The Design and Services research community envisions, creates and evaluates future-oriented design solutions, and explores their impact at individual and societal levels. The research community emphasizes participatory design and prototyping approaches, and applies design research methods into various domains. The research utilizes emerging technologies as well as digital and physical design research infrastructures. The research community strengthens the multi-disciplinary collaboration across the university, and with international partners and industry. 

The Design and Services research community is one of the strategic research focus areas of the University of Lapland. Established with the decision of the University Board, the community brings together interdisciplinary research on utilizing research-through-design approach, and serves as an umbrella platform for research groups, projects, and collaborative networks within the university.