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We are living in the Anthropocene, a time of complex socio-technical systems, which requires generating alternative approaches, where interrelations between human and non-human actors are crucial. Where all actors function as a one and as a system, and where equality and justice for humans and non-humans go beyond human centred design. In my research, I desire to challenge a current framing and solving issues of moderate to radical changes inside current socio-technological and environmental systems to enable alternative futures by adopting novel research approaches. Envisioning alternative futures has to become a strategic evolutionary tool, allowing imaginative utopian scenarios to happen before individuals or populations commit to actual change, to develop path-breaking opportunities away from existing in many ways harmful practices for our planet. It is time to advance from small scale experiments to more concrete actions of understanding, anticipation, and design for dynamics of socio-technical systems, and perspectives beyond human-centred design and towards alternative tomorrows. And this is something that interests me.
My research-led teaching philosophy aims to generate in students an agency, enabling them to act when action is required. Therefore, students should be able to shadow social, economic, environmental, technical, cultural and political challenges, societal uncertainties, sensible topics, and be able to implement them in the design processes alongside analytical, conceptual and creative skills. Education has to be student centred, rather than university, facilitating meaningful student's experiences. This means that from the beginning student should be familiar with the study process, course options, the job profiles that their educational path will lead to, and skills that he or she will gain. My teaching at Aalto University has been particularly aimed at facilitating students' collaborations with businesses, the public sector and NGOs according to Aalto’s teaching strategy and aims. BA design students should have to be equipped not only with technical skills but also with abilities to write and reflect, plan and be critical thinkers. On the other hand, MA students have to be proficient of critical reflecting and be able to respond to challenges of digitalisation, globalisation and environment.
Dr. Helena Sustar is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Design, Aalto University, School of Art, Design and Architecture.
In spring she completed the TEMWISIT research project (April 2015-16), a collaborative project between the Aalto University, the Department of Design and Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy, Centre of Expertise in Integration of Immigrants.
Helena’s research interest is in investigating how empathic design can contribute in human-centered design approach in the domain of public services, inter and cross-organisational service networks and complex governmental systems. Her work focuses on co-design, service and systemic design. The last three years she has been intensively working on different themes related to immigration. She also concerns designers’ ethical responsibility for social inclusion.
Since autumn 2014 Helena is teaching BA Basic of Service Design and Service Design Project Course at the Aalto and Aalto Open University.
She is currently preparing two MaaS (Mobility-as-a-Service) related research project proposals with international focus – the first one for TEKES (Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation) and the second one for H2020.
In years 2011-13, I was working in healthcare service design as a member of User-Centred Healthcare Design group at Sheffield Hallam University (UK) on several healthcare research projects. I was a lead designer at the diabetes project, which developed innovative clinic services to better support self-management in young people with Diabetes type 1. The Better Services By Design project refined the user-centred healthcare research approach and explored its value in planning and development of healthcare services. Finally, in MOMtech project, we utilised mobile technology in tackling maternal obesity and identified factors to be considered when designing a text-messaging system for self-management and to support women with maternal obesity.
In years 2011-13, I was working in healthcare service design as a member of User-Centred Healthcare Design group at Sheffield Hallam University (UK) on several healthcare research projects. I was a lead designer at the diabetes project, which developed innovative clinic services to better support self-management in young people with Diabetes type 1. The Better Services By Design project refined the user-centred healthcare research approach and explored its value in planning and development of healthcare services. Finally, in MOMtech project, we utilised mobile technology in tackling maternal obesity and identified factors to be considered when designing a text-messaging system for self-management and to support women with maternal obesity.
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