Study Guide

Learning outcomes

Students
- know the difference between the weak and strong ecologically sustainable consumer solutions and the basics of design for sustainable behavior change
- know what to evaluate as the change required for ecologically sustainable consumption in the areas of housing, energy and water use, mobility, food, material products and services
- know how to apply the multimethod, holistic design process, user driven approach and behavior change heuristics for creating sustainable service solutions

Implementation and methods of teaching

The team based project work is compulsory and guided during the contact days. So attendance is necessary.
The course consists of a pre-assignment to get familiar with sustainable design and design for behaviour change research and methods. Before contact days each student familiarizes themselves with the given literature and answers the given questions. Since this background is used in the team work it is necessary to accomplish the pre-assignment before entering the contact days. By answering the questions this assignment enhance the students’ general understanding of design for sustainability and design for sustainable behaviour change. The students discuss their answers in the beginning of the first contact day and a general discussion follows to make sure that there is understanding enough of the basics to begin the project work.
The project assignments are given on the first course day and the students operate in multidisciplinary teams with this development task during the contact days and the in-between weeks. Tools from service design, behavioural psychology and systems thinking are used to the drive the development forward and to make justified decisions and design at the end. The team results are presented at the end of the contact days. After that a final assignment is an individual written report about the teamwork results and their justifications and further development of the results and findings with pictures and diagrams. (can be produced as a power point presentation continuing the team work presentation)

Timing and attendance

The team based project work is compulsory and guided during the contact days. So attendance is necessary.
Pre-assignment 46h
Contact days 5.-6.5.2023 16h
Pre-assignment discussions, presentation of project work, methods, team work.
Knowledge search for the team assignment 25h
Contact days 26.-27.5. 2023 16h
Team work and result presentations.
The final assignment 30h
To be returned by 5.6. 2023.

Learning material and recommended literature

The pre-assignment literature and project work material will be provided in Reppu:
Bhamra, Hernandez, Mawler. 2013. Sustainability: Methods and Practices. In the Handbook of Design for Sustainability. Ed. Walker – Giard. Bloomsbury.
Vezzoli, C., C. Kohtala, and A. Srinivasan (2014) Product-Service System Design for Sustainability. Sheffield, UK: Greenleaf.
Kälviäinen, M. 2019. Green Design as Service Design. In Design for Complexity. Routlegde.
Designing for Behaviour Change Toolkit. Bridgeable. http://toolkit.bridgeable.com/
Shift. A review and framework for Encouraging environmentally sustainable consumer behaviour. Sitra. https://media.sitra.fi/2018/05/23161207/sitrashiftraporttiwww.pdf
Salo, M. & Nissinen, A. 2017. Consumption choices to decrease personal carbon footprints of Finns. REPORTS OF THE FINNISH ENVIRONMENT INSTITUTE 30 | 2017. [viitattu 9.10.2018]. Saatavissa: https://media.sitra.fi/2017/10/23144245/Consumption_choices_to_decrease_personal_carbon_footprints_of_Finns.pdf
Lettenmeier, M. 2018. Design for one planet – an orientation framework. (last chapter in the doctoral dissertation) https://shop.aalto.fi/media/attachments/fc909/Lettenmeier.pdf

Working life cooperation

The course includes a practical development task. The task is part of the VPK Responsible service and product development project and involves the collaboration companies in this project.

Learning environment

The studies consist of three parts and learning environments
individual pre-assignment at home
contact days at the campus with team work assignment
final assignment based on the team work results at home.

Student time use and work load

The team based project work is compulsory and guided during the contact days. So attendance is necessary.
Pre-assignment 46h
Contact days 5.-6.5.2023 16h
Pre-assignment discussions, presentation of project work, methods, team work.
Knowledge search for the team assignment 25h
Contact days 26.-27.5. 2023 16h
Team work and result presentations.
The final assignment 30h
To be returned by 5.6. 2023.

Contents

The content concentrates on design for sustainable behaviour change. This trend of influencing changes in consumer behaviour by design is achieved by applying service design type of service paths and findings from behavioural psychology. These are applied together with designing service systems that are based on solid findings from high impact consumption areas and provide strong sustainable change effects.

Assessment criteria

The evaluation is based on the individual pre-assignment, team work presentation and results and individual final assignment 1/3 each.

Assessment scale

1-5

Assessment criteria: level 1 (assessment scale 1–5)

The student
- knows how to find information sources and can ground how they have been chosen and why they are useful.
- knows how to develop and renew value by providing user driven service systems
- knows how to develop in a way that acknowledges sustainable value basis

Assessment criteria: level 3 (assessment scale 1–5)

The student
- evaluates critically the information sources for sustainable development work.
- can solve demanding problems in innovation work.
- Is able to manage demanding development work in an entrepreneurial manner.

Assessment criteria: level 5 (assessment scale 1–5)

The student can
- use critically and innovatively domestic and international information sources for sustainable development
- is able to evaluate the results and effects of innovation activities.
- can evaluate and develop strategies