Department of Industrial Design

Systemic Change

Systemic Change uses Design and Technology to study socio-technical systems at the level of a community, by designing technology-enabled interventions addressing societal challenges and analysing their effect on the eco-system.

investigates technological interventions in the context of contemporary societal challenges

The cluster Systemic Change investigates technological interventions in the context of contemporary societal challenges. In cross-disciplinary teams of specialists and stakeholders, we envision and create socio-technical systems operating in near real-life ecosystems and study their effects in the short and long term. In the socio-technological systems, we utilize emerging technologies such as ICT, Big Data, AI, sensors and actuators. We use the aesthetics of interaction of the users with the socio-technical systems to evoke change and we underpin the desired change by applying ethical frameworks and theories from social sciences and humanities. Using a research through design approach, we develop methods, tools, platforms and field labs that support the co-creation and analysis processes. These can subsequently be repurposed by the cross-disciplinary stakeholders in their own practice.

We design, describe and analyse systems that typically intervene on the scale of medium-sized groups (commonly between 50 and 5000 people) with a given social relation, such as neighbourhoods, social groups, clubs, patient groups, etc. We closely cooperate with members of these groups, other multi-helix stakeholders that have an interest in the intervention, and specialists from other fields.

We analyse quantitative and qualitative data directly obtained in Experiential Design Landscapes (EDLs) or other field labs via direct sensing and monitoring, complemented with empirical field research such as ethnography and contextual interviews. We search for patterns that can explain and monitor key aspects for systemic change, which are translated into experiential probes and systems to influence values and behaviour at a community level. The resulting knowledge includes, on the one hand, theories, frameworks, models and exemplars explaining and guiding systemic change and, on the other, methodologies, tools, field labs and co-creation spaces to explore and investigate systemic change.

In order to create impact, we currently limit ourselves to three contexts: Vitality, the Health Continuum and Social Resilience. These contexts are strongly related to internationally targeted societal challenges with funding opportunities such as Horizon 2020 and the Dutch National Research Agendas. For these three contexts we already have a number of field labs in place, such as Genneper Parken, ENSAFE Community Lab and Studio for Connected Society. Future additional application areas and field labs are currently being considered (e.g. 21st century education). In addition we have built strong regional and national networks with social groups, stakeholders, institutes and specialists, including Máxima Medical Centre, Fontys University of applies sciences, Philips Design, Province Noord-Brabant and Utrecht University.

Projects

Certification-D

Certification of technological products for people with dementia to support SMEs in innovation and business growth

Everyday Sounds of Dementia

The project Everyday Sounds of Dementia aims to research the potential of sound and soundscapes in design of technology and services for people living with dementia.

Design Futures

Design Futures is a European initiative, coordinated by TU/e, that wants to empower children to contribute to the design of a better future.

VAlue Sensitive design in Higher Education

The Value Sensitive Design in Higher Education (VASE) is an Erasmus+ project that aims to to design, develop, pilot test and implement research-based and innovative teaching resources for teaching value sensitive design approaches to students at design and development programmes at university levels.

Research Project Textales

The main research challenge of the Textales project was to develop the tools and methods to design for smart textile services (STS). This challenge branched out in several directions, such as crafting communities, craft qualities for smart textile services and the role of prototypes for embodied STS.

Research Project REACH

The REACH project (Responsive Engagement of the Elderly Promoting Activity and Customized Healthcare) aims to increase acceptability of sensing and monitoring solutions through focus on usability, personalization and safety.

Meet our Research Labs

Our researchers and students can use several labs to support their research and educational activities. Our department has Generic Make-Labs, Specific Make-Labs and Research Labs.

In the Wearable Senses Lab you can experiment with soft sensors, e-textiles and algorithmic on-body systems. The lab includes prototyping and manufacturing capabilities for the creation of apparel, accessories, and jewelry that integrate technology on an inherent level. Beyond industrial sewing, over-lock and heat press machines the Wearable Senses Lab is equipped with knitting, weaving, tufting, vinyl cutting, 3D-printing and embroidery machines. All these machines can only be used by students who have attended an introductory instruction at the beginning of the semester.

See the other labs

Recent Publications

See all publications

Our most recent peer reviewed publications

Meet some of our Researchers

Assistant Professor

News

June 8, 2023

Therapy targeting specific immune cells appears promising for sepsis

Nanoparticles restore balance in dysregulated immune system.

June 6, 2023

‘Everything Flows in the Netherlands’

New report highlights the importance of fluid dynamics research at TU/e and other universities for Dutch industry

More news

Bart Smolders, Dean of TU/e Department of Electrical Engineering, congratulates Carola van Pul on her appointment as professor at TU/e.

Clinical physicist Carola van Pul from Máxima MC professor at TU/e

June 6, 2023

Eveline van Doremaele. Photo: Bart van Overbeeke

A smart chip based on the human brain

May 26, 2023

A field guide to AI systems

May 15, 2023

[Translate to English:] Wetenschappelijk directeur van EAISI Wim Nuijten. Foto: Bart van Overbeeke

'No one knows for sure where we are now and where we are heading for at great speed'

May 12, 2023

Contact

Visiting address

Atlas

Atlas 7.106

5612 AZ Eindhoven

Netherlands

+31 (0)40 247 6050
Postal address

Department of Industrial Design

P.O. Box 513

5600 MB Eindhoven

Netherlands
General information

officesupportsc@tue.nl

Systemic Change

investigates technological interventions in the context of contemporary societal challenges

Projects

Certification-D

Everyday Sounds of Dementia

Design Futures

VAlue Sensitive design in Higher Education

Research Project Textales

Research Project REACH

Meet our Research Labs

Recent Publications

Towards Advancing Body Maps as Research Tool for Interaction Design

Reflecting on Living Labs as Multi-Stakeholder Collaborative Networks to Evaluate Technological Products for People Living with Dementia

Adaptivity in Research Practice with People Living with Dementia: A Designer's Reflection

Ethics & AI: A systematic review on ethical concerns and related strategies for designing with AI in healthcare

A Toolkit for Co-Designing towards Community-Based Active Ageing

Meet some of our Researchers

Sara Colombo

Ben Schouten

Caroline Hummels

Günter Wallner

Athena Chen

Jean-Bernard Martens

Steven Houben

Jun Hu

Carine Lallemand

Steven Vos

Tilde Bekker

Rens Brankaert

Max Birk

Maarten Houben

Aarnout Brombacher

Jos Goudsmit

Dennis Arts

Jim Steenbakkers

Regina Bernhaupt

Yuan Lu

Erik van der Spek

Pierre Levy

Yinchu Li

News

Contact

Visiting address

Postal address