Introducing Paulo Dziobczenski, Chief Specialist of strategic design innovations

LAB has four key competences to focus on: circular economy, innovations, health, and design. LAB’s design solutions support new value creation for businesses, which the new Chief Specialist, Paulo Dziobczenski, is intending to promote on towards a more strategic contribution for organizations and society.

Dziobczenski have studied graphic design (BA) and design management (M.Sc.) in Brazil. He moved to Finland for doing his PhD at Aalto University in the department of design. At Aalto, Dziobczenski studied the role of designers in companies and how companies recruit designers in the UK, Finland and Brazil.

“In Brazil, I have worked in in-house teams and design agencies as a graphic designer. Also, I have worked in a university as a lecturer in a graphic design programme. In Finland, I have mainly worked at Aalto University in the design department and other projects, such as the Design Inside and the Radical Creativity. As kind of a hobby, I host a job board for designers and have been helping companies to recruit designers,” Dziobczenski says.

Dziobczenski did end up in LAB University of Applied Sciences through his job board project since he always kept his eyes open to all open positions in Finland.

“One day I saw my current work position opening in LAB, and the job description seemed extremely interesting. I have worked with some LAB people before at Aalto, so I asked around before applying. When I met some future colleagues during the recruitment process, my interest in LAB increased. I’m happy that they decided to invite me to join LAB.”

“Designers can have a bigger impact on society by embracing strategic and sustainable design perspectives”

Paulo Dziobczenski’s will work at LAB in RDI research projects that involve strategic design.

“I want to build bridges between LAB, organizations and design professionals. In other words, to connect education with the ‘real-world’. I am a believer that designers can have a bigger impact on society by embracing strategic and sustainable design perspectives. I want also to be active in teaching and work with students in bachelor and master levels,” Dziobczenski explains.

The goal of the new Chief Specialist is to promote design towards a more strategic contribution for organizations and society.

“This will happen through, for example, collaborations with organizations to showcase the work designers can do. Also, in education, to prepare designers to work strategically after they graduate. Especially in recent times, sustainability is a more pressing topic and designers have a key role in the decisions made that can harm or benefit the planet.”

Sports helps to maintain a work-life balance

For Dziobczenski, different types of sport are his way to recover work. “As most Brazilians, I love football and play every week here in Helsinki. Also, I go to CrossFit and every now and then go for a bike ride or run.”

His family life has links to sports as well: “I follow my 6-year-old daughter on her skating school and gymnastics. There is something relaxing in just sitting and watching her ice-skating for 1 hour every week. We joke that she might be the first Brazilian to compete in the Winter Olympics, as she is pretty good,” he laughs.

Dziobczenski reveals that he’s also a football player, when asked about something that others may not know.

“In 2019, together with two friends, I founded a football team: Internacional Helsinki F.C. We assembled a very international group with players from Brazil, Portugal, Finland, Ukraine and others. We played in the Miesten harraste Futsal-Nelonen and were doing pretty well: 10 matches, 9 wins and 1 draw. Then COVID-19 started. The championship never ended.”