Sustainable Platforming with Design

Aalto University ARTS
Helsinki, Finland
SUSTAINABLE PLATFORMING
WITH DESIGN
9/12/13 Factor Clave 2013 | Tatu Marttila: SUSTAINABLE PLATFORMING WITH DESIGN
Tatu Marttila (M.A. Industrial Design)
Teacher, researcher, doctoral candidate
Aalto University ARTS, Helsinki, Finland
http://designresearch.aalto.fi/groups/nodus/

Helsinki, Finland
Contents
• Introduction
• Design
• Sustainability
• Platforms
• Praxis
• Conclusions

Helsinki, Finland
Introduction to Finland
Finland:
• A Nordic “social welfare” state with +5 million people population
• History: From wood industry to hi-tech to service society
• Appreciation for design (national design policies; WDC2012)
• High on education (PISA results)
• Somewhat hit by EU regression
Helsinki, the capital city
Photograph by Mikko Paananen,
via Wikipedia

Helsinki, Finland
Aalto University:
• A university formed in 2010 through a merger of University of Art and Design, School of
Economics and University of Technology
• Now 6 schools and around 15000 students + 4000 staff
• Located in three campuses around Helsinki metropolitan area
• A place where “Art and Business meets Science and Technology”

Helsinki, Finland
DESIGN.

Helsinki, Finland
Current landscapes of Design Practice
During the 20th
century design practice has evolved from a craft
focused skill to a tool to understand user and consumer choices, and
finally to manage societal change.
At the same time the focus of design action has evolved from details to
strategic level, and finally to the societal level.
By the end of the 20th
century the unsustainability of our current
being has become evident.
21st
century – the century for design?

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Source: NextDesign Leadership Institute,
GK VanPatter and Elizabeth Pastor
The landscapes of
design practice and
education:

Helsinki, Finland

Helsinki, Finland
From details design towards Metadesign
Designers attach meanings (‘signs’) to things (‘designed’). Designing
meanings can be perceived as Metadesign.
Metadesign is aimed at defining, creating and developing social,
economic and technical infrastructures in which new forms of
collaborative design can take place -> Platforms!
Metadesign has an interdisciplinary and systemic approach, and it
aims to tackle the complex problems of our contemporary everyday.
It represents the upstream of design, whereas the details design is the
downstream…

Helsinki, Finland
Understanding design action
Contemporary design action stretches from visual communication to
interface design, from product design to societal design, and from urban
planning to industrial processes.
Design is still about “courses of action aimed at changing existing
situations into preferred ones." (Simon, 1996)
Designers help to develop solutions to contemporary problems
(collaboratively and independently), and communicate about them
inside and outside teams.

Helsinki, Finland
SUSTAINABILITY.

Helsinki, Finland
Sustainability in Consumer Society
Consumer society started to emerge strongly at the latest in the latter
half of the 20th century. However, many of its ingredients were planted
far before the 20th century.
Most importantly it seems that the consumption society is connected to
economic capitalism that is enhanced with extremely efficient
industrial production.
An era of second modernity?
Along the emerging consumer society design emerged as a discipline
and became industrialized, connecting strongly with manufacturing
industry and focusing on increasing efficiency, functionality, styling
and advertising.

Helsinki, Finland
Designer responsibility and sustainability
Design as a problem solving activity? Or as a problem creation
activity?
In Victor Papanek's (1927-1999) view: "There are professions more
harmful than Industrial Design, but only a few.”
We all design but not all of us are professional designers – with have a
higher level of responsibility of design action.
In the brief history of industrial design, designers have done their part by
not questioning the practices of work.
- How are we doing?

Helsinki, Finland
Weak or strong sustainability?
Three pillars of sustainability Three pillars of sustainability – Nested
within the ecological dimension

Helsinki, Finland
Whose sustainability?
The history of capitalism can be traced back to early forms of merchant
capitalism practiced in Western Europe during the Middle Ages, but only
industrialized mass production has created possibilities for
contemporary models of consumption.
Today, economic growth based on planned obsolescence has
become force majeure in the ‘developed’ societies. Combined with the
economic imperative of growth it has led to ecological crisis.
No one can deny negative ecological impacts of consumption.
Allegedly, however, economic growth has created increased societal
wellbeing.
- Does consumption produce societal welfare and wellbeing?

