Dr. Docent Eija Nieminen: Sustainable Design - Social Innovation?
Director
Designium Innovation Centre
University of Art and Design, Helsinki
Finland
In my recent scientific work I have carried out projects with nano and energy specialists, architects and designers to explore, in collaboration with industrial companies such as Nokia, and some textile companies, how the principles of sustainable development could be innovatively applied in the product design and architectural planning processes in three different market areas: b-2-b, b-2-c and b-2-b-2-c.
The main objective of the project is to produce new approaches and ideas for sustainable innovations, based on cradle-to-cradle approach (instead of cradle-to-grave) with aspects, such as modularity, closed material cycles, robust and upgrade design and shift from products towards product-service systems.
The aim also is to evaluate and renew processes in industrial and architectural design, as well as those in landscape and urban ecology planning, by using methods emerging from usability and user centered innovation research.
The paper will present the first results, visions, ideas and concepts for sustainability, based on industrial and urban case studies, carried out in the project.
The research partners are the University of Art and Design, Helsinki (Industrial Design and Innovation), the Helsinki University of Technology (Dept. of Architecture) and the Helsinki School of Economics (International Design Business Management).