Förstudien syftar till att tillsammans med MittSverige Vatten & Avfall (MSVA) ta fram verktyg för att informera om vinsterna med källsortering och påverka för att nå en bättre, mer hållbar avfallshantering i Sundsvall. En hållbar avfallshantering bidrar till att ge förutsättningar för en hållbartillväxt och god livsmiljö i Sundsvall. I förstudien presenteras exempel och förslag på hur visualiseringar kan bidra till att förbättra avfallshanteringen i Sundsvalls kommun. Inom ramen för studien har också en Återbruksfestival genomförts i syfte att undersöka och uppmärksamma vad som slängs samt ge konkreta exempel på återvinning och återbruk. Vidare genomfördes ett seminarium baserat på underliggande arbete kring hur papper och kartong kan användas som material för att ersätta hushållsförpackningar i plast. Förstudien utgör också en del i arbetet mot visionen att initiera forskning i samverkan med de aktörer i regionen som kan se nytta av design och visualisering i sin egen verksamhet. Förstudien har också bidragit till att ge underlag för framtida inriktningar, förutsättningar, och forskningsfrågor inom visualisering och design.

Medverkan i panel med fokus på mål 2 och 4 i direktsänt webbinar 4 oktober 2021 i A Sustainable Start Hållbarhetsseminarium Agenda 2030.

In a sustainable development we meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Brundtland, 1987). To achieve this, we must redesign the way we produce, consume and recycle today. Here, design education all over the world has a responsibility supporting the transition to a circular economy. 

At Mid Sweden University in the northern part of Sweden, design education for a sustainable society is in focus. In the degree programme, students are trained to evaluate design problems, design processes and design solutions in relation to the UN’s global goals for sustainable development. The sustainability goals are included in the programme syllabus, which gives an impact on student assignments, collaboration projects and research. The overall pedagogical view is that good design contributes to mutual understanding and in the long run a better world. A circular design-methodology is part of the education, including a scientific and artistic approach.

Ett föredrag om designens roll i omställningen mot en hållbar utveckling av livsmedelssystemet, med fokus på beteendedesign.

Recently, there has been an increase of data visualizations and in the diversity of forms. In parallel, design research has developed over the last decades. However, there have been few academic publications in the area of design specifically focusing on visualization research. In this poster, we present an overview of design research within the field of visualization in order to investigate key research areas and possible directions for future work.

Enligt forskningen finns det ett behov av lärande för transformation för att bryta mot vanor, praxis, normer ochstrukturer som är ohållbara (Boström et al 2018). Nudging är ett verktyg för att förändra människors beteende genomatt influera en persons val utan att ta bort valfriheten, tvinga någon til någonting eller tala om vad som är rätt ellerfel (Thaler & Sunstein, 2008). Snarare avser nudging underlätta för människor att göra val som är fördelaktiga församhället. Metoden blev uppmärksammad år 2017 i samband med att Richard Thaler tilldelades nobelpriset iekonomi och presenterade teorin om hur människor kan göra bättre val om vi får en positiv knuff. Sedan desshar företag, organisationer, beslutfattare och regeringar använt metoden framgångsrikt, men tillämpningenav nudging som pedagogisk resurs i klassrummet är ännu relativt outforskat (Neergaard, Robinson & Jones,2021). Tidigare forskning inom området ställer frågan huruvida utbildning för hållbar utveckling bör försöka förändrastudenternas beteenden eller om utbildningen ska fokusera på kunskap och kritiskt tänkande (Wales, 2011).

Syftet med den här studien är att undersöka transformativt lärande som pedagogiskt perspektiv i högre undervisning fören hållbar utveckling.

Metoden bygger på en kvalitativ studie där vi undersöker hur nudging kan vara tillämpbart i det självständiga arbetet. Ienkäter och intervjuer med kandidatstudenter i ämnet grafisk design utforskar vi hur olika nudging-triggers kan motivera och fungera som pedagogisk resurs i undervisningen.

Det förväntat resultatet handlar om utfallet av nya pedagogiska grepp i högre undervisning samt hur lärare med hjälpav nudging kan inspirera studenter till att kritiskt reflektera och engagera sig inom områden som rörsamhälleliga utmaningar. Studien förväntas därmed kunna bidra till högskolepedagogisk forskning om transformativtlärande med koppling till undervisning för hållbar utveckling.

Referenser

Boström, M.; Andersson, E.; Berg, M.; Gustafsson, K.; Gustavsson, E.; Hysing, E.; Lidskog, R.; Löfmarck, E.; Ojala, M.; Olsson, J.; Singleton, B.E.; Svenberg, S.; Uggla, Y.; Öhman, J. Conditions for Transformative Learning for Sustainable Development: A Theoretical Review and Approach. Sustainability 2018, 10, 4479. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10124479  

Thaler, R. H., & Sunstein, C. R. (2008). Nudge: Improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness.Yale University Press.  

