Design for Futures

Our research has a direct impact on design knowledge, leadership, education, and practices. We focus on:

1. Design Methodologies for Future Innovations.

We examine and develop human-centered, future-oriented design methodologies (e.g., design thinking, speculative design and user experience design) for successful and sustainable future innovations.

2. Role of Creativity in Future Value Creation

We explore the intersection of creativity, design, and art in generating value, focusing on developing capabilities that foster both sustainable businesses and meaningful, innovative solutions for global challenges.

3. Sustainability through Strategic Design and Foresight

We investigate the integration of foresight with design in developing sustainable, responsible solutions, aiming for resilient futures that balance economic, environmental, and societal well-being.

Members of the research group

Paulo R. N. Dziobczenski

Paulo is a design researcher and graphic designer. He works as Chief Specialist in Strategic Design Innovations at LAB University of Applied Sciences. His research focuses on how organizations can benefit from strategic design. His early research has been published in the International Journal of Design, Design Journal, DRS Conferences among others.

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Markus Ahola

Markus is experience design researcher. His research focuses on understanding how human experiences can be traced and translated into design drivers for developing systems, services, environments, and products.

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Ari Hautaniemi

Ari holds a Master's degree in Sociology and is a PhD candidate at Tampere University, specializing in organizational cultures and group behaviour. He has extensive experience in RDI projects, focusing on design thinking and behavioural sciences. Recently, Ari has focused on gamification, new technologies, and future skills needs.

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Jenni Niemelä-Nyrhinen

Jenni Niemelä-Nyrhinen is a visual studies scholar with a multidisciplinary background. She holds the title of docent in visual studies, especially photography studies. Jenni’s current research interests relate to the role of design in imagining and making sense of possible futures. Jenni coordinates the Design for Futures research group.

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Aino Vepsäläinen

Aino is an expert in design and holds a Master’s degree in Arts (Design). She specializes in sustainable and circular design. She has extensive experience in the versatile application of design, as well as in building and leading both domestic and international projects. Aino works as a Chief Specialist at LAB University of Applied Sciences.

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Mikko Illi

Mikko is a design researcher with multi-disciplinary and international interests. His expertise relate to research that combines design and business knowledge. Mikko’s doctoral dissertation is about selling industrial machines with visuals. Mikko has also researched visual metaphors in group meetings using physical objects.

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Publications and articles

Ahola, M., Murto, P., Kujala, P., & Pitkänen, J. (2014). Perceiving safety in passenger ships–User studies in an authentic environment. Safety science, 70, 222-232. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0925753514001283

Ahola, M., & Mugge, R. (2017). Safety in passenger ships: The influence of environmental design characteristics on people's perception of safety. Applied Ergonomics, 59, 143-152. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003687016301521

Ahola, M., Uusitalo, S., Palva, L., & Sepponen, R. (2022). Scaling the magnetic resonance imaging through design research. In Human Interaction, Emerging Technologies and Future Systems V: Proceedings of the 5th International Virtual Conference on Human Interaction and Emerging Technologies, IHIET 2021, August 27-29, 2021 and the 6th IHIET: Future Systems (IHIET-FS 2021), October 28-30, 2021, France (pp. 1018-1025). Springer International Publishing. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-85540-6_130

Ilen, E., Groth, C., Ahola, M., & Niinimäki, K. (2019). Empathy in a Technology-Driven Design Process: Designing for users without a voice of their own. Nordes, (8). https://archive.nordes.org/index.php/n13/article/view/492/0

Ahola, M., Himberg, T., Ahola, P., & Vainio, T. (2021). Kohti yhteisöllisen tiedon rakentamista: Näkökulmia kokemuksen tutkimusmenetelmistä käsittelevän kurssin toteutuksesta Aalto-yliopistossa. YLIOPISTOPEDAGOGIIKKA, 28(2). https://lehti.yliopistopedagogiikka.fi/2021/12/20/kohti-yhteisollisen-tiedon-rakentamista-nakokulmia-kokemuksen-tutkimusmenetelmia-kasittelevan-kurssin-toteutuksesta-aalto-yliopistossa/

Dziobczenski, P.R.N., Person, O., Meriläinen, S. 2018. Designing Career Paths in Graphic Design: A Document Analysis of Job Advertisements for Graphic Design Positions in Finland. The Design Journal. 21 (3): 349–70.

Dziobczenski, P.R.N., Person, O., Tonetto, L.M., Mandelli, R.R. 2018. Requests from Companies and Requirements for Design Education in Brazil: Where do they meet? in DRS International Conference Series. London: Design Research Society.

