CONVERSATION: Researching Design in Policy and Governance: A Collective Reflection Through 60-Years of the Design Research Society Conference Date & Time: Tuesday, 9th June 2026 4:00pm – 5:30pm Location: 50 George Square, G.06 (Room C1) Design, policy and governance have been increasingly discussed across the 60-year history of the Design Research Society conferences. Examples of … Read more
DfG26, City of Helsinki, Sustainability transitions, Behavioral design, Policy Project descriptions This year’s new project partners with the City of Helsinki to understand how private housing companies—who control 9.1% of the city’s land—can be incentivized to play a significant role in advancing climate resilience in residential areas. As climate change intensifies heat waves and heavy … Read more
DfG26, Kela, HUS, Service delivery, Policy Project descriptions Continuity of care is an ongoing, multiyear collaboration between Kela, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, and Aalto’s Design for Government (DfG) course. The project will expand on the previous concepts of care and knowledge continuity, with a focus on innovation within the healthcare delivery system in Finland. … Read more
This year, the Final Show showcases the “Climate Adaptation” work with the City of Helsinki and the “Continuity of Understanding” with Kela and HUS. After 12 weeks of close collaboration, students from four groups presented their research and design proposals in one event, gathering the community of civil servants, practitioners, and researchers to get inspired … Read more
This year, the Final Show will showcase the “Climate Adaptation” work with the City of Helsinki and the “Continuity of Understanding” with Kela and HUS. Design for Government (DfG) is an Aalto University MA course in which students collaborate with Finnish ministries and public service organisations each year to tackle national-level challenges with a design … Read more
In spring 2026, Aalto University’s Design for Government (DfG) course will address vulnerability as an overarching theme in society and Finnish government in collaboration with Finnish public-sector partners. As economic and environmental crises reshape our world, vulnerability is a moving target that forces us to rethink who is at risk, and build adaptive policies where … Read more
DfG25, Finnish institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Kela, Ministry of Social Affairs, Service delivery, Policy Project descriptions Continuity of Care is an ongoing, multiyear collaboration between Kela, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, and Aalto’s Design for Government (DfG) course. The project will build upon last year’s collaboration focused on the Omalääkäri, or “Personal Doctor” … Read more
The Design for Government 2025 Final Show showcases inspiring examples of proactive and ‘designerly’ approaches to policy-making and public service provision. The event saw 4 talented and multidisciplinary student teams present their research and proposals responding to challenges within the Finnish public sector. This year, students addressed a record of two different project briefs, with … Read more
This project, developed for the Continuity of Knowledge brief within the DfG course, explores how Kanta, Finland’s national digital health platform, can shift from a passive archive to a proactive tool for elderly care. Collaborating with Kela and Kanta, and healthcare professionals, the team focuses on addressing isolation and promoting early intervention for older adults.
HyMy Village at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences addresses the challenges of linear digital solutions in Finnish elderly care by combining multidisciplinary, human-centered collaboration with digital tools. By integrating data with lived experiences, the project enhances continuity of knowledge and holistic care, moving beyond linear metrics to support adaptive, personalized well-being for elderly clients