Wals, A (2011) Learning Our Way to Sustainability, Journal of Education for Sustainable Development 5:2 (2011): 177–186. DOI: 10.1177/097340821100500208 

Neergaard, H., Robinson, S. and Jones, S. (2021), "Transformative learning in the entrepreneurship education process: the role of pedagogical nudging and reflection", International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, Vol. 27 No. 1, pp. 251-277. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-04-2020-0235  

Our perceptual thinking is largely unconscious (Brumberger, 2003). When we decide which political party to vote for, what to eat for dinner, whom to sit next to, or where to spend our holiday, our unconscious thoughts play a big role, and previous research indicates how deeply the unconscious mind shapes our daily interactions (Bargh, 2014). According to scholars (Schreuder, 2014; Khushaba et al., 2013) it is important to know about the unconscious when we are interested in studying human behaviour and, in particular, human visual experiences.

Design is discussed as a way of shaping the surrounding and as an expression of the culture to which it belongs (Skjerven and Reitan, 2018). By designing meaning is created (Ehn, Nilsson & Topgaard, 2014; Escobar, 2018). Recently, there has been wide interest in research focusing on design in a circular economy (Moreno, De los Rios, Charnley, 2016; Wastling, Charnley and Moreno, 2018). Studies on new business models pay attention to design strategies for a circular economy but does not provide guidance for designers developing new circular business models (Moreno, De los Rios, Rowe and Charnley, 2016). In addition, there is a huge gap between the concept of circular economy and its practical implementation in the industry (Bianchini, Rossi and Marco Pellegrini, 2019). Furthermore, there are few academic publications in the area of design specifically focusing on visualizations (Vande Moere and Purchase, 2011). Hence, additional studies focusing on the visual aspects of circular processes are needed. 

Against this background, the purpose of this study is to examine visualizations of circular business models in the food industry. First, the concept of circular business models is discussed from a design perspective. Second, this study summarizes how visual presentations of circular business models are visualized within the food industry.  

The study begins with a literature review and is followed by a visual content analysis on how a selection of companies within the food industry visually present their circular business models. Results are presented on how the concept of circular business models is discussed from a design perspective. Also, this study summarize results on how visual presentations of circular business models are visualized within the food industry.  

This study addresses the relation between the increasing role of the sustainability agenda in society and the visual presentation of circular business models by companies. With this study, we hope to provide a better understanding of the visual aspect of business models based on circular principles and from a design aspect, contribute to knowledge about visual presentations of sustainable processes in society. In a reality where the earth's resources are limited, a shift in production and consumption is required and knowledge of new circular business models are needed. This is in line with global goal number 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production – 12.2: by 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources, and 2.5: by 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.  

The world after the pandemic will not be what it was before the crisis and this enables a transition to a circular economy (Regeringskansliet, 2020). To succeed, sustainable business models are required (FAO, 2020). During 2020, domestic and global markets are facing challenges due to the restrictions on people’s movement that were imposed to contain its spread of of COVID-19 (FAO, 2020) and changes in access to groceries in stores (Wetter, Rosengren & Törn, 2020; Sim, Chua, Vieta & Fernandez, 2020). 

In previous research waste is described as a design flaw, as the processes that generate waste are a result of poor design (Anastas & Zimmerman, 2006; Ordónez, 2017). Ekberg (2009) points out that waste is what is left behind when imagination fails and this also reflects a reconsidering of waste as resources if given another context.   

In a globalized world with international trade, there is a greater range of products on the market and the amount of waste is constantly increasing (Avfall Sverige, 2021). A challenge is therefore to reduce the amount of waste. De Laney (2018) points out that there is a huge opportunity to reduce landfill waste and improve consumer habits through design. In this process, we must learn to include new and more inclusive ways of thinking and acting that support long-term social sustainability through design (Wikberg Nilsson & Jahnke, 2018).  

More than forty years ago, Dilnot (1982) emphasized that through design, we humans give shape, direction and meaning to our individual and collective existence in the world. Today, there are different design solutions for household waste and recycling and Vollaard and van Soest (2020) argue that reducing unsorted waste normally requires little in the way of capital investment beyond buying a set of in-home recycling bins. Although, many times consumers aren´t aware of the impact of their disposal decisions and many facilities for local waste disposal and recycling have processes that are unique to them that could cause confusion (De Laney, 2018). In accordance, we must find a way to get consumers to care and to motivate a change in habits.  

The research question of this study is how waste is understood and managed and this is explored through a case study with a local housing company and waste management company, interested in improving waste sorting.   

