientific practices, cultural production, governance, and more, computation has become the dominant mode of sense-making in the world. Computational things - and specifically fluid assemblages - are the touch points where data is produced and access to the world is mediated. How these things are designed and used in the future is thus, in our view, crucially important."</p><p> </p><p>Text: Jens Persson</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/changing-things---designing-for-transparency-in-a-digital-world_8149764/https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-university-climbs-on-global-university-rankings-in-art-and-design_7664039/Umeå University climbs on global university rankings in art and designUmeå University is now ranked 26th in the world in the category Art & Design in the QS World University Rankings – a rise on the list that few can match. The QS ranking is an annual ranking of 1,222 top universities in 85 different countries. Fri, 01 Mar 2019 08:30:22 +0100<p>Umeå University's ranking in the Art & Design category is the highest that the university received among the 48 subjects listed. The surge in the rankings can mainly be attributed to the rapidly expanding research environment at the Umeå Institute of Design, UID.<br><br>"This is a fantastic testament to the research and the PhD programme that has been cultivated at UID in recent years. We have previously claimed first spot on global rankings based on the quality of our bachelor and master's students and their projects. By being able to make waves globally also when it comes to research, we are now showing that we are on the right track in our ambitions to be a leading institution when it comes to challenging and exploring industrial design as an academic discipline", says Thomas Olofsson, Head of Department at the Umeå Institute of Design.<br><br>In the European rankings, Umeå University squeezed into the top ten, compared to last year's 26th place. Globally, the first place in the Art & Design category was claimed by the Royal College of Art, followed by the University of the Arts in London.<br><br>The QS World University Rankings looks at the most prestigious universities globally in all major scientific disciplines. Rankings are based on a variety of criteria, with particular emphasis on academic reputation, based on comprehensive questionnaire data collected during a five-year period.</p><p><a title="Read more about Umeå Institute of Design" href="http://uid.umu.se/en/">Read more about Umeå Institute of Design</a></p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-university-climbs-on-global-university-rankings-in-art-and-design_7664039/https://www.umu.se/en/news/ny-forskning-pekar-ut-alternativ-fantasifull-riktning-for-design_7543241/New research charts an alternative imaginative path for designCould a more experimental and imaginative way of doing design help make us better equipped to face climate change, dwindling resources and the rise of fascist movements across the globe? In his PhD thesis, Søren Rosenbak shows how design is able to grapple with our sense of what is possible. He believes that by untapping the creative and inclusive potential inherent in design, we can start to radically imagine what different futures could be like, and begin to put them into existence. Fri, 25 Jan 2019 10:19:39 +0100<p>We might not always realize it but when we look around, almost everything in our lives is designed. Our computers, our cars, our tables and our houses. Design is what pushes our boundaries and tells us what life can be like. But design can also contribute to cement bad habits that may no longer be beneficial to us. In his thesis, Søren Rosenbak, PhD student at the Umeå Institute of Design at Umeå University, suggests that we should not be afraid to think differently, and to challenge conventional ways of doing design.</p><p>Søren Rosenbak opens up a new way of understanding what design is and what it can do. Through a number of innovative field projects he has aimed to chart an alternative direction in design. The goal is to harvest the imaginations of not just designers but also citizens, from all walks of life.</p><p>So, what does this kind of design look like? In one project, aimed at creating new ideas for the "smart cities" of the future, Søren went to Hasselt, the smartest city in Belgium. The city received this recognition based on quantitative metrics such as air quality, energy consumption and mobility. But what if these traditional ways of measuring progress, often relating to cutting-edge technology, is only one way of assessing the "smartness" of a city? Could another way be through the interpretation of lies about that very city?</p><p>"I was actually more curious to see what they chose not to measure in Hasselt, like politics for example. To trigger the imagination of the citizens I asked them to tell me a lie about the city. Obviously, the answers resulted in a set of complicated data that is difficult to analyse. This doesn't, however, mean it isn't worthwhile, as every lie contains a grain of truth. In other words, figuring out what the city is not, is another way of figuring out what it is. Based on the interpretations of the lies, a set of participants started prototyping new urban futures for the city", says Søren Rosenbak.