Postdoc fellowship in Design

Welcome to Linnaeus University! We meet the societal challenges of today and tomorrow in a spirit of openness, curiosity and creativity. By creating arenas for exchange of knowledge from different subjects, fields and cultures, we open up for new ideas and create new opportunities for long-term sustainable societal development. Linnaeus University – where people grow.

The Department of Design is located at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, one of five faculties at Linnaeus University. The faculty is a dynamic, flexible and international knowledge environment with both scientific and artistic activities in a wide range of main areas. We build complete academic environments where the exchange between teaching, research and external collaborations creates a driving force for the quality of the university and the surrounding society.

The Bridge is a multidisciplinary research and education collaboration between Linnaeus University and IKEA. The programme focuses on big challenges related to Life at Home. The vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people.  Affordability, accessibility and circularity are the long-term strategies towards this vision. The Bridge is a programme for entrepreneurship, innovation, and production. The aim is to create a “challenge-based” international research hub, to bring breakthrough innovations that solves major problems for a sustainable life at home and sustainable solutions of value to the people and the planet.

Field of subject for the position: Design - from linear to circular, reuse of post-consumer textiles

Placement: Department of Design, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Växjö, Sweden.

Extent and period: The position is available as soon as possible, for duration of two (2) years. Extent is 100%.

Context of position:

The purpose of this postdoctoral project in design is to work holistically with the question how and if post-consumer textile can be a viable resource for textile furnishing. What questions does this ask of the sourcing, design, production, labeling, communication, use and care processes? What questions does it ask of legislation and of norms, in terms of aesthetics, quality, hygiene? What are the environmental gains and tradeoffs? What are the social, cultural and economic implications of a shift to working with post-consumer textiles? What new expertise, roles, collaborations will it necessitate? What new opportunities can it open for?

The postdoctoral project is to be conducted as a design led case study, with the aim of working with post-consumer textile as a resource for a product, identifying questions, challenges and opportunities. The result of the project includes new understandings of circular textile material and expressions in design and production processes, which can guide further work with post-consumer textile in industrial processes. 

The project is expected to generate insights and tools valuable for industry, design education and in communication with end-users. Ultimately, the project will contribute to reduction of environmental impacts as set out in the Sustainable Development Goals. 

The project is located in design. Because of the systemic and holistic approach, it is expected that the candidate has experience from and a willingness to seek multidisciplinary perspectives, including a sound understanding of engineering and/or consumer behaviours/psychology.

Other duties include:


• Collaborate with researchers in the Department of Design focusing on sustainable home making. 
• Establish and keep close co-operation with main actors within the project, i.e. The Bridge, and IKEA Range and Supply as the stakeholder representing the needs of the industry, and other relevant stakeholders, such as government agencies and citizen organisations.
• Create links with leading research groups at international level to further advance the area of design for sustainable water use.
• Co-author manuscripts to refereed journals and other relevant dissemination channels.

As part of the post, you are expected to actively participate in the department's working environment and network both internally and externally.

Up to 20 % of the work can include teaching and tutoring in the Innovation Master program as well as in undergraduate and graduate programs of the Department.   

IKEA Range & Supply has the responsibility to develop, design, produce and supply IKEA retail channels with home furnishing solutions available to the many people. Each year IKEA Range & Supply introduces 2,000 new products in the 442 IKEA stores and other multichannel touchpoints around the world. The total range is almost 10,000 products. So, what happens in Älmhult definitely doesn't stay in Älmhult. It reaches practically every corner of the globe.

We only create products we love. To do this, we apply five dimensions: low price, function, form, quality and sustainability. Together, they create something we call Democratic Design.

Range & Product Innovation is part of IKEA Range & Supply in Älmhult and leads strategic innovation and ensures preconditions for innovation to be developed in the business – democratising innovation at all levels of range and product development and throughout the value chain to create better products at lower cost.

For requirements, assessment criteria and contacts visit our website:

URL to this page
https://lnu.se/en/meet-linnaeus-university/work-at-the-university/?rmpage=job&rmjob=7527&rmlang=UK

Welcome to apply according to instructions, by September 30 2023.


Linnaeus University has the ambition to utilize the qualities that an even gender distribution and diversity brings to the organization.

Please apply by clicking on the Apply button at the bottom of the ad. Your application should be designed according to the Template for application which can be found in the Guide to Appointment procedures under important documents below the ad. The credentials you invoke must be verified with certification and they must be attached digitally in your application. Other documents, including various types of scientific works, must be submitted digitally along with the application. The application and other documents to be marked with the reference number. All documents cited must be received by the University no later than 24.00 (Local time in Sweden) on the closing day.