Contributions

General Chair: Satu Miettinen, University of Lapland
Academic Chairs: Jonna Häkkilä, University of Lapland and Jasmin Niess, University of Oslo

Important Dates for Contributions

  • Submissions open: 1 August 2026
  • Full and exploratory paper deadline: 1 September 2026
  • Workshop, exhibition, demo, film, and doctoral consortium deadline: 14 September 2026
  • Notification to contributors: 26 October 2026
  • Camera-ready submission deadline: 26 November 2026
  • Final acceptance: 23 January 2027
  • Conference dates: 26–28 April 2027

NORDES 2027 welcomes a variety of contributions and offers a range of submission types. Please note that the conference follows a full delivery format with well-formed and professionally edited texts. To build quality in design research, we encourage colleagues to have their contributions read and reviewed by one of their peers or a supervisor. Templates for each type of contribution are given in the link below.

Each contribution type will be co-chaired by a select team from the Programme Committee that will arrange reviews. Each anonymous submission will be anonymously reviewed by two peers. Extensions will be given only in exceptional circumstances.

Full papers

Co-chairs: Melanie Sarantou, Kyushu University and Lea Holst Laursen, Aalborg University 

This submission category invites original and mature research and results positioned in relation to existing research literature. Full papers represent the current frontier of knowledge in the design field. Full papers may take the shape of a range of formats and theoretical approaches depending on the nature and character of the material presented. In this type of contribution to NORDES, we ask that authors pay especially close attention to the conference theme and to ways design inquiry may address and develop it – academically, pragmatically and professionally – through creative and critical engagement.

Full Papers are limited to a maximum of 10 pages (excluding abstract and references). Please limit the file size to 5 MB or less, use the relevant NORDES template and follow its guidelines for preparing your submission.

Submit papers at the latest by the 1st September, 2026. For further inquiries on this submission category, please contact the Co-chairs.

When accepted for review, each submission will receive a minimum of two peer reviews addressing strengths, weaknesses, originality, and significance of the submission. If the submission is accepted for publication, authors are expected to adopt suggested improvements as noted by reviewers and the conference programme committee. A final submission must be fully language edited.

Full papers will be reviewed based on:

Curiosity and expansion: The conference aims to invite curiosity and expansiveness in interpreting its theme. Authors should explain their interpretation of the theme clearly to enable reviewers to make sense of the contribution to the design research community.

Originality and articulation: Originality refers to ways the output introduces a new way of thinking about a subject, is distinctive or transformative compared with previous work in the design field. Articulation concerns the ways in which the purpose of the work is clearly conveyed as design research. It includes how the inquiry is positioned theoretically, and how appropriate methodologies, methods and techniques have been selected, applied and reconsidered. Important too is reflection on how processes and documentation are presented to show that the purpose has been achieved.

Clarity and communication: A paper needs to be clear in its focus, argumentation and supporting research and situated practices. Communication is understood as the ability to convey the focus in choice of research problems and questions, selections of format and genre, and uses of relevant text, visuals and other means. A paper needs to be readable and fully language edited.

Exploratory papers

Co-chairs: Mari Suoheimo, AHO and Kiwoong Nam, University of Lapland

The exploratory papers category functions as a channel through which emergent research topics and approaches may be investigated before becoming acknowledged or established in the broader design research community.

Here we invite submissions in forms such as, but not limited to, design cases, design fictions, design critiques, pictorials, annotated portfolios, as well as more traditional short papers. Whether text-driven or visual, submissions will differ in format because each seeks the most effective way of presenting an intended contribution to the theme and research community. A submission needs to connect its purpose, argument, claims and design work, together with the mode of inquiry selected.

While exploratory, this is still a research paper category. Submissions must refer closely to the conference theme and include a clearly communicated topic, questions and supporting design-based research linked to clear methods, hopefully, with a strong foundation in empirical data. We encourage authors to investigate existing and novel concepts in the search for new theoretical openings, possibly drawing new linkages between nearby disciplines.

We ask authors to use the NORDES template as a basis, and we strongly recommend exploratory papers be no longer than 3000 words (excluding abstract and references) with a maximum file size of 5 MB.

Submit papers at the latest by the 1st of September, 2026. For specific inquiries on this submission category, please contact the Co-chairs.

