This thesis project explores combining interactive technology and the natural world, through a more-than-human design approach. This project aims to step away from an industry-driven design by valuing plants as equal in the design process. Throughout this report, an overview of the relevant theory and examples are elaborated on. This overview has informed the project in two ways. It formed the foundation of a concept aiming to improve the user’s interconnectedness with nature and it formed the foundation of an evaluation tool developed for aiding designers in design for plants by addressing three design fields: Design for Care, Design for Cohabitation, and Design for Noticing. The concept and the evaluation tool have been developed in parallel and informed each other throughout the project. The final concept contributes to the discussion about addressing more-than-human actors in design. In this case by addressing plant blindness. The evaluation tool contributes to more-than-human design as a tool to evaluate ideas and projects. This project included an extensive analysis of a design collection, workshops regarding the materiality of living plants and assessment of the evaluation tool, an interdisciplinary design approach, and a prototyping phase during which assumptions regarding the concept were tested.

This paper examines how wine brands use emotional branding and narrative identities to connect with customers on Instagram. The research questions were as follows: How do winemakers use emotional branding in their communication on Instagram? How does the narrative that the company tells about itself relate to the customer's identity? To answer this, a semiotic analysis was made where three different wine producers were examined. For each wine producer, a profile overview and three posts were analyzed. The findings show that all three wine producers created content that corresponds to emotional branding for instance by trying to emphasize a connection to sentimental memories, socialization, lifestyles and ideals. By trying to create a narrative around the brand, they intend to attract consumers whose narrative identity corresponds to the identity of the brand. This is relevant knowledge for designers and marketing people in order to connect with consumers. Since the wine business has a great economic relevance, this knowledge can also be considered to be of general interest.

This thesis aims to explore the video game medium in depth, to relate it to the stories foundon Internet communities about users’ gameplay experiences during burdensome moments inlife. To achieve that, the phenomena is explored through the lenses of Uses & Gratificationstheory by means of a netnography on the ‘/Persona 5’ official subReddit; interpreting, codingand analyzing all narratives that fit the criteria with the help of a proposed ‘USE’ system. Themodel is in charge of classifying the information into explicit displays of ‘Dissatisfaction’,‘Motivation’, ‘Immersion’ and ‘Emersion’. The resulting codification enabled the creation ofeight different types of reports among a sample of one-hundred threads, all in correlation withthe varied aspects of the game that act as categories. The data derived from the conclusions ofthis study shows that players are not motivated to use the video game for any other purposesthan mere entertainment. Yet, the immersive potential of the virtual world addressed theirdissatisfactions and made them emerge back to reality with, mostly, not-sought gratifications. Still, not all players were able to control their video game uses to regulate their emotions,further implying the importance to continue researching cases of media immersion toestablish guidelines of ethical design and appropriate production and consumption practices. 

The study is a design-driven research project that answers the question: What material design qualities are there in Swedish wild boar leather and how can these be applied in product design? The question is primarily investigated through a material-driven design method and results is analysed through theories of design for sustainable development and design for emotional durability.

The material-driven design method began with free exploration of the material, first impressions were documented and hypotheses about the material were deemed incorrect. To investigate the technical characteristics, tests were carried out. The material experience is explored through a tool where 10 participants answered questions about the material's performative, sensory, affective, and interpretive properties. The tests ended with a reflection of the material's positive, negative, and unique properties.

The knowledge of the design qualities of wild boar leather was then used in an idea generation process to create a sustainable product with emotional durability. The idea generation culminates in the study's design proposal, a chair with cushion and backrest made of wild boar leather. The study concludes with a conclusion that confirms the design qualities of wild boar leather and a discussion that highlights insights that emerged during the study's implementation.

The COVID-19 global pandemic impacted all social relations, including the way religious communities engage in worship services. Due to strict social distancing protocols, the only viable solution for many congregations was online worship. This article investigates how platforms in cyberspace, such as Zoom, can provide a substitute for the core religious practices found in physical worship services, particularly for African Pentecostal believers who rely heavily-on the aesthetic and sensory experience of their religious environment. Drawing on the theoretic-al concept of affordance, it is argued that digital affordances such as the chat box and emojis are used by believers to communicate affective moments arising from the sensory experience of worship. Members of the congregation become 'digital spiritual hype people-' who render support to leaders in order to create and regenerate an affective environment where the presence of the Holy Spirit can be felt. The Holy Spirit, a fundamental pillar for Evangelical Christians, is understood as an embedded presence within the digital infrastructure. The internet connection, the phone and computers and screens are all re-appropriated as spiritual tools through which miraculous healing can be dispensed to believers in need. This research stands at a critical juncture between what might be termed the `pre-COVID era' and the `post-COVID era'. As vaccination plans continue to roll out and social distancing measures are slowly being lifted, a `post-COVID era' for African Pente-costals means negotiating the boundaries between online and offline spaces to fulfil core religious practices.

