This research group is an arena for interdisciplinary cooperation and research within academic groups and between academic groups and the economic life. The research in this group has as their starting point a growing interest in the cultural aspects of design and consumption. In the late modern society design and consumption is no longer only connected to basic needs. To a growing degree, consumption stands out as existential in the sense that it is being used by citizens to signalise identity, attachment and lifestyle. The design of products is not only about use, but about taste and cultural competence as well. The research group functions as a forum for development of knowledge within these subjects that explore the interaction between cultures, technologies, consumption and design.

Contact: Professor Per Østby