Helsinki, Finland
Source: www.treehugger.com
No genuine progress in the quality of life (USA):

Helsinki, Finland
Source: http://www.happyplanetindex.org/

Helsinki, Finland
So are we getting sustainable?
Cleaner production, growing welfare and decoupling of wealth
and pollution seem to be (at least partially) only myths…
Rebound-effect is driven by the economic imperative, as markets aim
to produce more stuff as impact per unit decreases.
Even if factor 10 (ten times more effective production of services) is
achieved by 2050, there can only be negative growth in consumption,
and also in economy in the ‘developed’ contexts.
We seem to approach the depletion of all the resources within 21st
century.
According to some estimations, as business-as-usual continues, a global
collapse is closing in around the middle of this century.

Helsinki, Finland
Source: “A safe operating space for humanity” (2011) by Stockholm Resilience Centre/Nature

Helsinki, Finland
Global collapse within this century?
Source: PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, via Scientific American

Helsinki, Finland
Sustainability in the making…
Role of design shifting from details to systems level and eventually
towards societal transformation (Aminoff, et al. 2011)
Context-dependent sustainability should be defined among a larger
group of stakeholders, including laypeople
Design approach in solving difficult and complex problems and
problem-contexts - “wicked problems” (Rittel & Webber, 1973)
Design thinking and reflection (problem-driven and solution
oriented) helping collaborative process by creating new integrations of
signs, things, actions and environment (Buchanan, 1995)

Helsinki, Finland
Source: The Natural Step, see: http://www.naturalstep.org/

Helsinki, Finland
From design in transition…
Contemporary user-centered design is unable to produce more sustainable
solutions as long as it works along the imperative of economic
growth.
Suggested improvements as new approaches have been (more)
functional and systemic design, but they embrace the existing power
structures.
A shift in our mode of being is required, from quantitative to
qualitative, from consumption to conservation, and from
imperialism to co-existence.
This must happen under the imperative of sustainment – design
must become a part of politics (Fry, 2008; 2010).

Helsinki, Finland
…Into Design for Sustainability
Challenges of sustainability are often complex and multi-faceted and
require mediation between several concepts, contexts and interests.
Accordingly, sustainable design should be based on a broader view,
constructed in collaboration between several experts and laypeople.
Hence, design and research for sustainability must have a systemic
approach (Shedroff, 2009) and a trans-scientific character (Tukker,
et al. 2008).
Sustainable design requires transdisciplinary knowledge and action
within a real-life problem context. It requires an expanded, systemic
and collaboratively mediated perspective

Helsinki, Finland
…And design activism!
Design activism can be defined as “design thinking, imagination and
practice applied knowingly or unknowingly to create a counter-narrative
aimed at generating and balancing positive social, institutional,
environmental and/or economic change” (Fuad-Luke, 2009).
Design activists (working voluntarily or with a salary) are designing for
a reason – to create counter-narratives to the unsustainable status quo.
Design activists create platforms to address and discuss some
contemporary problems in society, everyday life and in design itself.

Helsinki, Finland
PLATFORMING.

Helsinki, Finland
New types of knowledge and learning
Developing inter-professional collaboration (Hukkinen, 2008):
multidisciplinary > interdisciplinary > transdisciplinary
New type(s) of knowledge and learning in meeting points
between different professions: “Mode 1” vs. “Mode 2” knowledge
(Gibbons, et al. 1994) and collective knowledge creation (Engeström,
2008; Hakkarainen, 2004); Hybrid knowledge (Bruun, et al. 2005)
"Shared problem space" to integrate and translate (disciplinary)
knowledge with a “transdisciplinary design dialogue” (Wahl &
Baxter, 2008)
Different backgrounds and different types of people (education,
profession, experiences and history)

Helsinki, Finland
Platforming for sustainability
Learning for sustainable design calls for problem and project-based
collaborative learning (Blunden, 2011) and transdisciplinary
design dialogues (Wahl & Baxter, 2008)
Communities with epistemic traditions, or “communities of practice”
(Lave & Wenger, 1991) -> Towards a "community of interest"
(Fischer, 2001)
Affecting factors: Professional background, different personal
histories, tools and activities, trust and orientation, management support

Helsinki, Finland
(Co-)Design(ed) platforms
New knowledge on the role of design as something that mediates
social relations in contemporary daily living has to be developed through
transdisciplinary design dialogues involving a wide group of
specialists and laypeople.
These developments require a widespread discourse on the values and
driving forces behind the process. How to prioritize stakeholders or
their interests and from which perspective to assess sustainability? What is
the designer's role and responsibility? What are the most important areas
of development?
Design projects around sustainability can function as mediums to
support such discourse, if they are reachable and open.