</p><p>One of these sessions led to an early morning public celebration of a library located in a public space that had an uninviting reputation amongst local citizens. Another session resulted in an effort to make the equally unwelcoming train station area cozy by staging a tea party with comfy sofas, inviting people to discuss the future of the city. These initiatives should perhaps less be seen as fully-fledged design solutions but more as methods for how we can organically generate fresh ideas while at the same time involving the public.</p><p>"Today, design processes are sometimes very one-lane, top-down and consensus driven, thereby failing to produce a range of other imaginative perspectives. Part of this comes from the fact that design often is being informed only by citizens who already feel empowered and entitled to contribute. I believe that there is so much untapped creativity and imagination out there. We need to find better ways of unleashing all that potential together".</p><p>Realizing that design influences such a big part of our lives also leads to the conclusion that design has the power to change things radically. Design is what makes things possible. Looking at the future, and the way in which our possibilities will decrease, through climate change for example, this sensing of the possible becomes crucial.</p><p>"The first step to changing things is to be able to imagine how things could be different. Design has a crucial role to play here, in its ability to not only imagine other solutions, as some theoretical exercise, but to bring them into existence".</p><p><em>Søren Rosenbak was born and raised in the northern part of Jutland, Denmark, and completed a Masters of Arts (MA) in Design at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Design (KADK), Copenhagen, in 2013. As part of his Master's degree, he visited Media Lab in Aalto ARTS, Helsinki, throughout the whole of 2012.</em></p><p><a href="http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-154570">Read the whole thesis digitally</a><br><br></p><h2 id="info0">About the dissertation:</h2><p>On Friday 25 January, Søren Rosenbak, Umeå Institute of Design at Umeå University, defends his thesis titled: <em>The Science of Imagining Solutions: Design Becoming Conscious of Itself Through Design.</em><br>The dissertation takes place at 13:00 at Umeå Institute of Design at Umeå University<br>Fakulty oppenent is Andrew Morrisson, Professor at the Institute of Design, AHO (Arkitektur- och designhögskolen), Oslo.</p><p><a href="https://mediabank.umu.se/selection/b97c301db14361eef3a72657aa3efb9c">Press photo. Credit: Sara Eriksson</a><br><br></p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/ny-forskning-pekar-ut-alternativ-fantasifull-riktning-for-design_7543241/https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-institute-of-design-ranked-first-by-red-dot_6988555/Umeå Institute of Design ranked first by Red DotFor the third year in a row, Umeå Institute of Design has retained the number one spot in the Red Dot Design Ranking. The prestigious ranking annually rates product design educations in the Americas & Europe.Mon, 01 Oct 2018 15:27:12 +0200<p>The position atop the Red Dot Ranking is a direct reflection of the projects produced by students at the school over the past five years. Amongst the winners from UID this year we find projects and products about electronic waste, fire hazards in poverty-stricken areas and paramedic equipment.</p><h3>"Sharing and collaborating is at the core, in every stage of the process"</h3><p>Thomas Olofsson, Head of Department at Umeå Institute of Design, talks about what makes UID a place that strives for continuous development.<br><br>"To once again be at the top of the Red Dot Ranking shows that we have been able to continue to foster a unique creative environment. This environment would not be possible without a common understanding and commitment amongst everyone involved, students and staff. At the core of this commitment is sharing and collaborating, in every stage of the process. Such recognition makes us hope, and believe, that we can continue to build an even more exciting future for design education and research here at Umeå Institute of Design."</p><h3>Infrared camera could revolutionize paramedic diagnostics</h3><p>Alexander Abele from Germany, who won an individual award at the gala on Friday September 28th, is taking his final year of the Master's in Advanced Product Design. He says the secret behind Umeå Institute of Design's success is a culture of collaboration and the ever-present emphasis on solving real-life problems.<br><br>"The intense and creative environment at UID keeps students working closely together. There is a collaborative spirit, across all programmes, that creates something quite special. Also, the way we approach new projects is always close to what goes on in the actual industry. Through constant field trips and presenting to people working in the real world of design we are able to create meaningful solutions to actual problems.", says Alexander Abele.