Arctic Design Week Seminar 2019

• 15 November 2018: Call for submissions opens.
• 14 December 2018: Deadline for submitting both talks and workshops.
• 28 December 2018: We will inform all talk and workshop applicants if they have been selected.
• 31 December 2018: Workshops and seminar program announced.
• 21 and 22 March 2019: Arctic Design Week.
  

 

Call for Submissions >

The questions this seminar seeks to answer is how design can contribute to, address or improve the meaningfulness of life. How can designers and artists, through designing for happiness and wellbeing, improve the lives of others in societies and organisations? How can design contribute to sustaining happiness and wellbeing? In the field of positive psychology, happiness is associated with wellbeing, which is concerned with notions of living pleasant, engaged and meaningful lives. In this field, happiness is understood as a state of mind, feelings and emotions that are associated with satisfaction, contentment, love, pleasure and joy. To be happy means for individuals to be aware of positive life events and to understand that they themselves can orchestrate, create and control the occurrences of these events. Instead of only investigating hedonistic notions of happiness and wellbeing that focuses on positive affect, this seminar will include eudemonic notions of happiness, which means living life to the full, and finding deeply satisfying ways of living life.

Lopez and Snyder (2009), Diener and Seligman (2004; 2002), and Seligman (2002) illustrated that positive traits and engaging activities contribute to the meaningfulness and development of positive relationships, social systems and organisations. Carr (2013), Deci and Ryan (2008) discussed the role of happiness and wellbeing for individuals and communities in their ability for self-determination, resilience, resourcefulness, capacity for renewal and making better life-planning decisions. Carr (2013) argues that these abilities come about through more creative and flexible thoughts and behaviours that are developed through a positive mood. Living satisfied lives also bring about abilities to reflect on life experiences and to contemplate life circumstances. Improved and positive social structures, artistic and scientific production bring about successful problem-solving experiences, Carr notes.

We welcome two types of submissions, namely talks and workshops. Experienced design and art practitioners, academics, teachers and the business community. All submissions and presentations must be in English.

1. Talks

We are seeking talks that will accommodate different scopes, approaches and insights. Talks can be either short (7-10 minutes) to describe one straightforward use-case or concept, or long (35-40 minutes) with a very rich, full-fledged and well-articulated concept or historical walkthrough. Audience discussions will not be invited after each talk, but a discussion session will be arranged for the audience on the last day of the seminar.

2. Round table discussions, demonstrations or workshops

These interactive sessions will cater for experienced and not-so-experienced audiences and will present topics that need practical participation and exploration with the audience. Interactive sessions will be 90 minutes. We are seeking presenters who will guide the participants through the specific topic, with a strong mix of hands-on exercises and lectures. The topic needs to be presented from the very beginning and then explored with the participants in mind.

You will inspire people, and help shape the discipline of design for happiness in the Arctic context. You will also meet other design leaders from around the world, but it also will be fun! Proposals of up to 250 words will be accepted (for all submissions) by the curatorial team of the seminar and presenters are encouraged to send a maximum of two images (no larger than 1MB in file size) to accompany their submissions.

Submit your proposed talk or workshop now!

Send all submissions to anna.filppa@businessrovaniemi.fi with the subject "ADW19 Call for Submission"

Who is our audience?

We want to set a stage for advanced, more in-depth topics, so while the seminar is open to all, the majority of the audience will be senior designers, tech and creative directors, thought leaders, startup founders, teachers, academics and beyond.

How are we curating submissions?

Your proposals are peer reviewed by members from the Faculty of Art and Design: University of Lapland who will make up our selection committee. We seek quality submissions that reflect the speaker’s experience and aligns with the seminar’s theme and other presentations.

Diversity and Accessibility

We want ADW2019 to truly represent the diversity and the multiple facets of Arctic Design and Art. This is why your voice is important. We are interested in a wide range of opinions and diverse points of view. If you have any questions, need more information or if we missed something important, please contact our seminar organisers.

References

Carr, A. (2013). Positive psychology: The science of happiness and human strengths. London: Routledge.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2008). Self-determination theory: A macro-theory of human motivation, development, and health. Canadian psychology/Psychologie canadienne, 49(3), 182.
Diener, E., and M. E. Seligman. (2004). "Beyond money: Toward an economy of well-being." Psychological science in the public interest 5, (1): 1-31.
Diener, E., & Seligman, M. E. (2002). Very happy people. Psychological science, 13(1), 81-84.

Seligman, M. E. (2002). Authentic happiness: Using the new positive psychology to realize your potential for lasting fulfillment. New York: The Free Press, 160, 168-266.
Seligman, M. E. (2002). Positive psychology, positive prevention, and positive therapy. Handbook of positive psychology, 2(2002), 3-12.
Snyder, C. R., & Lopez, S. J. (Eds.). (2009). Oxford handbook of positive psychology. Oxford library of psychology.