Sine is a design researcher with a PhD in Industrial Design Engineering, exploring the DF network, community dynamics and creative collaborations.
While being particularly interested in systems thinking, Sine is getting increasingly curious about social network analysis from a methodological perspective. Her doctoral thesis focused on the role innovation plays for the sustainable development of underprivileged regions.
Sine is also an architect.
Teo is a social scientist with a background in social psychology, economic sociology and behavioural economics. His past research has involved group decision making, attitudes and behavioural patterns linked to identity including issues of trust, wellbeing, risk assessment, accountability and social tie effects among others. His research at the Design Factory focuses on mapping contextual factors that influence motivational, performance and cooperative aspects of organisational decision-making that can be enhanced by the design thinking approach.
In terms of Design Factory projects, Teo contributes primarily to Design+, DesignBites and DRIVE, studying how the design thinking approach and nuanced group dynamics can be leveraged for innovating business strategy.
In the private sector, Teo has been involved with building cooperative strategies between corporations and start-ups in addition to studying corporate experiences of innovating and integrating start-up expertise within complex and well-established companies.
Teo has a PhD in Economic Sociology from the University of Turku (2016).
Senni is a designer doing research on design processes and ways of supporting creativity. She is involved for example in Design+ tracking initiatives taking design thinking to practice large tech companies.
Senni is passionate about smooth user experiences and services that really serve their purpose. She draws from a MA degree in industrial design from Aalto University, and doctoral studies in engineering design.
Tua is one of the co-founders of the Design Factory. As a professor of practice appointed to the Design Factory and the head of its research, her work revolves around understanding, teaching and developing co-creation efforts, turning ideas into improvements in different contexts: design, entrepreneurship, management, and teaching.
Tua heads research at the Design Factory, looking into co-creation and the impact of the Factory, promoting innovation and empathy in engineering education, and how entrepreneurial opportunities are produced. In addition, she manages three externally funded research projects Design Plus and DesignBites, investigating how design thinking can change the way companies organise for innovation. Outside of Aalto University, Tua is one of the associate editors of the Journal of Engineering Education, the highest ranking journal in engineering education.
On the teaching front, Tua is a part of Design Factory efforts to promote developing university teaching. She teaches design thinking and service design in executive and professional education, the open hackathon Rat Relay for Global Good, and AAN-C1003, an integrated course to promote reflection, setting learning goals and skill communication in the interdisciplinary bachelor-level Aaltonaut product development minor.
Tua has a DSc degree in work psychology from the Aalto University School of Science, and an MA degree in cognitive science from the University of Helsinki.
Satu is soon defending her doctoral thesis on managing exploration projects. Her post-doctoral research focuses on cross-disciplinary collaboration, collaborative cognitive processes, and the role of design in organizations. She is based in the industrial engineering department of the School of Science, but works in the Design+ and DRIVE research projects at the Design Factory.
Satu’s mission is to educate game-changers who are able to make a team more than the sum of its parts. She is making students aware of the importance of teamwork and soft skills, which facilitate the utilization of expertise. She draws from a licentiate’s degree in industrial management and master’s degree in business.
Aalto DF