Trude Jeanett Arntsen

About

Trude J. Arntsen works with research, education, and innovation in design at the Department of Design, Faculty of Architecture and Design. With a background as a practicing designer, she now operates at the intersection of societally oriented development projects, design research, and education.

In her work, she explores how design can be used actively to investigate, shape, and test new spaces for action in complex situations. Form-giving, visualization, and imagination are applied as tools to make challenges tangible, open up dialogue, and support shared understanding. Through materialization, prototyping, and co-creative processes, she collaborates closely with practice across a range of societal contexts, including the public sector, with the aim of strengthening connections and reducing perceived distance between actors, perspectives, and levels.

Trude holds a 20% position as Innovation Lead at the Faculty of Architecture and Design. In this role, she works to connect and strengthen innovation activities in research and education, with a particular focus on societal innovation and socio-technical perspectives. This includes supporting development projects in collaboration with public and civil actors, connecting academic communities, students, and external partners, and strengthening the communication and visibility of societal impact from research and development work.

This role is closely integrated with her academic work and provides a platform for exploring how design can contribute to concrete changes in practices and society.

Her approach to design is systemic, relational, and grounded in form-giving, with roots in the Nordic design tradition. She understands design as a holistic practice shaped through the interaction of people, materials, values, and context, and in the spaces between them, where new connections can emerge.

Approach
Across research, education, and innovation, she emphasizes action, dialogue, and long-term perspectives. She regards design as a way of engaging with complexity in an open, responsible, and exploratory manner, where creating proximity and shared understanding is central.

Research

Design as an exploratory and action-oriented practice, capacity building through design, co-creation, materiality, socio-technical perspectives, design in complex societal contexts, design for connection, shared understanding, and change

ClimaGen

Climate-resilient reGeneration and renaturing for, by and with vulnerable neighbourhoods, striving towards net-zero.

CO-Waters

Restoring our ocean and waters - together with local communities. The Coalition of cities, regions, islands and ports for the Mission Ocean and Waters.

Publications

2026

Arntsen, Trude J.; Bjerck, Mari E.. (2026) Change agents in public health systems: lessons learned from co-designing a lifelong learning course.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper

2024

Grandis, Giovanni De; Murashova, Natalia; Bonnevie, Tora; Falkenberg, Liv Eggset; Jamtøy, Ann Iren; Arntsen, Trude Jeanett. (2024) Visions for sustainable healthy futures for Norway. Citizen Involvement Workshop Executive Report. OSF Preprints
Academic article
Heimburg, Dina von; Caspersen, Joakim; Arntsen, Trude Jeanett; Maass, Ruca Elisa Katrin; Krokstad, Morten Austheim; Hara, Karen Walseth. (2024) Inkluderende samfunnsbygging og gode liv for barn, unge og framtidige generasjoner i Trondheim. IPLs rapportserie
Popular scientific article
Heimburg, Dina von; Caspersen, Joakim; Arntsen, Trude Jeanett; Katrin, Maass Ruca Elisa; Krokstad, Moten; Hara, Karen Walseth. (2024) nkluderende samfunnsbygging og gode liv for barn, unge og framtidige generasjoner i Trondheim. Anbefalinger til etablering av et tiårig innovasjonsprogram. NTNU WellFare, Institutt for pedagogikk og livslang læring, NTNU NTNU WellFare, Institutt for pedagogikk og livslang læring, NTNU
Report

2023

Ingeborgrud, Lina; Koch, Per M.; Grandis, Giovanni De; Bonnevie, Tora; Arntsen, Trude Jeanett. (2023) Framtidslaboratorium om bærekraftig helse i Norge i 2070.
Other
Arntsen, Trude Jeanett; Berndtsson, Christin Høiberget; Dybvig, Dagfinn Døhl; Emstad, Anne Berit; Farshchian, Babak A.; Gaustad, Svein Erik. (2023) Tjenesteinnovasjon i helse og velferd. NTNU NTNU
Report

Journal publications

Grandis, Giovanni De; Murashova, Natalia; Bonnevie, Tora; Falkenberg, Liv Eggset; Jamtøy, Ann Iren; Arntsen, Trude Jeanett. (2024) Visions for sustainable healthy futures for Norway. Citizen Involvement Workshop Executive Report. OSF Preprints
Academic article
Heimburg, Dina von; Caspersen, Joakim; Arntsen, Trude Jeanett; Maass, Ruca Elisa Katrin; Krokstad, Morten Austheim; Hara, Karen Walseth. (2024) Inkluderende samfunnsbygging og gode liv for barn, unge og framtidige generasjoner i Trondheim. IPLs rapportserie
Popular scientific article

Part of book/report

Arntsen, Trude J.; Bjerck, Mari E.. (2026) Change agents in public health systems: lessons learned from co-designing a lifelong learning course.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Ingeborgrud, Lina; Koch, Per M.; Grandis, Giovanni De; Bonnevie, Tora; Arntsen, Trude Jeanett. (2023) Framtidslaboratorium om bærekraftig helse i Norge i 2070.
Other

Report

Heimburg, Dina von; Caspersen, Joakim; Arntsen, Trude Jeanett; Katrin, Maass Ruca Elisa; Krokstad, Moten; Hara, Karen Walseth. (2024) nkluderende samfunnsbygging og gode liv for barn, unge og framtidige generasjoner i Trondheim. Anbefalinger til etablering av et tiårig innovasjonsprogram. NTNU WellFare, Institutt for pedagogikk og livslang læring, NTNU NTNU WellFare, Institutt for pedagogikk og livslang læring, NTNU
Report
Arntsen, Trude Jeanett; Berndtsson, Christin Høiberget; Dybvig, Dagfinn Døhl; Emstad, Anne Berit; Farshchian, Babak A.; Gaustad, Svein Erik. (2023) Tjenesteinnovasjon i helse og velferd. NTNU NTNU
Report

Teaching

Courses

Supervision

IDG4140 – Design for Change 2
TPD4156 – Design 5 – Service Design
TPD4144 – Design 6 – Futures
TPD4129 – Design 7 – Systems
TPD4500 – Design 9 – Specialization Project
TPD4900 – Industrial Design – Master’s Thesis

Outreach

2024

Poster

Høiseth, Marikken; Arntsen, Trude Jeanett; Indbryn, Jannicke; Evjen, Maria; Hauge, Ulrikke Granmo; Nguyen, Thu Hoai. (2024) Hvordan kan design gi god helse? #2. Forskningstorget 21. september 2024 , Trondheim, Kalvskinnet 21.09.2024 - 21.09.2024
Poster

Høiseth, Marikken; Arntsen, Trude Jeanett; Indbryn, Jannicke; Evjen, Maria; Hauge, Ulrikke Granmo; Nguyen, Thu Hoai. (2024) Hvordan kan design gi god helse? #1. Forskningstorget 20. september 2024 , Trondheim, Kalvskinnet 20.09.2024 - 20.09.2024

Språkvelger

Trude Jeanett Arntsen