</p><p><span class="quote-right">The intense and creative environment at UID keeps students working closely together.</span><br><br>The project that got him the Red Dot award tries to solve one of those very real-world problems. The product, FLIR HC150, is a thermal heat camera that aims to improve instant diagnostic in the crucial first minutes when paramedics arrive on the scene of an accident. With infrared technology the camera provides a faster way to conduct a non-invasive examination of the patient by scanning the body on the site of the accident.<br><br>"In hospitals they use computer tomography to detect these injuries. But the time between accident site and hospital is vital and can decide whether the patient lives or dies. Even with the tools in an ambulance today, invisible injuries such as internal bleeding, a stroke diagnosis and disturbed blood circulations, often stay undetected. With this camera we hope that we can provide paramedics with new important information while the scanned images can also be sent to the hospital to provide them early with crucial information.", explains Alexander Abele.<br><br>This is the third consecutive year that Umeå Institute of Design has been ranked number one in the Red Dot Ranking. For more information on UID award winners, see below.</p><p><strong>UID Red Dot Winners 2018</strong><br><em>This year Red Dot Award's Design Concept received a record 5,640 entries from 55 countries. On September 28th, the winners were honoured at the award ceremony in Singapore.</em><br><em>On site were APD alumnae Rebecca Daum who received an award for her thesis project <a title="Malaika" href="http://www.red-dot.sg/en/malaika-slum-home-security-system/">Malaika</a>. Present in Singapore were also APD's Alejandro Mandrion who received an award for <a title="Electrorun" href="http://www.red-dot.sg/en/electrorun-safety-wrench-atlas-copco/">Electrorun</a> and Ruben Eriksson who was acknowledged for <a title="Flir Fieldtech" href="http://www.red-dot.sg/en/flir-fieldtech/">Flir Fieldtech</a>, design concepts both developed during their first year at the Masters programme in advanced product design.</em><br><em>In total, UID had projects winning five awards, which included APD's Alexander Abele and his infrared camera for paramedics, <a title="Flir HC150" href="http://www.red-dot.sg/en/flir-thermal-heat-camera-for-the-paramedics/">Flir HC150</a>,  and James Skeggs and Franziska Heuck, who won a prestigious 'Best of the Best' for their collaborative robot <a title="Revive" href="http://www.red-dot.sg/en/revive/">Revive</a>.</em></p><p><strong>For more information, please contact:</strong><br>Jens Persson, communication officer, Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå University<br>Phone: +4690 786 50 63<br>E-post: jens.persson@umu.se</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-institute-of-design-ranked-first-by-red-dot_6988555/https://www.umu.se/en/news/spaceships-and-recycling-tips-at-uid18--umea-institute-of-designs-degree-exhibition_5811340/Spaceships and Recycling Tips at UID18 – Umeå Institute of Design’s Degree ExhibitionImagine a future where food waste has become a key source of energy instead of adding to our carbon footprint. What if billions of expectant mothers in developing countries could get access to safe surgery during childbirth? Could it be that we already know what space tourism will look like in 2040? On May 31– June 1, graduates present their degree projects at Umeå Institute of Design’s yearly exhibition, UID18 - Design Talks & Degree Show. Wed, 20 Jun 2018 15:58:31 +0200<p><p>During UID18, students at Umeå Institute of Design (UID), one of the world's top rated design programs, will present their degree projects through talks, with 3D models and by digital visualizations. The event has become an annual hotspot in the design world where  design professionals, major international companies and media gather to spot trends in the field of industrial design.</p><p>Many of the 48 projects are inspired by the digital evolution, aspiring to answer the question “Can technology strengthen our humanity?”. Several projects have a strong connection to healthcare. Fransizka Heuck utilized app technology to develop a digital training device for health care workers in developing countries. The training kit aims to help medical personnel train their skills to provide safe caesarean section in low resource settings.</p><p>In another project, Tyler MacDonald has turned towards the sky. Since 1961 only 556 people have ever been to space. That number is about to go up, drastically. A new age of space travel, dominated by private companies, will see actual tourists venture into space. But what will those spaceships look like? Tyler MacDonald provides a sneak peek into space travel in the year 2040.</p><p>"This year our students explore themes that truly challenge our notion of concepts like sustainability and diversity, stretching the limits of creativity and imagination. We are, of course, proud to be able to showcase their solutions and perspectives to how we can face the complex challenges facing modern society" says Johan Redström, Rector at UID.