In order to answer the research question, interviews are conducted with people living in the specific buildings belonging to the housing company, respondents from the local housing company and the waste management company and results are presented on perceptions of waste and what the barriers are to improve waste sorting. This is complemented by a literature review to provide a better understanding of research through design for a sustainable behavior related to waste.  

This paper presents a norm-critical aspect on universal design and waste in a collaborative research project with the objective of creating more inclusive solutions for waste systems. The overall ambition of this study is to build on knowledge of the role of design as an activity of shaping the human surroundings and as an expression of the culture to which it belongs (Skjerven & Reitan, 2018).   

The study is related to global goal number 2.5: by 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.   

Designforskningens oumbärlighet

Av Anna-Sara Fagerholm, Karina Göransson och Per-Olof Hedvall

Design har betydelse i samhällsbygget eftersom den gestaltade livsmiljön påverkarmänniskor i deras vardag (1). Inom designämnena vid Mittuniversitetet bidrar vitill att lösa samhällets utmaningar när det gäller hållbar utveckling med kopplingtill miljö, människa, mångfald, mat och medicin. Det gör vi genom att arbeta medforskning som tillämpar och bygger vidare på våra kompetenser inom gestaltningoch designmetodik. Genom designforskning, i nära samverkan med människor ochmiljö, arbetar vi för att förverkliga omställningen till förnybar grön energi, återvinningpå alla samhällets skalor, cirkulär ekonomi och alla människors rätt till god hälsa,välbefinnande och inkluderande livsmiljöer. Forskningen kännetecknas av att denkombinerar konstnärliga och vetenskapliga arbetssätt och drar nytta av de tre ämnenaindustridesign, grafisk design och fotografi.Att skapa saker för ett ändamål har sin uppkomst samtidigt som mänskligheten.

Behovet av att designa går tillbaka till våra förfäder och design som praktik har funnits i mer än 2,5 miljoner år, ända sedan de första spjuten och verktygen tillverkades (2, 3). Idag handlar design om utveckling av symboler, produkter, miljöer, processer, tjänster,program och system. Gemensamt är att designlösningarna har tillkommit med ensärskild avsikt och för att lösa olika behov. Tidigare och nuvarande generationer hardesignat sig in i den ohållbara situation som samhället är i just nu. Design är en lösningför att slå in på vägen mot en samhällsutveckling som är mänskligt, ekonomiskt ochekologiskt hållbar. Det finns på så vis en transformativ kraft i design som både kanöppna upp för utveckling och förhindra den.

Människa och miljö i fokus

I forskningen tillämpar vi ett universal design-perspektiv som innebär ett normkritisktmångfaldstänk och att den design som tas fram är inkluderande. Ett hållbartsamhälle bygger på omsorgsfullt gestaltade och inkluderande livsmiljöer med godaförutsättningar att påverka utvecklingen av den gemensamma miljön (1). Design somen utvecklingskraft för förändring präglar både våra grundutbildningar och forskning.Det synsättet kan i sin tur spåras tillbaka till Nobelpristagaren Herbert Simon sompoängterade att design handlar om att förflytta en situation till en önskad situation (4). Karaktäristiskt är att vi utvecklar kunskap genom samskapande designprocesser där människa och miljö är i fokus. Forskningen är situerad och bygger på metoder som handlar om att vara i samhället och fånga skeenden i sin kontext. Problem somundersöks utvecklas och konkretiseras parallellt och i takt med att designlösningaroch resultat växer fram. I designprocesser är det sällan klart från början vilka genomarbetade designlösningar som skapas längre fram eftersom processen äriterativ och kreativ.

Gör skillnad regionalt och globalt

Vi fokuserar på tillgänglighet och delaktighet och att genom universell utformningmotverka diskriminering och öka inkludering (5). Det kan exempelvis beröra hur designkan bidra till hållbara aktiviteter i vardagen; i ett forskningsprojekt i Örnsköldsvikundersöks vilka mekanismer som styr våra attityder och beteenden och hur design kanha betydelse för att förbättra avfallshanteringen i kommunen (6). Designforskningenär ofta tvärvetenskaplig; i ett samarbete med Härnösands kommun var fokus hållbaralivsmedelssystem genom co-design och visualisering med inriktning på foodtechoch industriell symbios (7). I ett annat forskningsprojekt med Härnösands kommunär forskare från olika ämnen involverade där inflytande och delaktighet definieras,tillämpas och bedöms. Avsikten i den studien är att utveckla design som stödjervardagskompetensen för unga personer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning.Andra exempel handlar om att söka ny kunskap genom konstnärlig praktik relateradtill platser av energiutvinning och miljöförändringar. Ett av forskningsprojektenfokuserar på Nämforsen, Ångermanälvens första vattenkraftverk, som en plats förkollektivt minne (8). I en studie tillsammans med Forum för genusforskning varjämlikhet och lika villkor centralt i design av en applikation mot härskartekniker.Designforskningen samverkar med Kvinnokliniken vid Region Västernorrland inomområdet hälsa och välfärd med syfte att stödja jämlik egenvård av kvinnor medbäckenbottenskador, och ett av resultaten har implementerats i vården i Kramfors (9).Vi intresserar oss även för hur visuella perspektiv kan öppna upp för mångfaldstänkför såväl individer som organisationer (10). Ett exempel är en studie som utforskar hurvisuella strategier används på organisationsnivå för att möjliggöra interaktivitet ochdeltagande handlingar, vilket i sin tur utgör kärnan i designaktivism (11).

Vi identifierar, undersöker och förändrar det som skaver i samhället. Vi utvecklarkunskap för en värld som svarar mot människors behov och vår miljö. Vi harredskap att ta oss an komplexa problem, visualisera scenarion och föreslå lösningar.Designforskningen vid Mittuniversitetet är oumbärlig för hållbar utveckling regionaltoch globalt.

Referenser

1. Sveriges Regering. Gestaltande livsmiljö [Internet]. 2017. Available from: https://www.regeringen.se/contentassets/8ecb8b5973924e6b9e93627c041d27a6/politik-forgestaltadlivsmiljo-prop.-201718110.pdf2. Nelson HG, Stolterman E. The Design Way: Intentional Change in an Unpredictable World. TheMIT Press; 2014.3. Redström J. Making Design Theory. The MIT Press; 2017.4. Simon H.A. The Sciences of the Artificial. 3rd ed. MIT Press; 1969.5. Hedvall P-O, Price M, Keller J, Ericsson S. Towards 3rd Generation Universal Design: ExploringNonclusive Design. Transforming Our World through Universal Design for Human Development.2022. p. 85–92. 94 GLOB AL A UTMANINGAR – LOK AL A LÖSNINGAR6. Fagerholm A, Haller H, Warell A, Hedvall P. What a Waste – A norm-critical design studyon how waste is understood and managed. Resources, Conservation & Recycling Advances.2023;19:200178.7. Haller H, Fagerholm A, Carlsson P, Skoglund W, van den Brink P, Danielski I, Brink K, MuratM,et al. Towards a Resilient and Resource-Efficient Local Food System Based on Industrial Symbiosisin Härnösand: A Swedish Case Study. Sustainability. 2022;14.8. Thompson LM. (In)visible powers: witnessing the ‘tourist-waters’ of Nämforsen. CulturalGeographies. 2023;30(2):325-332.9. Sahin S. Tjänstedesignprojekt på barnmorskemottagningen i Kramfors [Internet]. Designscen.2021. Available from: https://designscen.se/tjanstedesignprojekt-pabarnmorskemottagningeni-kramfors/.10. Göransson K, Fagerholm A. Towards visual strategic communications: An innovativeinterdisciplinary perspective on visual dimensions within the strategic communications field.Journal of Communication Management. 2018;22(1):46–66.11. Fagerholm A-S, Göransson K, Thompson L, Hedvall P-O. Activism online: Exploring howcrises are communicated visually in activism campaigns. Journal of Contingencies andCrisisManagement. 2023;1–10

During the past years, activist movements have increasingly turned to social media to raise awareness and critically discuss current development and future scenarios. As a contribution to the discussion of new social movements and activism in the digital age, this study aims to explore and critically discuss how environmental risks and crisis are visually communicated in activism campaigns on Instagram, through a case study on Extinction Rebellion Sweden (XRsv). The study is delimited to the first 334 posts on XRsv's Instagram between November 14, 2018 and March 1, 2020. Methods used are interview and content analysis. In conclusion, XRsv has adopted aspects of design activism including visual tactics of Informing, Activating and Explaining. These three visual aspects are used by XRsv in an online context enabling interactivity and participatory actions, which in turn forms the core of design activism.

Panelsamtal/Intervju · 32 min

Mer än 820 miljoner människor i världen har inte tillräckligt med mat. Samtidigt stressas vår planet av våra matvanor och västvärldens resursslöseri. Hur kan vi öka matproduktion genom att äta insekter och hur kan design göra skillnad? Ett utbildningssamtal över ett bord dukat med insektsmat mellan Henrik Haller, universitetslektor i ekoteknik, och Anna-Sara Fagerholm, universitetslektor i grafisk design. Inspelat den 6 maj på campus Sundsvall, Mittuniversitetet. Arrangör: Mittuniversitetet.

This article seeks to contribute new insights into inclusive recycling environments through universal design. The aim is to develop knowledge on how waste is understood and managed by exploring the practice and design of a recycling environment. Applying a norm-critical view, this is explored in a study with participants from a municipal housing company and waste management company in northern Sweden. Methods used are go-along interviews together with professionals and observations of a recycling environment. The results are discussed as: 1) the “(un)social norm;” where our results show that the waste system is perceived as a social system, contradicting previous approaches where waste systems are treated as technical environments. 2) the “(un)design factor;” where we identify how design in a recycling context that doesn´t emphasise diversity may affect activities of sorting.

In 2016, the Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ) was tasked by the Swedish government to conduct an evaluation of efforts by universities to promote sustainable development. The results published in 2017 shows that a quarter of the academic institutions meet the criteria set (Fors, Holmquist, Helldahl, Lundh, Öst, 2017). In 1987, the Brundtland commission's report stated that sustainable development can be defined as a development that satisfies today's needs without compromising the ability of future generations to satisfy their needs (WCED, 1987).

In the published text “The Uninhabitable Earth” (Wallace-Wells, 2017) the authors run through a number of extreme climate possibilities, and the article is the most-read article in New York Magazine’s history and has spawned a fleet of commentary across the world. In addition, this topic has been noticed for a long time, even in 200 years ago scholars argued that the Earth's resources were limited (Jonsson, 2017). Despite insights from history, progress towards a sustainable society is slow (Living planet report, 2016). In accordance, we argue that higher education has a responsibility to examine how sustainability can become more extensive in our educational practice.

Against this background, this presentation aims to exemplify how the academic subject graphic design at Mid Sweden University has redirected towards a sustainable approach – in education, research and external projects. In accordance, Claudine (2017), argues that good design applied to real world problems can lead to major improvements in lifestyle and living standards.

In spring 2014, colleagues of the Graphic Design Program started a project on how sustainable development could be in focus, and a decision was taken to implement UN's 17 sustainable development goals in the education plan. Several new courses were introduced, the design methodology clarified and theoretical perspectives was defined. Today, the graphic design students and researchers at Mid Sweden University promote a Designer as Author perspective (Bestley and Noble, 2016) and the course objectives for the education include being able to demonstrate theoretical and practical design for a sustainable future.

References

Bestley, R & Noble, I. (2016). Visual Research: An introduction to research methods in graphic design. 3. uppl. Bloomsbury Publishing.                                                                                           

Claudine, J. (2017). Visual Communication and Cognition in Everyday Decision-Making. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications 37 (6): 10–18.

Fors, Y., Holmquist, H., Helldahl, P., Lundh, A., Öst, Y. (2017) Universitets och högskolors arbete med att främja en hållbar utveckling, En tematisk utvärdering. Universitetskanslersämbetet Rapport 2017:12.

Jonsson, B-G. (2017). Inget nytt under solen – 200 år med Malthus In Hållbarhetens många ansikten: samtal, forskning och fantasier / [ed] Andresen, E., Lidén, G.,Nyhlén, S. Sundsvall: Mid Sweden University, 2017, s. 139-139.                                                                                             

Living Planet Report, WWF (2016)

http://www.wwf.se/source.php/1688121/LPR%202016.pdf (downloaded 2018-02-06).                                                                             

WCED (1987), Our Common Future, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Wallace-Wells, D. (2017) “The Uninhabitable Earth, Annotated Edition”

In a pandemic, a large amount of information must reach people in an efficient, coordinated and credible way (Folkhälsomyndigheten, 2019a: 12). A lack of communication has been shown to exacerbate the crisis and reduce citizens' confidence in those in power (MSB, 2006). Here, design is important for how people perceive information as visual messages tend to have more impact than text (Jacobs, 2020; Otten, Cheng, & Drewnowski, 2015). Therefore, it could be beneficial to use visual elements in the design of complex information to ensure that messages reaches the target groups (King, 2016). Here, infographics can be a tool (Jacob, 2020; Weinschenk 2011). Visual elements in communication can also contribute to health-related topics being perceived as more interesting (King & Lazard, 2020).

To reduce the spread of Covid-19, people around the world are urged to follow the recommendations communicated by authorities in each country, (FHM, 2020). In this context, designed infographics can be used – in research these graphic design elements are described as visual representations of information, data, or knowledge (Ocampo, 2011), presenting complex stories or a large amount of data in a visual and accessable way (Jacob, 2020; Damman, Vonk, van den Haak, van Hooijdonk and Timmermans, 2018; Weinschenk 2011).

Against this background, the purpose of this study is to examine how Covid-19 is visualized in information material from authorities* in the Nordic countries Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Island, and how design elements are expressed in the material.

Previous research has to a large extent been quantitative with surveys and opinion polls, but with the gradual increase in the role and visual expression of the media, qualitative studies are increasingly common (Vigsö, 2016: 74).

In this comparative case study, a visual content analysis is used, and results are presented on similarities and differences between how different northern countries visualize information material about covid19 and how design elements and infographics are used in the material aiming to build trust in times of risks and crises.

The background to research on crises is often about improving how society handles new crises (Vigsö, 2016: 73). In times of pandemics, there is always a high risk of misinformation being spread, which is a phenomenon that the World Health Organization (WHO) term as infodemia (Institutet för språk och folkminnen, 2020). Visual strategies can be used to improve the quality of health communication during public health crises and reduce the unintended effects of infodemic conditions (King, 2020). During public health crises such as the ongoing corona pandemic, there is a great need to improve and strengthen public communication to reduce the spread of infection (King, 2020). The overall ambition of this study is thus to build on knowledge of the role of design in societal crises. This van be linked to the UN's global target number 3 and the sub-goals 3.3 Fight infectious diseases and 3.D Improve early warning systems for global health risks.

* National authorities that has a national responsibility for public health issues and works to ensure that the population is protected against communicable diseases and other health threats.

The purpose is to investigate how design processes are visualized in research, with the overall aim to highlight dominant structures from a design activist perspective. The method used is a scoping review of literature and a visual content analysis. The results show that there is no established standard for visualizing design processes. The visualized models are often implicit, creating difficulties regarding the validity and effectiveness. The linear model is the norm when presenting design processes visually. The design requirement of at-tractiveness in the visualizations seem to be closely linked to the individual expression of the researcher. From a design activism perspective, there is a potential for disrupting existing power structures in design processes by questioning how they are visualized. There is a need for more sophisticated user-centered methodology in order to gain insights from the models presented. 

A well-functioning democracy is based on the fact that there is confidence in organizations in the public sector (Gromark & Melin, 2013). Access to information is important for maintaining an organization's legitimacy and can thus be seen as a foundation of democracy. The opposite, that people do not have access to equivalent information, can instead result in inequality and other forms of discrimination. In Sweden, there is a new law to secure that information on public websites must be accessible and possible to perceive (2018: 1937). Legitimacy and trust in the authorities and governmental works is governed, among other things, by norms, rules and principles for what is right and wrong communication (Fredriksson & Pallas, 2011). Public trust is presented as a process and result of publicly generated trust in publicly visible actors (Bentele and Seidenglanz, 2008). On this basis, credibility is related to communication processes in a context of inclusivity. Here, visual strategies are important since it can be used to influence opinion (Wong, 2016), change attitude and behavior (Frascara, 2006) and for transformation and social change (Buchanan, 1998; Bichler and Beier, 2016). 

Against this background, the purpose of this study is to explore how communication professionals at government agencies in Sweden plan their visual communication in a digital context from a inclusivity perspective. 

In order to answer the purpose, a literature review was done, and interviews were conducted. The sample of this study focuses on government agencies in Sweden, i.e. authorities controlled by the Swedish government. 

In the results, we first describe how communication professionals at government agencies in Sweden plan their visual communication in a digital context. Second, the result focus on visual strategies as an assessment tool in a communication planning process from a inclusivity perspective. 

With this study, we hope to provide a better understanding of visual strategies in the communication planning process, contributing to knowledge about how to create inclusion in visual digital communication. This is in line with global goal number 16; Peaceful and inclusive societies – Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, ensure that everyone has access to justice and build effective and accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels and also 16.10: Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms – Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national law and international agreements. 

At times of pandemic and restrictions in society with limited possibilities to visit government agencies in the same way as before the crises, access to digital information is of great importance. This is relevant for an inclusive, democratic and sustainable society, not excluding citizens. COVID-19 has acted as an accelerator for the need of inclusivity included to prevent inequality. 

In the digitalized society today, organizations must function in a complex context [1]. Digital accessibility focuses on that no one should be prevented from gaining access to digital public service, the information must thus be accessible. Well-functioning democracies are characterized by public sector organizations that are inclusive, trustworthy, and visible [2]. Having access to information is important to maintain an organization's legitimacy and can be seen as a foundation of democracy. Organizational communication should be accessible and easy to understand by everyone, regardless of gender, age, and ability [3]. In light of the new web accessibility directive, this study shows that the investigated Swedish authorities' communication has challenges in a digital context when it comes to actually creating meaningful communication for their target groups. The communication professionals do have visual strategies for their digital communication, but there are major difficulties in knowing if the transmitted messages are meaningful and understandable. We argue that visual strategies are needed not only on a technical and effectiveness level but also on a semantic level. Implementing visual strategies at a semantic level might contribute to communication activities responding to people's needs making the communication meaningful in their everyday lives. Against this background, the purpose of this paper is to explore how communication professionals at government agencies in Sweden reflect on their visual strategies in a digital context. The paper is based on qualitative semi-structured interviews with communication professionals at government agencies in Sweden.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore how a visual perspective can be applied to strategic communication research. First, the term visual communication will be examined from various perspectives with an attempt to develop a foundation for this new academic territory. Second, this study summarises how visual approaches are applied in strategic communication research during 2005-2015, this is done by a literature review including an overall content analysis. Design/methodology/approach: In order to explore how visual approaches can be applied to strategic communication research, the study started with a literature review by examining the term visual communication from various perspectives. The second step was to do a brief content analysis in order to provide a detailed pattern of theoretical visual approaches in strategic communication research published in scientific journals in the field of strategic communication 2005-2015. A qualitative coding scheme was developed based on the classification of visual approaches in communication research by Barnhurst et al. (2004) and Martin (2011). Findings: The findings of this study not only support previous research indicating that visual approaches in communication research are increasing; the study also points in the direction of that visual approaches in the research field of strategic communication has slightly emerged during 2005-2015. Research limitations/implications: This study summarises how visual approaches are applied in strategic communication research during 2005-2015. Originality/value: This study can provide important knowledge about an innovative visual perspective in strategic communication research. 

Recently, there has been a wide interest in sustainability in design research (Bichler and Beier, 2016; Campbell, Douglas, MacDiarmid, 2016; Haug, 2016). In media, this phenomena is described as the "Greta Thunberg effect" (Watts, 2019). In the article “The Uninhabitable Earth” (Wallace-Wells, 2017) the author runs through a number of extreme climate possibilities, this is one of the most-read article in New York Magazine’s history and has spawned a fleet of commentary across the world.

Although, this topic has been noticed for a long time, even in 200 years ago scholars argued that the Earth's resources were limited (Jonsson, 2017). Despite insights from history, progress towards a sustainable society is slow (wwf, 2016). The designer and educator Papanek argued in 1985 that all design should have a function and thus be socially and ecologically aware. However, when the Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ) was tasked by the Swedish government to conduct an evaluation of efforts by universities to promote sustainable development, the results show that only a quarter of the academic institutions meet the criteria set (Fors, Holmquist, Helldahl, Lundh, Öst, 2017). 

In this paper, we argue that higher education has a responsibility to pay attention to how sustainability can become more extensive in our educational practice. In accordance with Claudine (2017), we argue that good design applied to real world problems can lead to major improvements in lifestyle and living standards. Haug (2016) means that design education should apply a broader perspective to encourage design students’ to create sustainable solutions as well as engaging others.

At Mid Sweden University design students have worked with sustainability for many years. In their exam projects they identify sustainability problems related to UN global goals for sustainable development, creating design solutions grounded in real world problems.

The purpose of this paper is to explore how sustainability is expressed in exam projects, and what topics the students have worked with from a designer as author perspective, in order to share knowledge and contribute to socially sustainable shifts in society.

Methods used are visual content analysis and visualizations summarizing the results. The preliminary results indicate what sustainable issues the young population find most important and what design solutions the students develop and express in various ways, not only as artefacts, but as products of an investigation of the pluriverse (Escobar, 2018). This is turn, opens to a discussion of the many different cultures which are present in society. In the full paper we problemize this further. 

In recent years, graphic designers around the world have become increasingly interested in how to make a difference in society (Bennet, 2006). According to Papanek (1985), designers have a moral responsibility to improve the society, and all design should be socially and ecologically conscious.  

Throughout the history of design activism, visual strategies are used to express and ground a critical discourse. In 1964, twenty British graphic designers signed the First Things First-manifesto, by Ken Garland. The manifesto, called for a return to a humanist aspect of design and was a protest against the trivial productions of mainstream advertising (Garland, 1964). In 2000, The First Things First Manifesto 2000, was published, and the rebirth once again created discussion about graphic design and social responsibility (Garland and Poyner, 2000). 

In previous studies, design activism is described as challenging the role of design as a marketing tool (Bichler and Beier, 2016). One example is the activism group Extinction Rebellion, a movement that encourages people across the world to act and stop the impact human intervention has on the planet (https://rebellion.earth). Here, visual strategy is that all art work is to be used non-commercially. 

In research, visual strategy is discussed as a tool to influence opinion (Wong, 2016), change attitude and behavior (Frascara, 2006) and for transformation and social change (Buchanan, 1998; Bichler and Beier, 2016). Against this background, the purpose of this paper is to explore how environmental risks and crises are visualized in contemporary design activism campaigns. This is done by visual content analysis of international activist-campaigns produced during a ten-year period. 

