NorrMul Root: Empowering local small scale farmers
NorrMul
Vehicle Concept Design (TD1)
2025
The region of Vindelälven is host to a rich history of farming and cultivation, but has seen a reduction in small producers in the era of mechanisation and consolidation. NorrMul looks to make it easier for small producers to connect with end consumers and small businesses by scaling down cold chain refrigeration and acting as a mobile point of sale.
About the course
Designing the Future of Rural Mobility invites students to act as designers addressing the transport needs of sparsely populated regions. Across ten intensive weeks they explore how compact, electric and potentially autonomous vehicles can support sustainable mobility in northern Sweden. The work is guided by several UN Sustainable Development Goals and encourages students to consider how new solutions can improve accessibility, energy efficiency and quality of life in rural areas.
Students begin with a compact platform designed for efficiency and tough Nordic conditions, then develop vehicle concepts that support people, goods and public services. The proposals are also intended to be adaptable for future urban use. The course combines hand sketching, Photoshop rendering and CAD with AI supported visualisation, allowing students to compare traditional and emerging tools while reflecting on creativity, reliability and ethics in design workflows.
Five opportunity areas shape the project work: on demand rural transport, feeder services to public transport hubs, first and last‑mile goods distribution, healthcare and public service vehicles, and farm to market logistics. Team based scenarios ensure a clear link between user needs and design outcomes.
Collaboration with Rural Living Lab, Luvly and Scania strengthens the connection to real‑world challenges. These partners provide insight into rural mobility systems, lightweight modular platforms, manufacturability, micro mobility regulations, sustainable transport and autonomous logistics. Their involvement ensures that students receive professional feedback and work with relevant and credible contexts.
The course aims to support students in developing sustainable, people centred and forward‑thinking mobility concepts, encouraging curiosity, collaboration and critical reflection throughout the process.
Alexander Borisch
Master's Programme in Transportation Design
Roman Cross
Master's Programme in Transportation Design
How can we connect local farmers with end consumers, encouraging decentralized small scale farming in northern Sweden?
Core concept
Desired attributes
Early concept sketches
Inspiration board
Sketch exploration
CMF: a metaphor for growing
The day to day chore is acting as a mobile point of sale unit where multiple farmers can sell their produce, increasing diversity.
On the road
This setting is showing the elevated market experience, where farmers can be present.
B2B delivery boxes ergonomically placed for picking up larger items
Initial Concepts: During our process, we explored a vast range of different concepts that approached the brief from different angles.
Concept refinement: My version of the package took inspiration from a hardy working animal carrying a backpack, and I focused on a mix of fabrics as well as robust fenders to give a tough, capable impression. This metaphorical approach got refined and simplified over time.
Say hello to Tote, my interpretation of Team NorrMul’s concept package. Tote embodies the spirit of working farm animals that span across cultures, with an expression that symbolises a hard working creature carrying a heavy pack. It’s here to Democratise food transportation, Re-Connect farmers and consumers, and provide local Resilience.
Rear34: The wrapping fabric covers creates an asymmetrical expression, and prominently shows off the ‘backpack’ theme, with customisable graphics based on the area the vehicle is serving.
Chalkboard: Producers can customise their designated POS area using the e-Ink chalkboard, adding a familiar analogue twist to this digital solution
B2B deliveries are housed in the lower shelving units, with ideal ergonomic placement for large, heavy packages
POS: Fold out scales offer a place to gather purchases while calculating the transaction. The e-Ink chalkboard changes to reflect what has been selected