</p><p>UID’s global attraction has led to a highly international student base, close to twenty different nationalities among graduate students alone this year. The school also has strong ties to a host of multinational corporate giants like Microsoft, Google, Apple, Samsung, BMW and Airbus. Each year, representatives from companies travel to the event to follow up collaborations with students, to view demonstrations and portfolios, and to recruit the next generation of industrial designers.</p><p><strong>About UID18 - Design Talks & Degree Show:</strong></p><p>Location: Umeå Institute of Design, Östra Strandgatan 30, Umeå, Sweden<br>Time: Thursday 31 May–Friday 1 June</p><p><a class="columnarrow" href="http://uid.umu.se/en/uid18/the-event">Read more about UID18</a></p><p><strong>Press Information & Press Kit:</strong><br>Media can obtain preliminary information on four selected student projects, one from each program, in the UID18 press kit. The press kit also contains high resolution press images for download. Journalists can book interviews and an exclusive preview of the exhibition by contacting Communications Officer Jens Persson; jens.persson@umu.se</p><p><a class="columnarrow" href="http://www.uid.umu.se/en/uid18/press/">Press kit</a><br><strong>For more information, please contact:</strong></p><p>Jens Persson, Communications Officer, Umeå Institute of DesignPhone: +46 (0) 73-626 35 51<br>Email: jens.persson@umu.se</p><p>Maria Göransdotter, Vice-Rector, Umeå Institute of DesignPhone: +46 (0) 90 786 70 36, +46 (0) 70 336 70 36<br>Email: maria.goransdotter@umu.se</p><p class="textright">Editor: Anna-Lena Lindskog</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/spaceships-and-recycling-tips-at-uid18--umea-institute-of-designs-degree-exhibition_5811340/https://www.umu.se/en/news/large-grant-to-umea-institute-of-design-for-research-on-how-we-are-affected-by-our-digital-things_5812335/Large grant to Umeå Institute of Design for research on how we are affected by our digital thingsSince we can’t exactly ‘look under the hood’ anymore on all the digital things we use in everyday life, how do we know what these things are actually doing? And why do they seem to know so much about us anyway? A recent Wallenberg Foundation grant of SEK 4.5 million has been awarded to Umeå Institute of Design’s Heather Wiltse and Johan Redström to try to answer some of these questions.Wed, 20 Jun 2018 16:03:55 +0200<p><sup>Photo: Mostphotos</sup></p><p>How many everyday things around us are digital? The obvious example is the smart phone and the apps on it that we use to work, play, communicate, create, shop and manage our finances. But digital things also now include cars, watches, speakers, climate control systems and so much more.</p><p>”As more ‘traditional’ objects become digital, we see that digital things such as smartphone or computer applications are indeed also quite thing-like, showing up for us as things we use to get stuff done. So, what is actually going on with things in this new digital landscape of data-driven, interconnected products and systems? What do these changes mean for how we design and use the things around us? In this project we hope to develop concepts that allow us to discuss and understand these things, in order to help designers, researchers, and ordinary users better understand and care for their consequences and guide toward positive change”, says Heather Wiltse, assistant professor at Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå University.</p><p>What is the difference between a hammer and an app on your smartphone? Just about everything. What they do have in common is that both are designed things. However, the hammer stays the same while the app on your phone might collect data, change and adapt based on your interactions with it. The way we engage with an app, whether monitoring our health or getting updates on our favourite bands’ tour dates, produces valuable data that is sold to advertisers. In the case of Facebook and other social media platforms, more elaborate patterns of data collection steer interactions among users, perhaps even altering behaviour on a more significant scale.</p><p>The enormous amounts of personal data that are generated help create personalized and refined solutions that can be delightful. But in a world in which data is the new oil — the basic resource and lifeblood of socioeconomic processes — these things that get to know us so well are also producing data about us that flow to other “hidden” actors. This kind of data can then also be used for profiling, targeting, monitoring, and even surveillance and control.</p><p>So, things have changed, and are continually changing as the new norm. But our ways of thinking about them in use and design have not kept up. Heather Wiltse and professor Johan Redström believe that responsibly designing these connected things and systems requires better understanding of their increasing complexity — what they are, what they do, and whom they really serve.</p><p>“Digital things today have connections and do things that you can’t even see. There are worries here of course, about growing data trails and surveillance and so on. But I believe it’s important to not just be pessimistic about it. We need to be critical, but we also need to learn to talk about what these things actually are and all of the things they are doing in a more nuanced way. To be able to make these things more transparent, we first need to understand what transparency could even look like in such complex computational processes”, says Heather Wiltse.