Department of Design

DesignSTS Network

Network connecting and facilitating knowledge sharing among researchers whose work intertwines design and science and technology studies.
Väre-buildings hall with impressive wooden staircase

DesignSTS network connects and helps knowledge sharing among researchers whose work intertwines design and science and technology studies (STS). Design and STS hold many connections that run both ways. Both are deeply interested in the mutual shaping of ’the social’ and ’the material’, and recognize how social, technical, scientific, political, economic, organizational and environmental (and so on) matters cannot be meaningfully pulled apart and treated separately when studying them ’in the making’. 

STS theories, concepts and sensitivities increasingly have informed design research regarding, for instances, the practical realization of design, material agency, public engagement, ethics and values embedded in and through designs and contextualizing design within wider sociotechnical change. In turn, design increasingly informs ’socially engaged STS’, hands-on research designs and blending between constructive and analytical approaches to studying society and technology in the making. Domain-wise the intertwinements of design and STS can be found across a wide range from participatory design, design ethics, sustainable design, studies of design processes to material engagement and energy transformations in and through design.  

The DesignSTS network spans several areas of design and research groups within and outwith Aalto University department of design. Its common ways of working include inviting its members to in-research group reading and article discussion sessions, topical seminars and guest lectures.  

People

 Sampsa Hyysalo

Sampsa Hyysalo

Professori
Research interests: codesign, user involvement in innovation, co-evolution of technologies, practices and organizations.

Andrea Botero

Research interests: Technologies, services, media formats and genres for collectives and communities.
 Maarit Mäkelä

Maarit Mäkelä

Professor
A803 Dept. Design
Research interests: Ceramics and fine art, materiality, especially in the context of artistic and practice-led research.
 Julia Valle

Julia Valle

Assistant Professor
Department of Design
 Mikko Jalas

Mikko Jalas

Research interests: Energy efficiency, renewable energies.
 Guy Julier

Guy Julier

Professori
Research interests: Observing and researching global changes in design, economics and society.
 Goeun Park

Goeun Park

Doctoral Researcher
Research interests: Do It Yourself design practices and communities.
 Luis Vega

Luis Vega

Doctoral Researcher
Research interests: Cross-cultural collaboration, craft as a platform to investigate ways of socializing knowledge.
 Riikka Latva-Somppi

Riikka Latva-Somppi

 Hella Hernberg

Hella Hernberg

Postdoctoral Researcher
Research interests: Mediation of sustainable change processes involving multi-actor networks in spatio-material contexts
 Eeva Berglund

Eeva Berglund

Adjunct Professor
Research interests: (environmental) activism and social movements, anthropology, design in society and politics.
Aalto Design Research
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