Helsinki, Finland
Design for
Transdisciplinarity
Transdisciplinary action for sustainability
(Marttila 2013; DRS/Cumulus conference)

Helsinki, Finland
Design for
The Imaginative
Anthony Dunne suggests (2005)
that we require “poeticizising the
distance between people and
[electronic] objects” to encourage
“sensitive skepticism” rather than
“unthinking assimilation”
(Ibid.).
Such actions call for “breaking
through the white noise” of our
contemporary existence
(Fuad-Luke, 2009).
Design academia and experimenting
(Marttila 2013; DRS/Cumulus conference)

Helsinki, Finland
PRAXIS.

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Platforming in praxis
Design action, as well as design(ed) platforms address articulation,
mediation and exploration.
If they are open and accessible to the potential problem owners they can
also induce more sustainable action.

Helsinki, Finland
Example.1
Developing CS MA program
Creative Sustainability (CS) is a
multidisciplinary MA program that
initiated in fall 2010 in Aalto University.
All CS students attend to common
introduction courses (6-10 total
ECTS). These students also attend to
complete modules (up to 20 ECTS)
that are engaging students from
several study programs in real-life
cases and in transdisciplinary teamwork.
See: http://acs.aalto.fi
Creative Sustainability
Master’s Program

Helsinki, Finland
Developing CS program:
The pedagogical approach is based on “integrating teaching and
research, problem-based learning, blended learning and strong
connection to practical outcomes” -> constructive and open
approach.
Vague topical areas such as design and sustainability
Several degree programs collaborating -> difficulties to develop
common contents.
Students started involving themselves in developing the program.

Helsinki, Finland
“Stuff We Do” on CS website:

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CS student initiated projects:
image courtesy: Whose* Issues Project blog (whoseissues.tumblr.com)

Helsinki, Finland
CS program spin-off: Big Plans Bakery
Big Plans Bakery is a seven-member interdisciplinary organization
somewhere between a think tank and a design consultancy – which is
why it’s a think/do tank.
While being partially CS student initiated, it is also now participating
to CS teaching.
“We’re at our best in producing solutions to problems that come between people and a
sustainable future. Our solutions are based on valid theory that is proven in tangible
actions – this assures the scientific and ethical integrity that is the centre of our operational
values.”
See: http://bigplansbakery.com/

Helsinki, Finland
Example.2
WDC2012 Wellbeing projects
365 Wellbeing consists of 12 projects which represent actual
services or processes in the cities of Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen and Lahti.
Projects addressed different dimensions of wellbeing, focusing in
particular on municipal wellbeing services and patient-centered
health care solutions.
A part of the official WDC2012 program.
See: http://365wellbeing.aalto.fi/

Helsinki, Finland
Repicturing Suburban Neighborhood:
Material by TANGO project team

Helsinki, Finland
Alternative Design Capital (ADC) 2012:
Alternative Design Capital (ADC) was born from the need to have a
platform for open, experimental and critical practices
excluded from the official WDC2012 programme.
ADC is aspiring to continue in Cape Town 2014 (World Design Capital
2014).
See: http://adc2012.org/

Helsinki, Finland
ADC2012 projects:
Image courtesy: Kallio Kukkii ja Soi!

Helsinki, Finland
Image courtesy: Alternative Design Capital 2012 | adc2012.org

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CONCLUSIONS.

Helsinki, Finland
Design platforms for sustainability
Instrumental approach to sustainable design is not enough.
New collaborative and transdisciplinary approach is needed.
Design aiming for sustainability can address efficiency, but not
without addressing also the meanings that are attached to things.
Thus, sustainable design must reach towards metadesign level, where
“conscious awareness, value systems, worldviews” are collaboratively
defined (Wahl & Baxter, 2008).
New type of decision-making is required, including increased
knowledge base through transdisciplinary design dialogues between
experts and laypeople (Ibid.), but also new types of power
structures.

Helsinki, Finland
Design platforms for sustainability
The challenge of sustainability is to design a new way of
being. Design practice, education, economic activity and interaction
within the social have to be addressed as a whole.
One aim of sustainable design should therefore be to create the
supportive platforms that enable better awareness, more informed
collaboration and more genuine interaction, with a wide public audience
and several stakeholder groups, co-aligned under a new direction.
Design education can provide its educators and its future professionals
with specific skills, to enable them to better facilitate collaboration and
communication among several participants.

Helsinki, Finland
From details to consequences
(or vice versa?)

Helsinki, Finland
THANK.YOU!

Helsinki, Finland
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