With the theme “Relational Design”, the event explored how design can foster connections and address pressing societal challenges in an age of ecological and systemic crises.
Spanning topics
Over three days, participants engaged in new research, spanning topics from social justice to the role of food in relational practices. Formats ranged from traditional paper presentations to the experimental “Making Relations” session, which encouraged collective reflection.
Doctoral students gathered for a dedicated consortium, while twelve interactive workshops offered hands-on explorations of themes such as regenerative practices, design pedagogy, civic engagement, and technology’s role in shaping futures.
Participants at one of the workshops.
Collaboration and impact
The conference opened with a ceremony at Oslo City Hall, drawing researchers, practitioners, and students from across the Nordic region, a total of 34 countries worldwide.
Led by Alma Leora Culén (UiO), Laurence Habib (OsloMet), and Andrew Morrison (AHO), and coordinated by Maryam Kaviani (OsloMet), Nordes 2025 combined academic rigor with creative energy, leaving a strong impression on both the design research community and the city of Oslo.
‘Nordes 2025 was a massive event with double the subscriptions as usual in the series’, tells Andrew Morrison.
‘Nordes continues to be a lively regional and international venue for design inquiry and for networking’.
‘We had a huge number of positive comments on the event. This is what matters for shaping critical and creative content and processes together’, he says.
Nordes 2025 not only showcased the depth and diversity of relational design research but also reaffirmed the Nordic region’s leadership in shaping design’s contribution to democratic, ecological, and technological transitions.
Do look out for Nordes 2027!' Morrison smiles.
Nordes 2025 was led by Andrew Morrison (AHO), Laurence Habib (OsloMet) and Alma Leora Culén (UiO). Photo: Andrew Morrison and Laurence Habib welcoming the participants.
Provocative works
The Relational Design Exhibition, open throughout the conference, showcased six provocative works. Visitors encountered responsive textiles animated by ultraviolet energy, explorations of technological imagination, and critical reflections on the entanglements of AI, politics, and profit.
Other pieces collected local design stories, traced layered histories of relational perspectives, and co-created nature-inspired artworks with care home residents. The exhibition became one of the most discussed highlights of the conference.
One of the works at The Relational Design Exhibition.