The museum of the twenty-first century is operating against the backdrop of ongoing social concerns pertaining to climate change, gender inequalities and racial tensions, and often exhibitions become the contact zones where those expressions are formulated. This research analyses how a democratic and inclusive philosophical perspective such as the Tigens Metod (or method of the thing) is executed by museum professionals. In doing so, Stuart Hall’s model of encoding/decoding is applied as the theoretical framework in investigating the process of exhibition production. It is argued that occasionally resistant positions can emerge from the museum’s ideological discourse and that key actors within the museum field yield different codes according to their own framework of knowledge and relations of production. This challenges the basic assumption in Hall’s model that media institutions yield one singular preferred code into the system. Overall, it is argued that an object-oriented democracy has the potential of challenging power structures, albeit still contingent upon the choices made by museum professionals. 

As museums face conflicting demands on maintaining and caringfor their collections, opening for visitor engagement, and beingmore inclusive in their practice, new approaches are needed tomuseum work. This article introduces a democratic and inclusiveapproach focusing on the relational properties of the artefact–the Method of the Thing (Tigenes Metode). We use interviewswith different museum professionals in Sweden. The methodallows knowledge to emerge from the convergence of differentactors within and outside the museum who negotiate theirexpertise, (professional) roles and technical infrastructure of themuseum by foregrounding the object rather than the curators’story. We use the encoding/decoding model to discuss thestrengths and weaknesses of the method where centring theobject allows for a process of democratisation and polyvocality totake shape, thus allowing divergent narratives to emerge.

This study investigates how the international media framed Sweden's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its image during this time. By utilizing framing theory as an analytical framework, 42 articles from The Guardian and The Washington Post were analyzed. Hence, based on the existing framing research, by Semeteko and Valkenberg (2000), the coverage is classified into five frames: conflict, human interest, economic consequence, morality, and responsibility. The findings highlight how the media coverage of a nation during crises can shape its national image. Moreover, the study underscores the significance of comprehending how media can influence future global crisis reporting. This thesis contributes to the existing body of literature pertaining to the media framing of crises by analyzing the portrayal of Sweden's exceptionalism and image by the international media in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through an examination of news coverage from prominent outlets, the study identifies the dominant frames used to portray Sweden's response and shape its image. The findings reveal a diverse range of frames employed, including conflict, human interest, economic consequence, morality, and responsibility, reflecting the complexities surrounding Sweden's approach. This research emphasizes the importance of comprehending media framing in shaping national image during global crises and advocates for holistic approaches to address societal, economic, and public health impacts. Finally, the study’s findings indicated that Sweden's national image in the context of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic is multifaceted and complex, based on the analysis of the various frames used in the articles. The dominant frames shape Sweden's perception of itself as a nation characterized by opposing opinions, controversies, ongoing debates, personal experiences, moral considerations, and a delicate balance between economic and social concerns. Sweden is framed as a nation that values individual liberty, individual responsibility, and a distinctive approach to crisis management.  Overall, Sweden's national image reflects a dynamic and complex perspective, illuminating the complexities and diverse perspectives surrounding its response to the COVID-19 crisis. 

