This project is a master theses in Industrial Design Engineering written during the autumn of 2017 at Luleå University of Technology and Liko-Hill-Rom in Alvik, Luleå. Liko Hill-Rom is a world-leading company that manufactures and develops patient lifts, slings, mobile lifts, etc. to customers around the world. Liko’s Ovearhead lift system is a system used for lifting and moving disabled people, for example at homes for the elderly, schools and habilitation, hospitals or at home.This project is a development process that concerns the vertical support in Liko Hill-Rom’s Overhead System. The vertical supports are the part that attaches the entire overhead system to the ceiling and our task has been to create a new or developed concept on today’s vertical support. Since these vertical supports are attached to a rail, we needed to create a good interface between these two parts. In order to achieve this, we have collaborated with another group whose task has been to develop the rails in this Overhead. Today, Liko Hill-Rom’s Overhead Lift system is a major part of Liko Hill-Rom’s product portfolio, which is in need of improvements, especially the vertical supports, in order to meet customer and business needs.The goal of our project has been to deliver a smarter and more cost-effective solution of the vertical supports and at the same time maintaining the same reliability as today’s system. Liko Hill-Rom’s current assortment consists of many different variants of vertical supports. By reducing the number of these, can contribute to a more profitable concept “one that fits all”, which will make the design and installation more rapid.The project process was based on a Stage-gate process which is influenced from Liko Hill-Rom’s internal guidelines for a product development process. The stakeholders is based on users and experts in the field and these have been involved in the project process to ensure a good design for all. The project has also been built on a number of scientific theories such as ergonomics, semiotics, affordance and usability, to ensure that the result of the project was based with scientific support.Throughout the process different design methods have been performed, in order to create a concept that fulfills the needs and requirements from our stakeholders. We have for instances created full-scale prototypes in order to develop, evaluate and improve our concept throughout this project. In order to ensure that this concept could withstand the load requirements that Liko Hill-Rom´s product requires, we also perform both mathematical and finite element calculations.The result is a new concept that will replace all 9 adjustable vertical support included in the Liko Hill-Rom system today. The design of the new concept will be considerably more flexible because the majority of the components will be universal. This means that our created concept will be more cost-effective compared to today’s vertical support.

Research into cultural dynamics and trend mechanisms has been used to “deconstruct” theinfluence structure of fashion in a way that can be applied to a hypothetical design strategy.The design strategy revolves around designing products with the intension to indirectlycommunicate an idea or ideas and by taking advantage of a products emotional value, toincrease structural and cognitive embeddedness of underlying ideas.The application of the strategy is the design of a smart product called “Gelo”. Gelo is a ‘smartwall’ concept that uses soft robotic actuators to transform its surface to adapt to changinglight conditions, improve room acoustics, and produce dynamic visual displays.By using HASEL soft robot actuators for movement, emerging technology could be exploredthrough the medium a conceptual consumer product while also allowing interestingfunctionality to be implemented to the Gelo concept. The addition of this functionalityallowed for ‘display like’ properties which are used to explore the idea of smart home devicesas a way of provide an enhanced emotional experienced.

The objective of this thesis is the design of an air-water heat pump for heating buildings. The proposed design solution is based on innovative technical concept of a modular system which brings new qualities for the apparatus. One of the major goals of the thesis was to design a versatile system which would replace a wide product range of heat pumps with different heat outputs. The thesis is based on the research part in which an evolution in the field of heat pumps is briefly introduced, followed by the technical and design analysis of present production. The design report contains the description of identified design problems, shows variant design concepts, alternative solutions of parts and details, and finally a detailed description of the definite solution accompanied by a product mock-up in 1:3 scale.

This is a project that asks questions. Why are we behaving in certain ways? Why are we using objects for a certain purpose and not others? Why can’t we do it differently? Questions most of us never even consider because we have gotten so used to following the path that is predetermined for us. Throughout this work I will analyze how skateboarding poses a critique of spatial regulations and pre-defined purposes, as well as how skaters are suggesting a whole new perspective on our everyday life. I argue that skaters are in fact the post-industrial designers of their everyday life, and that the perspective of skaters carries potential for sustainable change as it favors the imagination and possibilities over restrictions and limitations. This is a perspective that I believe can help us make better use of the resources we have, both in terms of ecological sustainability, but also with regards to social aspects, as it allows for greater diversity and multitudes of behaviors within the same space. Through several design iterations I have explored how skateboarding offers tactics that can be applied by others to start a process of imagining and performing alternative ways of engaging with public spaces.