Submissions will be reviewed with respect to novelty and quality of the research contribution, the consistency, clarity and effectiveness of the presentation, and the contribution paper’s relevance for the conference theme.

Accepted papers will be published in the digital archive. As part of building the NORDES research community and the formats of exploratory papers, we may ask scholars who submit papers to also review others’ work.

Workshops

Co-chairs: Cindy Kohtala, Umeå University and Tomi Knuutila, University of Lapland

Workshops will run for a maximum of 3 hours. Workshop proposals need 2 components: a Workshop Description and a Practical Overview. The Workshop Description frames the direction of the exploration, its significance and relevance, as well as the research basis for the workshop. The Workshop Description will be included in the Nordes 2025 Proceedings as a peer-reviewed publication. Following the related NORDES paper template, a Workshop Written Description must be a maximum of 3 pages (excluding abstract and references) and not exceed 5 MB.

The Practical Overview is submitted in addition to the Workshop Description. This provides a summary of the practicalities for running the workshop. Please include in the overview the workshop title, motivation, length of the workshop, a tentative programme, a minimum and maximum number of participants, anything participants need to bring, preferred set-up (including space, equipment, supplies, etc.), and support needed (technology, materials or other assistance). Please note how you will deal with any related ethical issues, consent and data privacy. The submission will also be evaluated as to whether it can be achieved practically, so this element of the submission needs to be carefully prepared.

Submit papers at the latest 28 February 2025.

Workshop proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Experimental nature: Exploration of a novel and compelling aspect of design research and/or practice that challenges the current boundaries of the field and reveals ways of knowing and becoming that emerge or are otherwise overlooked.

Clear planning: The goals, structure and plan for the workshop are clearly presented with explicitly stated expectations regarding resourcing and realistic support needs.

Research basis: Evidence of scholarly positioning in a relevant area of design research; connections drawn between practical explorations in the workshop and theoretical concepts and implications.

Exhibition

Co-chairs: Heidi Pietarinen, University of Lapland and Maarit Magga, Sámi allaskuvla/ Sámi University of Applied Sciences.

We welcome the submission of artifacts of various types (physical, digital, processual, performances, posters, etc.) that must be accompanied by an explanatory and notational and analytical research framed text (maximum 3000 words excluding abstract and references). All contributions to this category of Design Research Exhibitions must be fully formed, whether conceptual or completed.

List the technical requirements for exhibiting the work for three days, including dimensions, power needs, and installation materials etc. Additionally, describe how the work will be displayed (e.g., wall‑mounted, freestanding, on a pedestal or mannequin, or on the floor). This description should correspond with the exhibition sketch. The total length of this section must not exceed 500 words.

All shipping and primary material costs are the responsibility of the contributors. Curation will be selective and conducted by a dynamic on-site team. At least one team member is expected to be present. Artists are responsible for transportation, installation, and deinstallation of their work.

If selected, an artist or a member of the exhibiting group must transport and install the work on 24 and/or 25 September 2027, and deinstall it on the final exhibition day, 28 September 2027.

Submit papers at the latest by the 14th September, 2026.

This contribution type will be included in the Proceedings and must provide a research context, related literature and works, a clear link to the conference theme, and an analysis and reflection on what ‘exhibition’ does and means in conducting and communicating design inquiry.

Demos

Co-chairs: Ashley Colley, University of Lapland and Markus Löchtefeld, Aalborg University

We welcome the submission of artifacts of various types (physical, digital) that are best understood through demonstration rather than display. Demo contributions prioritise use, interaction, and explanation, and must be accompanied by an explanatory, notational, and analytically research‑framed text (maximum 3000 words excluding abstract and references). Authors should clearly describe what conference attendees will be able to experience, interact with, or try during the demo, and explain the value of this experiential engagement.

All contributions to the category of Demos must be fully formed, whether conceptual or completed. All costs for shipping and main materials are to be covered by contributors. 

We ask authors to use the NORDES template as a basis, and we strongly recommend demo papers be no longer than 3000 words (excluding abstract and references) with a maximum file size of 5 MB. A demo requirements document outlining technical, spatial, and logistical needs for the demo should also be submitted.

