CONFERENCES
E&PDE 2026 - 28th International Conference on Engineering & Product Design Education
The Conference will bring together representatives from education and industry interested in sharing new perspectives on design education.
Knowledge Base Repository
In addition to research papers, the Design Society is developing several valuable resources for those interested in the study of design. These include a repository of PhD theses, a library of case studies and transcripts of design activities, and an archive of our newsletters. Please note that these resources are accessible exclusively to Design Society members.
EDUCATING FOR CRISIS PREPAREDNESS THROUGH DESIGN STORYTELLING
Wattne, Ole Edward; Fladvad Nielsen, Brita
Type:
Year:
2026
Editor:
Buck, Lyndon; Brisco. Ross; Bohemia, Erik
Author:
Series:
E&PDE
Institution:
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
Page(s):
197 - 202
DOI number:
ISBN:
978-1-912254-24-8
ISSN:
3005-4753
Abstract:
Preparing and designing for crises is becoming an essential cross‑disciplinary skill. This demands teaching methods that unite students from different fields and equip them with systematic tools to imagine, plan, and act to improve citizen preparedness. Across a series of workshops, we tested the well‑established ‘personas and scenarios’ method with both design and non‑design students to support storytelling, situational forecasting, and empathy with potential users. Although many students are used to analysing data within their own disciplines, transforming data into narrative form is new to some. Still, interdisciplinary collaboration generally strengthens the quality and relevance of learning outcomes and ideas. This article offers a descriptive pedagogical reflection on using personas and scenarios as a method for actionable storytelling in design, and its suitability for contexts involving people, technology, and crisis situations. We present results, discuss student feedback, and argue that this approach can be adapted to a wide range of disciplines working with disaster preparedness and technology innovation.
Keywords:
