Systemic Design and Sustainability

Systems thinking which is defined as a key competence to fight climate change, by UNESCO, is utilized as the primer common theory for this research group. Systemic design combines systems theory and design practice. The design approach involves understanding design as potential change or intervention by innovation, in complex contexts.

We seek to describe systems, characteristics and functions, to understand the dynamics and praxes that such systems produce, as basis for sustainable design interventions.   

To describe, understand, and design interventions in complexity and to reduce complication demands inter- and transdisciplinary research approaches.

The research group consists of members from various disciplines such as design, physics, political science, architecture, sociology, architecture, cybernetics and thus creates a broad platform for discussions and a variety of possible approaches to study and understand systems and environments.   

Furthermore, we hope that we together can develop the field of Systemic Design and Sustainability and the various academic fields represented by the participants through joint research project collaboration, joint research funding applications, shared network for PhD students, and cooperative teaching activities. 

Systemic Design and Sustainability is internationally oriented and the participants in the research group represent, at the point of departure, seven different universities in Europe. 

The research projects formally associated with the research group so far are: 

• REDUCE, a circular economy project to understand more about how to reduce the flow of materials circulating, supported by the The Research Council of Norway (reduce.oslomet.no). 
• SirkAQ, a research project on circular economy in aquaculture (sirkaq.com) . This is a “Green Platform” project financed by The Research Council of Norway and Innovation Norway. (2023-2025) 
• Outsiderness, is a PhD-study anchored in Systemic design, social sustainability, and game dynamics making the origin for a study within experiences of alienation among youth resulting in dropping out of school and not reaching work life. The study relates to Norwegian setting as basis to study future public services. Internal funding at OsloMet. (2023-2026) 
• MinTre, a research project with eight industrial partners aiming at reducing wood waste through the value chains of building materials and elements and construction phase of larger buildings. The project is financed by The Research Council of Norway. (2022-2026) 
• Bærekraftstanken, Trøndelag Sørvest, Lakseregionen, translating from Norwegian “the sustainable thoughts” five municipalities are piloting new approaches responding to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and establishing new future care structures in local communities. Financed by Trøndelag Region in Norway. (2023, to be continued) 
• Inn på Tunet, Midt-Trøndelag, project for farmers providing Green Care services, responding to needs in the municipalities and UN Sustainable Development Goals in profile and further development. 
• European Systemic Design Lab, ESDL. International cooperation for teaching systemic design and connecting students, businesses and public institutions for case studies and exploration. 
• GNIST, Design and Architecture Norway, DOGA 

Network 

• Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin  
• L’École de design Nantes Atlantique  
• NTNU, Department of Design, Faculty of Architecture and Design 
• The Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Institute of Design 
• University of Brighton, School of Arch, Tech and Engineering 
• University of Oslo, Department of Sociology and Human Geography