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Inuse

Organisation profile

Organisation profile

INUSE research group studies designer-user relations in sociotechnical change. Our studies examine the new ways by which design and use become interrelated and the potential that approaches that explicitly focus on this interrelation have for more equitable and sustainable change. In so doing we engage in participatory design, codesign, open and user innovation, open design, peer knowledge creation, user communities, citizen science, knowledge coproduction and user knowledge in organizations. Much of our design spaces are expanded into years or even decade long lines of research. Whilst short term interventions have their place in our repertoire, they are often not enough to change things or for understanding how designer–user relations can be reconfigured and what are the implications of doing this.

Our interest in users, and not just designers, is rooted in their important – and often underestimated- roles in sociotechnical change. Users adjust technology, invent new uses, innovate new practices, products and services, and perform many other activities that shape the paths that new technology takes. We study how they do so and experiment with new ways by which designer–user relations can be organized and orchestrated.

INUSE research is multidisciplinary simply because users’, consumers’, customers’, prosumers’ and citizens’ engagement with design and technology projects is studied in a range of fields. Our main points of reference reside in design research, (particularly human centred design and participatory design) innovation studies (particularly user innovation research and sustainability transitions research) and in Science & Technology Studies (particularly in social shaping of technology and practice theories therein).

 

UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Our work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  1. SDG 1 - No Poverty
    SDG 1 No Poverty
  2. SDG 2 - Zero Hunger
    SDG 2 Zero Hunger
  3. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
  4. SDG 4 - Quality Education
    SDG 4 Quality Education
  5. SDG 5 - Gender Equality
    SDG 5 Gender Equality
  6. SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation
    SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
  7. SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
    SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
  8. SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
    SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
  9. SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
    SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
  10. SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
    SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
  11. SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
    SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
  12. SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
    SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
  13. SDG 13 - Climate Action
    SDG 13 Climate Action
  14. SDG 14 - Life Below Water
    SDG 14 Life Below Water
  15. SDG 15 - Life on Land
    SDG 15 Life on Land
  16. SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
    SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
  17. SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals
    SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

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View all 9 profiles
View all 15 projects
View all 372 research outputs
View all 4 research data and software
View all 11 prizes

  • Anticipation Conference

    Epp, F. A. (Member)

    2026 → …

    Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Membership of a scientific or program committee of a conference or seminar

  • ACM Conference on Designing Interactive Systems

    Epp, F. A. (Member)

    2026 → …

    Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Membership of a scientific or program committee of a conference or seminar

  • Futures (Journal)

    Salovaara, A. (Editorial board member)

    2026

    Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Reviewer of scientific journal

View all 123 activities
View all 31 press/media