Submit papers at the latest by the 1st of September, 2026

Submissions will be reviewed with respect to novelty and quality of the research contribution, consistency, clarity, effectiveness of the presentation, the contribution’s relevance to the conference theme, and the value of conference attendees’ engagement with the demo.

Accepted papers will be published in the digital archive. As part of building the NORDES research community and the formats of exploratory papers, we may ask scholars who submit papers to also review others’ work.

Film

Co-chairs: Mari Mäkiranta and Liisa Holmberg, University of Lapland

The Film Track encourages works that engage with ecological, social, and political entanglements, and that experiment with ways of seeing, sensing, and narrating the world otherwise. How might audiovisual practices unsettle dominant narratives, open up alternative futures, or cultivate more situated, relational, and responsible modes of knowledge production?

We welcome original audiovisual contributions and short films that position themselves in relation to the NORDES 2026 theme while advancing new perspectives at the intersection of audiovisual expression, design research or artistic inquiry. Submissions may take diverse, hybrid, and experimental forms, reflecting the material, aesthetic, and methodological specificities of the work. We particularly encourage approaches that explore new narrative strategies, speculative storytelling, and plural ways of constructing worldviews and future imaginaries.

Contributions should clearly articulate their positioning in relation to the conference theme. Particular attention should be paid to how audiovisual elements function as part of the research argument, documentation, and dissemination—how meaning is produced through image, sound, editing, and temporal structure, as well as through other forms of reflection.

Researchers and artists are welcome to discuss their films and audiovisual works in a panel discussion.

Submissions are due by 1 September 2026.

Film submissions should be provided via a link (e.g., Vimeo, YouTube, or similar platform). Submissions are due by 1 September 2026. Each film submission will undergo a curated review process, receiving an evaluation addressing strengths, weaknesses, originality, and significance.

Curiosity and Expansion: Contributions should offer a thoughtful and clearly articulated interpretation of the conference theme, fostering curiosity and expanding both design research and / or artistic practices.

Originality and Articulation: Submissions should present distinctive or transformative perspectives. This includes critical and rich engagement with process, methodology, and documentation, as well as reflection on how audiovisual forms contribute to knowledge production.

For further inquiries, please contact the conference co-chairs.

Doctoral Consortium

Co-chairs:  Sanna Marttila, ITU, Tom Jenkins, ITU, Namkyu Chun, Aalto University and Johanna Oksanen, University of Lapland

Doctoral researchers are encouraged to submit work for consideration in any of the main conference types, including this one. Submissions in categories other than the Doctoral Consortium need to be fully prepared with supervisors and co-authors for an anonymous submission and research review at an international level. 

In contrast, the NORDES Doctoral Consortium (DC) offers PhD students a full-day, on-site and dedicated space for sharing and discussing design research work-in-progress and for learning and engaging with fellow students and established researchers.

The DC is a venue that works with specific doctoral research projects and positions them in the wider regional and international contexts of design research. The DC supports the generative character of doctoral research and contributes to shaping topics, themes, perspectives, content and methods, along with building networks between students and with larger research projects and institutions. The DC also functions as an arena for the rehearsal and preparation of material for research publication. Supervisors are welcome to attend.

Submit papers at the latest by the 15th of September, 2026.

To participate, you are invited to submit a short position paper relating to your PhD research. The position paper should be no more than 500 words, include design work, be no more than 5MB in size, and contain the following elements:

  1. A summary of your PhD project
  2. A discussion of how it relates to, or how you would like it to relate to, the NORDES design research community
  3. A description of short-term and long-term plans for the continuation of your PhD project.

Here are some tips for writing your position paper:

  • Refer to the general Call for Contributions

  • Think of the initial submission as the start of a conversation with peers from the design research community

  • Engage your supervisor/s in thinking about what you want to get out of the Doctoral Consortium and how you could shape your initial submission

  • Be sure to fully edit your submission

  • Follow up on the revision of your paper with your peers and supervisor(s).

Submit papers at the latest by the 15th of September, 2026

We will review your submission for suitability to the NORDES design research community and the conference theme. Following presentations, feedback and reviews will be given by fellow students, attending supervisors and senior design researchers. Revised papers are to be submitted to the co-chairs one month after the event (by the 31st of May, 2027). Preparing, presenting and revising your contribution qualifies for 3 ECTS credits.