</p><h2 id="info0">About the grant:</h2><p>Project Title: Design Philosophy for Things that ChangeFunded by: Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg’s FoundationGrant: 4.5M SEK<br>Period: 2018-07-01 – 2021-12-31</p><h2 id="info1">For more information, please contact:</h2><p>Heather Wiltse, Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå University, SwedenPhone: +46 (0)76 115 0303<br>E-mail: <a href="mailto:heather.wiltse@umu.se">heather.wiltse@umu.se</a></p><p class="textright">Editor: Mattias Grundström Mitz</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/large-grant-to-umea-institute-of-design-for-research-on-how-we-are-affected-by-our-digital-things_5812335/https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-institute-of-design-ranked-best-in-the-world_5817113/Umeå Institute of Design ranked best in the worldBoth the prestigious Red Dot and iF rank Umeå Institute of Design (UID) at Umeå University as the best design school in Europe and the world. The school’s premises, in-house and external staff, and its focus on relevant collaborations with companies and the design profession are some of the factors that the school’s students believe are the underlying reasons for their school’s success.Wed, 20 Jun 2018 16:37:41 +0200<p>“When you leave Umeå, you not only leave with a wide palette of skills, but also with a great network”, says Rebecca Daum, an Austrian student who is taking her second year of the Master’s programme in Advanced Product Design. “You will find UID alumni in all relevant design agencies and departments all over the world."</p><p>When asked why Umeå Institute of Design have received so many design awards and so much international attention over the years she says:</p><p>“The projects we carry out focus on problem areas that matter and are relevant for the people in our time. In addition to that, the university environment provides you with everything you need for a successful project, whether it is facilities or staff.”</p><p>This year, Rebecca received two iF student awards for two projects that she worked on during her first study year at the school.</p><p> “The school invites people from the industry as collaboration partners. From these people we get knowledge and relevant feedback on our work," says Rebecca Daum.</p><p>Umeå Institute of Design at Umeå University has been ranked highest in Europe and America by Red Dot for several years. But it is the first time for the school to grab the first place in the iF ranking that also includes design schools in Asia. The ranking is based upon the student achievements in the two design competitions the past five and three years.</p><p>Thomas Degn, programme director of the Master’s programme in Advanced Product Design:<br>“A closer look at the Red Dot and the iF rankings shows that Umeå Institute of Design is the only design school to have placed itself in the top ten of both rankings,” he says. “That is another proof that the school’s continuous focus on relevant user and societal problems and challenges is appreciated by the international designer community. We teach our students creative tools and work methods and the importance of having a responsible attitude to the trade, and both are considered highly relevant to the profession.”</p><p>“In my mind, one of several reasons behind the success of our institute is that we are trying to creatively challenge ourselves,” says Thomas Degn. “We trust our students and support them in their individual development. We are also striving towards being an inspiring collaborative partner to society at large, as well as Swedish and international companies. That encourages a positive development among teachers and to the school. That’s also what makes it so much fun to work here.”</p><p><a class="columnarrow" href="http://uid.umu.se/en/news/archived-news/2016/uid-ranked-no-1-in-americas-europe-for-the-fourth-time/">Read more about the Red Dot ranking</a></p><p><a class="columnarrow" href="http://uid.umu.se/en/news/archived-news/2016/umeaa-institute-of-design-ranked-best-in-the-world-by-if-2016/">Read more about the iF ranking</a></p><p><a class="columnarrow" href="http://uid.umu.se/en/">Read more about Umeå Institute of Design</a></p><h2 class="highlight cyan">For more information, please contact:</h2><p>Thomas Degn, Programme director, Master’s programme in Advanced product design, Umeå Institute of DesignPhone: +46 90 786 77 41<br>Email: <a href="mailto:thomas.degn@umu.se">thomas.degn@umu.se</a></p><p>Demian Horst, Deputy rector for strategic collaboration, Umeå Institute of DesignPhone: +46 90 786 97 82<br>Email: <a href="mailto:demian.horst@umu.se">demian.horst@umu.se</a></p><p><a class="columnarrow" href="https://mediabank.umu.se/share/f711d75c6e2a27a4f068687475727e55">Photos for download</a></p><p class="textright">Editor: Anna Lawrence</p>https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-institute-of-design-ranked-best-in-the-world_5817113/