With the rise of Hallyu, or the global export of Korean culture also commonly known as ‘The Korean Wave’, South Korea has become a big trendsetter in recent years: whether it be within fashion and K-Beauty skincare or Korean movies and drama series, to Korean popular music, also known under the umbrella term K-pop. What these categories have in common are their strong ties to visual aesthetics and K-pop is known for its very colourful and maximalist design, which is also a key characteristic to why K-pop as a phenomenon has been particularly attractive and has managed to captivate fans all over the world. In the marvelling K-pop universe, the goal is to engage all the senses for a complete and interactive sensory experience, making the visual just as important as the auditory, and this can also be applied to the physical album design. Physical K-pop albums sell better than ever despite the digital streaming services dominating our digital age. A visual analysis was conducted on selected contemporary K-pop albums together with a survey on Swedish K-pop fans, in order to discuss how packaging design of K-pop albums can influence consumer behavior. The study showed that interactive packaging design and extra album inclusions like photocards, photo books, postcards etc. makes the fans more likely to want to collect albums and merchandise, which on its own can be viewed as a collectible item. The packaging design both facilitates and encourages fans to interact with the design not only visually, but also in a tactile way, by engaging in participatory behavior such as filming unboxing videos and posting them on social media, and it can also be associated with identity making, i.e. how they identify themselves as fans in relation to their favorite artists or towards other fans. Lastly, it is interesting to discuss how K-pop design can be heavily influenced by American and Western concepts despite being marketed as a Korean phenomena and innovation; from the visual analysis it could also be concluded that contemporary design trends draw inspiration from Western concepts such as the y2k millennium bug, retro and technology. 

With the rise of Hallyu, or the global export of Korean culture also commonly known as ‘The Korean Wave’, South Korea has become a big trendsetter in recent years: whether it be within fashion and K-Beauty skincare or Korean movies and drama series, to Korean popular music, also known under the umbrella term K-pop. What these categories have in common are their strong ties to visual aesthetics and K-pop is known for its very colourful and maximalist design, which is also a key characteristic to why K-pop as a phenomenon has been particularly attractive and has managed to captivate fans all over the world. In the marvelling K-pop universe, the goal is to engage all the senses for a complete and interactive sensory experience, making the visual just as important as the auditory, and this can also be applied to the physical album design. Physical K-pop albums sell better than ever despite the digital streaming services dominating our digital age. A visual analysis was conducted on selected contemporary K-pop albums together with a survey on Swedish K-pop fans, in order to discuss how packaging design of K-pop albums can influence consumer behavior. The study showed that interactive packaging design and extra album inclusions like photocards, photo books, postcards etc. makes the fans more likely to want to collect albums and merchandise, which on its own can be viewed as a collectible item. The packaging design both facilitates and encourages fans to interact with the design not only visually, but also in a tactile way, by engaging in participatory behavior such as filming unboxing videos and posting them on social media, and it can also be associated with identity making, i.e. how they identify themselves as fans in relation to their favorite artists or towards other fans. Lastly, it is interesting to discuss how K-pop design can be heavily influenced by American and Western concepts despite being marketed as a Korean phenomena and innovation; from the visual analysis it could also be concluded that contemporary design trends draw inspiration from Western concepts such as the y2k millennium bug, retro and technology.

This thesis aims to conduct a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of news articles and tweets discussing the climate protest that occurred on October 14th, 2022, where activists threw tomato soup on Van Gogh’s “Sunflower” at the London National Museum. The purpose is to investigate the media logic and the underlying social and cultural factors of iconoclastic actions that shaped the media discourse surrounding the event. The research questions this thesis aims to investigate are: RQ1: How are news values emphasized in media coverage of the tomato soup incident, as reflected in both news articles and Twitter posts? RQ2: Through the lens of media logic, how do media discourses shape perceptions of the climate action? RQ3: ​​How do affiliations with culturally significant artifacts and the climate shape the discursive representations of the protest in news articles and tweets? The sample consists of 34 tweets and 15 news articles. It is analyzed according to Van Dijk’s and Faircough’s CDA frameworks and the concepts of mediatization, media logic, iconoclasm, affiliation (as defined by Stoler (2022)) and news values. The results of this study suggest that the event had significant news value due to the iconoclastic tactics. Further, the media logic is seemingly involved in shaping the news into a sensationalistic story with little focus on the cause of the action. Lastly, the discourses surrounding the event on the platforms can be discussed in light of affiliation to provide an understanding of the discourse.

Mutual learning and infrastructuring are two core concepts in Participatory Design (PD), but the relation between them has yet to be explored. In this article, we foreground learning in infrastructuring processes aimed at change in the public sector. Star and Ruhleder’s (1996) framework for first, second, and third level issues is applied as a fruitful way to stage and analyze learning in such processes. The argument is developed through the insights that arose from a 4-year-long infrastructuring process about future library practices. Framed as Co-Labs this process was organized by researchers and officers from the local regional office. This led to adjusted roles for both PD researchers and civil servants working with materials at the operational and strategic levels. The case shows how learning led to profound changes in the regional public sector in the form of less bureaucratic and more participatory experimental and learning-focused worldviews and practices.

