The theme of the conference highlights the critical influence of underlying beliefs, values, and cultural dimensions in shaping artefacts, as well as the processes, methods, and tools through which they are designed and engineered.
As we move toward a paradigm shift in design and engineering — envisioning the challenges of 2040 and 2050´s — it becomes increasingly important to address the multifaceted complexity of socio-technical systems, encompassing both the artefacts themselves and the contexts in which they are conceived, developed and utilised. Technological innovation must be aligned with societal needs, ethical considerations, and cultural frameworks to ensure relevance and responsibility.
In this evolving landscape, product development approaches must embrace value-based principles that emphasize long-term societal impact, stakeholder commitment and contextual knowledge. Such approaches foster the creation of artefacts and systems that are not only technically robust but also socially responsive and culturally attuned.
We invite contributions that engage with this transdisciplinary inquiry, particularly those that explore innovative methodologies, tools, and practices in product development. Submissions addressing the paradigm shift in design and engineering are especially encouraged.
The papers presented at NordDesign 2026 will undergo peer review by members of the NordDesign Scientific Committee. Authors can opt to include their papers in the conference proceedings, published by the Design Society and indexed in Scopus.
Submission guidelines
- Submissions dealing with any relevant topic aligned with the tracks listed above
- Empirical papers using any methodology, including novel methodologies, are preferred over theoretical papers
- Submissions should be 8-10 pages in length and must be prepared using the NordDesign template
- The number of papers to be accepted is limited, and each author may only present one paper.
Deadlines:
- Full paper 13.2.2026
- Acceptance 20.4.2026
- Final paper 14.5.2026