UNIST DESIS Lab, Ulsan, South Korea

UNIST DESIS lab, Ulsan, South Korea

Design for Sustainable Services (DESUS) Lab
Address: School of Design and Human Engineering, UNIST, 100 Banyeon-ri, Eonyang-eup, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, South Korea 689-798
Tel: +82-52-217-2720
www.unist.ac.kr/professor/joonsbaek

Hosting Institution: UNIST (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology)
Address: 100 Banyeon-ri, Eonyang-eup, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, South Korea 689-798
Tel: +82 52 217 0114
www.unist.ac.kr

Coordinator: Joon Sang Baek, School of Design and Human Engineering, UNIST
Address: , 100 Banyeon-ri, Eonyang-eup, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, South Korea 689-798
Tel: +82-52-217-2720
Email: joonsbaek@unist.ac.kr

Operations Manager: Same as the coordinator

Background:

Design for Sustainable Services (DESUS) Lab was launched in the school of Design and Human Engineering at UNIST on August 2011. It is interested in developing theories, tools and scenarios that address issues relating to sustainable development of contemporary society. It aims for a balanced achievement of social, environmental and economical aspects of sustainability with a particular interest in using service design as a means to support sustainable local development. It also provides product service system (PSS) solutions for the private sector that are not only economically viable but also environmentally and socially beneficial. It emphasizes a transdisciplinary atmosphere where people from diverse backgrounds can collaborate to tackle complex problems through design process.

Its primary research areas include:

- Design for social innovation

- Design for sustainability

- Product service system design

Community-centered service design (or community business)

Future programs:

Due to its short history, DESUS is in the process of recruiting its members and establishing collaborative partnerships. Therefore, it has yet specific programs to be carried out with external partners. Its short-term plan is to conduct the following researches internally through didactic activities:

- Designing ICT-enhanced collaborative services for local communities in Ulsan

- Measuring the impact of collaborative services on enriching communities’ relational qualities

Main partner (possible partners)

- GrAT (Center for Appropriate Technology)

- KNCPC (Korea National Clean Production Center)

- Ulsan Buk-Gu (Northernmost district of Ulsan, South Korea)

- KIDP (Korea Institute of Design Promotion)

- LG Electronics

- The Hope Institute

List of projects and research

- 2011: Sustainable food networks design for Ulsan City. In collaboration with Ulsan Bukgu Municipality. My role: project leader

- 2010~2011: Design for Green Growth, an international training program on green business for Korean companies. In collaboration with Center for Appropriate Technology and Korea National Clean Production Center. My role: training organizer, lecturer

- 2011: Preliminary research on the community businesses in Ulsan Buk-Gu. In collaboration with Ulsan Buk-Gu district office. My role: researcher

- 2011: Case studies of community businesses support centers in Japan, Canada, UK, Italy and Germany. My role: researcher

- 2011: Training for launching community business in rural areas. My role: Training assistant

During the enrollment in DIS-INDACO at Politecnico di Milano, Dr. Baek was involved in several research projects relating to social innovation and sustainability including:

- 2010~2015: Feeding Milan: Energy for change, a project to promote a sustainable food network in peri-urban area of Milan in collaboration with Slow Food, University of Gastronomic Science. My role: Researcher, digital platform designer

- 2008~2010: CODI (Collaborative services on the digital platform), a research project for developing a digital platform to promote sustainable lifestyle for the Foundation of Banca Etica. My role: Project manger

- 2009: Chongming Island Project, a joint workshop between Politecnico di Milano and Tongji University on sustainable service design for a peri-urban island near Shanghai. My role: Teaching assistance

- 2008: CHITA 08, a joint workshop between Politecnico di Milano and Jiangnan University on sustainable service design using mobile communication technologies. My role: Organizer

Project example

Location