Northern Sweden is in the middle of a major transition, a green transition. As large industries are being established and companies are accelerating, the supply of skills must be solved. The regional development strategy Norrbotten 2030 was developed in 2019 with the vision of Norrbotten becoming Sweden’s most welcoming and innovative county. To succeed in recruiting is one thing, but if we don’t welcome and include people moving to Luleå into the society, Luleå risk becoming a fly-in-fly-out city. This bachelor’s thesis has been carried out in Industrial Design Engineering at Luleå University of Technology to design a service that will maximize the impact of recruitment in Luleå, making people who move here, want to stay. The project has been carried out in collaboration with Brightnest.  To ensure a continuous focus on the user's experiences and needs a human-centred design process has been followed, with a focus on co-creation together with the users and stakeholders. Through interviews and workshops, the users and stakeholders have been invited to every part of the process. Through creative methods, such as analogies, personas and customer journey maps, the needs and dreams of the users have been translated into design opportunities. Throughout the design-process tests have continuously been carried out with users to ensure that the design choices are prioritizing the needs of the users.  The final design is a movement called Lulity – Luleå Community which consists of three components 1) This is Lulity – the movement, 2) I am Lulity – the ambassadorship and 3) Relocate Luleå. Through these components, social sustainability can be reached both for the users, the stakeholders and the society at large. Through This is Lulity all interested parties can jointly facilitate and ease the relocation process before a person has moved, during the first half-year after the move, and after the first six months. The presentation of the challenge and the design in this text contribute to awareness and a changed mindset among everyone involved. / Norra Sverige är mitt uppe i en stor omställning, en grön omställning. I takt med att stora industrier etableras och företagen accelererar måste kompetensförsörjningen lösas. Den regionala utvecklingsstrategin Norrbotten 2030 togs fram 2019 med visionen att Norrbotten ska bli Sveriges mest välkomnande och innovativa län. Att lyckas med rekryteringen är en sak, men om vi inte välkomnar och inkluderar människor som flyttar till Luleå in i samhället riskerar Luleå att bli en fly-in-fly-out stad. Detta examensarbete har genomförts inom Teknisk Design vid Luleå tekniska universitet för att designa en tjänst som ska maximera effekten av rekryteringen i Luleå och få människor som flyttar hit att vilja stanna. Projektet har genomförts i samarbete med Brightnest. För att säkerställa ett kontinuerligt fokus på användarens upplevelser och behov har en användarcentrerad designprocess följts, med fokus på samskapande tillsammans med användare och intressenter. Genom intervjuer och workshops har användarna och intressenterna bjudits in till varje del av processen. Genom kreativa metoder, såsom analogier, personas och kundresor, har användarnas behov och drömmar omsatts till designmöjligheter. Under hela designprocessen har tester kontinuerligt genomförts med användare för att säkerställa att designvalen prioriterar användarnas behov. Den slutliga designen är konceptet Lulity – Luleå Community som består av tre komponenter 1) This is Lulity – rörelsen, 2) I amLulity – ambassadörskapet och 3) Relocate Luleå. Genom dessa komponenter kan social hållbarhet nås både för användarna, intressenterna och samhället i stort. Genom This is Lulity kan alla intressenter gemensamt underlätta flyttprocessen innan en person har flyttat, under det första halvåret efter flytten och efter det första halvåret. Presentationen av utmaningen och designen i denna text bidrar till medvetenhet och ett förändrat tankesätt hos alla inblandade.

Krisur is a project about a low energy device that works as a “lifesaving” object with the function of pairing, or connecting, the single individual to the Government in case of emergency. The aim of this is to explore and tackle new possibilities for connecting people to a no-hackable source or to a social system (e.g., Hesa Fredrik). This will also bring a reflection around geo-political transformation over time and in what way lo-fi technology is connected to it.

What are things occurring in peoples mind when thinking about ‘mammography’? Some might not be entirely sure about what mammography is, some might get a feeling of discomfort and some may be very familiar with this method of finding breast cancer tumors. But why is it that many women get ner-vous when thinking about mammography and common words used when describing it are: discomfort, loneliness, pain and “ouch”?  This thesis project started by exploring methods for diagnosing and treating breast cancer. What are current technologies and procedures - And can we improve these methods and the experience of using them? The result, Nina, is an approach to improve the most common method used in breast cancer diagnostics: Mammography. Through study visits at hospitals, dia-logues with doctors, nurses and former breast cancer patients this project tried to identify areas for improving the mammog-raphy experience. Together with physical prototyping, participatory workshops and user feedback the result reflects three core values driving the design and final concept of the project: Appearance, comfort and patient-nurse relationship. The Appearance is made smaller through nano X-ray technology creating a lighter and friendlier look compared to contempo-rary machines. Comfort is improved by softer and more inviting shapes and with smarter breast compression.   Having patient and nurse close (Pa-tient-nurse relationship) forms a bond and shared experience helping patients feel more calm and relaxed.  The concept is supported by the website “Squeeze please” - A platform to facilitate mammography appointments as well as to provide information about breast cancer and the mammography experience. Nina is simply an approach to turn mam-mography into a more pleasant and positive experience and to further improve breast cancer diagnostics.

