The group was created in August 2013 in Oslo. At the start we were 4 members. In 2014 we opened the group to several new members based in France, England, Finland and Russia. Today we have 20 active members. We were recently contacted by students based in Canada and Denmark.

Our goal is to investigate the possibility of solving socially related problems through graphic design. We also aim to enquire as to whether behaviour and social activities might be connected to visual surroundings, and how this might be positively challenged to influence interaction.
The group aims to develop an international network accessible to our students; to help them understand the values of sharing, experimenting and researching, to expand their creative boundaries and to trigger their curiosity.

The framework under which the project has developed has a two-fold origin. On one hand, design for the society is a part of a human-centered design approach and relies on empathy, design thinking and a clear understanding of the problem that needs to be solved — a societal challenge. However, due to the complexity of the processes under study (passivity, depression and loneliness) the students needed another framework for critical reflection and questioning the status-quo of these topics. Therefore, in addition to the human-centered focus, the project was also influenced by critical design approach, attempting to identify the right questions before trying to design a solutions. This helped the students to avoid arriving at hasty conclusions, and enabled them to become more attentive to the contexts and possible consequences of their design decisions. Combining critical questioning with empathy and design thinking thus became the core of the S.O.D. project methodology.

Our first project “Loneliness” was initiated in St. Petersburg (RU) as part of a workshop the Norwegian team ran at the State Polytechnical University. The project was then furtherly developed with participants collaboratively exchanging work and ideas via the internet. Finalised in December 2014, our work was exhibited at Grafill in January 2015. 

Much to our surprise this drew the attention of Jonathan Shorr, Curator-at-large at the Garner Arts Center. He clearly indicated is interest regarding the topic of our work and its possible impact and asked us if we would like to exhibit our work for a period of two days during the Center’s yearly festival. The initial response was so positive that Garner Arts Center extended the exhibition; from 2 days to two months.

Today the group has started to work on a second project in collaboration with psychiatrists from the Ullevål hospital. Jonathan Shorr has asked S.O.D. to develop concepts for future exhibition in NYC.  From humble beginnings and an honest line of enquiry, the mostly student-based members of S.O.D. have been afforded the opportunity to see that design works; attracting attention and interest, and building a following of active supporters. But perhaps more importantly, they’ve seen that design also has the potential to affect positive change through identifying international problems and developing and presenting the means with which to solve them.

Web:
http://www.socialorienteddesign.no

Contact:
yann@westerdals.no

People involved

Norway:
Kitty Lossius, Hilde Lorentzen, Håvard Andestad Langmoen, Liv Santos Holm, Julia Baulin, Umer Ahmed, Sunniva Mellbye, William Løwe Stormdal, Eline Straumfors, Anna Ducros, Sam Bannister and Yann Bougaran

Russia:
Maria Kazans, Alena Sheleeva, Leo Krokholev, Polina Chadaeva, Natalie Levis, Nastya Berz, Kate Farutina, Ksenia Gorbunova, Victorina Rodionova, Anastasia Mambovna, Dina Nazarova, Andrei Nikitin, Tatiana Zhukova, Ekaterina Kasakovska and Alena Volkova

Finland:
Anna Kholina

France:
Marion Vigouroux and Emmeline Hugot

England:
Beth Heald, Stephy Wright