The endeavour to align the goals of the Swedish food strategy with the national environmental quality objectives and the 17 global SDGs, presents an extraordinary challenge that calls forsystemic innovation. Industrial symbiosis can potentially provide the means for increasing sustainable food production, using locally subexploited resources that can reduce the need for land, agro-chemicals, transport and energy. This case study of the municipality of Härnösand, aims to assess opportunities and challenges for using waste flows and by-products for local food production, facilitated by industrial symbiosis. A potential symbiotic network was developed during three workshops with the main stakeholders in Härnösand. The potential of the COVID-19 pandemic to instigate policy changes, behavioural changes and formation of new alliances that may catalyse the transition towards food systems based on industrial symbiosis is discussed. The material flow inventory revealed that many under exploited resource flows were present in quantities that rendered them commercially interesting. Resources that can be used for innovative food production include, e.g., lignocellulosic residues, rock dust, and food processing waste. The internalised drive among local companies interested in industrial symbiosis and the emerging symbiotic relations, provide a fertile ground for the establishment of a local network that can process the subexploited material flows. Although there are multiple challenges for an industrial symbiosis network to form in Härnösand, this study shows that there is a significant potential to create added value from the region’s many resources while at the same time making the food system more sustainable and resilient, by expanding industrial symbiosis practices.

Titel: Co-design som metod för kursutveckling ur ett norm-kritiskt perspektiv 

Författare: Semra Sahin, Karina Göransson, Anna-Sara Fagerholm

Bakgrund & syfte

Den här studien bidrar till ökad kunskap om hur co-design som metod kan användas för kursutveckling av kollegor inom högre utbildning. Målet med att använda co-design är att väcka latent kunskap genom kreativt samskapande workshops (Sanders, 2001). Studien bygger på material från en serie workshopar genomförda inom ett ämneskollegium vid en svensk designskola i syfte att stärka utbildningarnas kvalitet ur ett normkritiskt perspektiv. Under workshoparna involveras samtliga kollegor i lärarlaget aktivt att delta för att säkerställa att resultatet uppfyller behov som är användbart i utvecklingen av kurser på kandidatnivå.  Syftet med studien är att utveckla kunskap om hur co-design som metod kan användas i utveckling av kurser.   

Metod och teori

Metoden co-design bygger på en iterativ visuella process och involverar aktivt deltagande i samskapande workshops (Sanders & Stappers, 2008). Totalt har tre workshop genomförts under 2023 med 18 deltagare, samtliga anställda vid lärosätet. Under workshoparna användes ett i förväg förberett material bestående av tidsplan, spelpjäser, lärandemålkort, momentkort, lokalerkort, teknikkort, idéparkeringskort. Avsikten var att i kollegiet tillsammans ta fram idéer för ny struktur och nytt innehåll för kursen examensarbete. Som normkritiskt verktyg för att ge strukturerad återkoppling på arbetet användes “Show & Tell Feedback Sessions”. Under dessa sessioner fick deltagarna i workshops i ett första steg ge skriftlig feedback på arbetet och i ett andra steg beskriva sina associationer och känslor kopplat till processen (Paim et al., 2016). Ett normkritiskt perspektiv har varit vägledande i co-designprocessen för att möjliggöra ett mer inkluderande och deltagande arbetssätt (Nilsson & Jahnke, 2018). Avsikten har varit att frångå det traditionella tanke- och handlingssättet i arbetet med kursutveckling.   

Resultat  

Resultaten visar på vilket sätt co-designworkshops kan användas i kursutveckling ur ett normkritiskt perspektiv. I stället för att endast utgå ifrån textbaserade dokument, såsom kursplaner, kursutvärderingar och högskoleförordningens krav, har co-design som metod resulterat i att hela kollegiet arbetat tillsammans i en iterativ och visuell arbetsprocess. Metoden öppnar upp för kreativt och inkluderande sätt att arbeta med kursutveckling.

Keywords: aktiv deltagande, co-design, kursutveckling, driva förändring, inkluderande arbetssätt

Referenser

Nilsson, Å. W., & Jahnke, M. (2018). Tactics for Norm-Creative Innovation. She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation, 4(4), 375–391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sheji.2018.11.002

Paim, N., Bergmark, E., Gisel, C., & Moravská galerie v Brně (Eds.). (2016). Taking a Line for a Walk: Assignments in design education (First edition). Spector Books.

Sanders, E. B.-N. (2001). Virtuosos of the Experience Domain. IDSA Education Conference.

Sanders, E. B.-N., & Stappers, P. J. (2008). Co-creation and the new landscapes of design. CoDesign, 4(1), 5–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/15710880701875068