Due to the pandemic, along with the growth of current technology, working remotely is becoming more feasible. As a result digital nomadism has become a viable alternative as a career. The emerging literature on digital nomadism focuses mainly on lifestyle descriptions, with less attention given to potentially understand digital nomads and their needs (Wang et al. 2018). In this research the author will apply uses and gratification theory to describe the gratifications that motivates digital nomads and their means of communication combined with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to determine if the needs of digital nomads have changed during the course of the pandemic. The aim of this thesis is to provide terminological and philosophical insights on the idea of digital nomads and their future.  

Since the start of the pandemic the discussions whether remote work is the future has been fluctuating to say the least. Big companies have introduced a “work from anywhere” model meaning that their employees will have the possibility to choose if they want to be remote after the pandemic (CNBC, 2021). Prior to this, digital nomads were already fully remote. This could be the ideal time and subject to study to gain further understanding if the digital nomad phenomenon has changed. Moreover, if there has been an increase or decrease in interest regarding a remote future while aiming to understand the future remote workforce.

This thesis explores the use and impact of Voter Advice Applications (VAA), specifically Valkompassen (The Election Compass), on young voters in Sweden. It investigates how these digital tools influence electoral decisions and whether enhancements can better support informed voting. Key findings reveal that VAAs like Valkompassen significantly affect voter turnout and choices by informing its users about political party stances but have limited impact on informing about political issues. Consequently, a prototype was developed that integrates additional resources into The Election Compass, aiming to deepen issue knowledge. This prototype allows users to access relevant information to potentially enrich their political understanding while keeping the appeal of the format of The Election Compass. The study highlights the necessity of combining VAAs with broader educational initiatives and discusses the role of digital tools in enhancing democratic engagement.

Denna uppsats undersöker genusrepresentation inom skejtkulturen, genom att i en fallstudie analysera omslag, bildspråk, språkbruk av Thrasher Magazine. Magasinet är en månatlig utgåva som startades år 1981 i San Francisco och har sedan dess varit mycket prestigefyllt och tongivande inom skejtkulturen. Analysen tar avstamp i socialfeminism där genusfrågor och hegemonisk maskulinitet står centralt, liksom teorier om representation och normkritisk design. Inom ramverket av dessa teorier används metoderna semiotisk analys och diskursanalys för att dissekera och studera materialet och föra angränsande resonemang om hur grafisk design kan utmana och bryta normer. Resultat visar att Thrasher Magazine förkroppsligar en hegemonisk maskulinitet och sociala och subkulturella dimensioner av manlig makt som präglar skejtkulturen. Diskussioner om representation förs och kopplingar till skejtkulturen som helhet dras, vilket i förlängningen kan ge användbara insikter om andra subkulturer och samhället i stort. Till sist diskuteras det hur en i sitt yrke som grafisk designer kan påverka genusrepresentation.

This work explores how the positive health benefits of nature can be utilized in a sensory garment aimed at people with attention deficit disorder. Expert interviews are conducted with professionals who prescribe weight aids, with the aim of investigating sensory impact. Furthermore, user-centered methods are used in a material driven design process to give the target group opportunity to influence the design of the final product. The knowledge contribution consists of the discovery that the smell of burnt wood constitutes a positive perceived value of the product. Furthermore, that wood give rise to an instinctive reflex to interact with and stroke the material. The weight aids available on the market today does not consider any of these perceived values. Thus, the result of this work offers an indication on how weight garments can be developed to better meet the needs of the target group.

This study aims to investigate strategies for discussing and communicating the climate crisis to children using illustrations and other visual elements in children's books. Children worry about the climate, are consumers themselves, have opportunities to influence and children are future decision makers. Illustrated children's books are important for informing and engaging children in the climate issue. A total of nine illustrations in three children's books available in Swedish bookstores have been analyzed through semiotic analysis. They differ both in terms of how healthy and diseased nature is portrayed, who bears the responsibility for change, what needs to be done. Commitment to the climate issue is achieved through understanding that there are things that are important to preserve and that there is an opportunity to influence. