Course content

This course aims to develop the candidates' knowledge, skills and personal commitment to address societal challenges through design. It explores how design as a tool for change can contribute to positive change within services, technology and interaction. The candidate learns to apply service design methods and tools to create innovative, sustainable change proposals locally, and explores complex issues such as climate change, social inequality and technological upheaval.

The subject is the first part in the subject series "Design for change". In this section, we focus on how the designer can contribute to changes at a micro level, particularly related to behavioral change among different user groups. The subject deals with ethical dilemmas and assessments, accounts for power relations and agency in designers and target groups for design interventions. In the course, students learn about user participation and co-design in change processes at the micro level.

The candidates will first get an introduction to relevant concepts and theories within design for change, and then work on an interdisciplinary project that explores change in practice.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

• Knowledge of ethical assessments for designers
• In-depth knowledge of principles for inclusive design
• Good knowledge of change using design
• Basic knowledge of design for behavior change at the individual levelIn-depth knowledge of design methods with a particular focus on service and interaction design for change at the individual level (micro)
• Knowledge of positive and negative consequences of change and disruption at individual level

Skills

• Skills in including ethical considerations in design processes.
• Skills in designing for behavior change at the individual level.
• Skills in applying service and interaction design methods in human-centered design processes for behavior change(s).
• Skills in contributing to actionable sustainable solutions through design.

General competence

• Competence in facilitating design-driven change processes.
• Competence in interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Competence in taking care of different roles in collaborative processes.
• Competence in theory acquisition and application in design processes.

Learning methods and activities

• Lectures, exercises, seminars and assignments.
• Three physical gatherings in the semester, the rest are digital lectures, collaboration and e-learning material available in NTNU's learning system (LMS).
• There is a requirement for at least 80% attendance at mandatory gatherings in the programme

Teaching takes place mainly in Norwegian, but students can expect English curriculum literature and English-language teaching contributions.

Compulsory assignments

• Seminar Presentations
• Written Submissions
• 80% Attendance

Specific conditions

Course materials

A compendium will be compiled at start-up.