Due to global warming our frozen lakes are becoming thinner, unpredictable and dangerous. We have already started noticing the effects of this. In recent years we have seen a steady increase in fatal ice accidents. An often-overlooked aspect within safety is our attitude towards protective gear. Through design and branding, this project explores a variety of solutions in response to the factual increase of ice- related drowning accidents in Sweden. VAK is a hypothetical brand for those who are prepared and ready to adapt to a changing environment, shaped and inspired by the raw and fickle nature of ice. Within VAK’s products several different safety aspects are touched upon, such as increased flotation, better grip and impact protection.

The work is based on the increasing absence of local journalism, that continue to grow in rural areas and in suburbs to large cities. The consequences are so-called white spots or news desserts, areas with weak or with out any journalistic presence at all. Disappearing advertising revenues and attempts to get readers to become paying subscribers, in order to survive as a local newspaper, place limits on both time and resources.  The difficulty of reaching out to young adults in age 25 - 39 with local journalism, grows and news agencies are working hard to find a solution. The lack of time and resources make it difficult for journalists to address schools. Children’s insight into their parents’ media habits are also disappearing as the newspaper moving into digital platforms. Today’s children and youths are therefore in risk of growing up without relation to the local media. This project put focus on the children. The work contains a process that has led to a concept, that aims to create a strong and early relationship with local media. The project resulted in an application for children, where they have the opportunity to enter the role of a journalist, to create, choose and assemble their own news together with friends. The start of the activity will take place within the school. Where the student learns about source criticism, press ethics, editing, the journalist’s responsibility and what distinguishes journalism from other communication. The learning element runs parallel to a playful approach to increase the student’s motivation and engagement. The concept aims at a collaboration between local media and students. / Arbetet grundar sig i den ökande frånvaron av lokal journalistik, som vi ser växa fram på landsbygd och i förorter till storstäder. Konsekvenserna blir så kallade vita fläckar, områden med svag eller helt utan journalistisk närvaro. Försvinnande annonsintäkter och försöken till att få läsarna att bli betalande prenumeranter, för att överleva som lokal tidning, sätter begränsningar på såväl tid som resurser. Att nå ut till unga vuxna ålder: 25-39 med lokal journalistik, är en problematik som växer sig allt större och nyhetsbyråerna arbetar febrilt för att finna en lösning. Lite tid och bristande resurser gör det svårt för journalister att hinna ut till skolor och barns insyn i föräldrarnas medievanor är liten då papperstidningen flyttat in i mobilen. Dagens barn och ungdomar riskerar därför att växa upp helt utan eller med en mycket svag anknytning till lokala medier och dess varumärke. Det här projektet fokuserar på barnen. Arbetet innehåller en process som lett fram till ett koncept, som syftar på att skapa en stark och tidig relation till lokala medier. Projektet resulterade i en applikation för barn, där de har möjligheten att gå in i rollen som journalist för att skapa, välja ut och färdigställa sina egna nyheter tillsammans med vänner. Aktivitetens startpunkt kommer ske inom skolan, där eleven lär sig om källkritik, pressetik, redaktörskap, journalistens ansvar och vad som skiljer journalistik från övrig kommunikation. Lärandemoment löper parallellt med lekfullhet som ska öka elevens motivation och engagemang. Konceptet syftar på att vara ett samarbete mellan lokala medier och elever.

El distrito de Villa El Salvador cuenta con el conglomerado más grande de producción de materia prima y manufactura en Lima, teniendo al mueble como principal actividad económica y siendo complementado por el calzado, metalurgia, mecánica, textiles, entre otros. Generalmente, estas actividades se generan en el Parque Industrial, el cual concentra alrededor de 15,000 empresarios que se dedican a distintas actividades manufactureras, donde se encuentra un gran potencial para poder desarrollarse y crear progreso en el distrito. En la actualidad, lamentablemente estos procesos de trabajos, en su mayoría no son orientados por profesionales, sino por personas que han ido adquiriendo experiencia con el tiempo y sumándoles la falta de espacios adecuados para un desarrollo óptimo de aprendizaje y de producción. Por lo tanto, el objetivo que se quiere lograr es realizar una Escuela de Diseño Industrial para poder aprovechar este potencial con el que cuentan los habitantes y motivando a los jóvenes brindándoles las herramientas necesarias para lograr este objetivo y puedan desarrollarse en la producción, el arte y diseño, creando una identidad para su distrito. / The district of Villa El Salvador has the largest conglomerate of raw material production and manufacturing in Lima, with the furniture as the main economic activity and being complemented by footwear, metallurgy, mechanics, textiles, among others. Generally, these activities are generated in the Industrial Park, which concentrates around 15,000 entrepreneurs engaged in different manufacturing activities, where there is great potential to develop and create progress in the district. At present, unfortunately these work processes are mostly not oriented by professionals, but by people who have been acquiring experience over time and adding the lack of adequate spaces for an optimal development of learning and production. Therefore, the objective to be achieved is to create a School of Industrial Design in order to take advantage of this potential that the inhabitants have and motivate young people by providing them with the necessary tools to achieve this goal and develop them in production, art and design, creating an identity for your district. / Tesis