Design for societal transformation

What can help us overcome challenges such as malnutrition among the elderly, the climate impact of society, and the finances of small municipalities? The answer is design. One example can be seen in Umeå, where more people are opting to use public transport thanks to a bus station which has been designed to transform the cold, boring wait for the bus in an Arctic climate into a pleasant break during the day. 

RISE is using design and prototype-driven processes to challenge preconceptions, limitations, and problems in order to better understand the needs of people and the planet. In the work, we invite operators from different parts of society to a change and learning process guided by design.

Our design area is based on design research and includes expertise in user experience, interaction design, service design, artistic intervention, digital ethics, organisational transformational skills, design to realise different future scenarios, design of learning ecosystems, and design for transformational practice. 

Together with customers and partners, we identify new ways of dealing with challenges and goals, discover unexpected ways to interact, and develop new services, policies, and business models.