Dziobczenski, P.R.N., Person, O. 2017. Graphic Designer Wanted: A Document Analysis of the Described Skill Set of Graphic Designers in Job Advertisements from the United Kingdom. International Journal of Design 11 (2), 41-55.

Dziobczenski, P.R.N., Keinonen, T., Sekar, B. 2024. 'My previous view of design was limited' -Teaching design to non-designers at Aalto University. In NordDesign 2024 Conference. Reykjavik, Iceland.

Dziobczenski, P.R.N. 2024. 'Strategic design for green transition: Expanding designers' responsibilities and impact' In What's around design? Conference. Portimão, Portugal.

Hautaniemi, A. (2024). Against the Machine. Deep-seated beliefs of organizational identity and purpose of European student radio stations. International Communication Gazette.

Hautaniemi, A. (2022). Balancing the Turbulence: Organizational Values in European Student Radio. Journal of Radio & Audio Media.

Hautaniemi, A. (2022). Organizational artefacts in European student radio. International Communication Gazette.

Hautaniemi, A. (2021) Metataidot tulevaisuuden työelämässä – aikuisopiskelijoiden reflektointia oman osaamisen kehittämisestä. LAB RDI Journal.

Hautaniemi, A. (2018). Promoting social capital through grassroots radio. In Peltonen, K. (Ed.), Well-Being And Regenerative Growth Annual Review 2017.

Hautaniemi, A. (2018) Empathy – a Gamechanger in the male-biased game industry. In Kotonen, Ulla (ed.) Smart Business Annual Review. Lahden ammattikorkeakoulun julkaisusarja 49.

Hautaniemi, A. et. al. (2012) Ambiguity in Service Design. In Kuosa, Tuomo & Westerlund, Leo (ed.) Service Design. On the Evolution of Design Expertise. Lahti University of Applied Sciences Series A. Research reports, part 16.

Blom, R. & Hautaniemi, A. (2009). Työelämä muuttuu, joustaako hyvinvointi. Gaudeamus, Helsinki.

Hautaniemi, A. ym. (2009). Osaamisen merkitys, työvoimavarojen, tuottavuuden ja hyvinvoinnin turvaamisessa - katsaus tutkimuskirjallisuuteen. Sektoritutkimuksen neuvottelukunnan julkaisuja; nro 5.

Illi, M. (2014). Facilitation with digital tools, pictures and tangible objects in face-to-face workshops. In proceedings of conference of Design Society, ‘Design 2014’, Dubrovnik. https://www.designsociety.org/publication/35347/FACILITATION+WITH+DIGITAL+TOOLS%2C+PICTURES+AND+TANGIBLE+OBJECTS+IN+FACE-TO-FACE+WORKSHOPS

Illi, M. (2022). SELLING MACHINES WITH VISUALS - Interaction Analysis of Granularity in Sensemaking and Persuasive Sales Logics (Doctoral dissertation in Aalto University). Aalto University publication series. https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/handle/123456789/117066

Illi, M., Gustafsson, R., and Masoodian, M. (2024). Visual metaphors for collaboration planning in strategy meetings. Journal of Strategy and Management, 1755-425X DOI 10.1108/JSMA-05-2024-0089 https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JSMA-05-2024-0089/full/html

Illi, M., Karyda, M., and Lucero, A. (2018). On Visual Granularity - Collocated Sales Meeting Interactions in the Machine Industry. In proceedings of the ACM CHI ‘Conference on human factors in computing systems,’ Montreal. https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3173574.3173721

Niemelä-Nyrhinen, J., & Uusitalo, N. (2024). Redistributing the sensible: exploring aesthetic practices in a photography course. Environmental Education Research, (published online first). https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2024.2403454

Niemelä-Nyrhinen, J., & Seppänen, J. (2023). Photography as play: examining constant photographing and photo sharing among young people. Visual Communication, 22(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/14703572211008485

Uusitalo, N. ja Niemelä-Nyrhinen, J. (2022). Visuaalinen journalismi ilmastonmuutoksen estetiikan muovaajana. Teoksessa: Ympäristömuutos ja estetiikka, toimittaneet Jukka Mikkonen, Sanna Lehtinen, Kaisa Kortekallio ja Noora-Helena Korpelainen, 236–267. Suomen Estetiikan Seura ry, Helsinki. https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/343564

Niemelä-Nyrhinen, J., & Uusitalo, N. (2021). Aesthetic practices in the climate crisis: Intervening in consensual frameworks of the sensible through images. Nordic Journal of Media Studies, 3(1), 164-183. https://doi.org/10.2478/njms-2021-0009

Niemelä-Nyrhinen, J., & Seppänen, J. (2020). Visual communion: The photographic image as phatic communication. New Media & Society, 22(6), 1043–1057. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444819876237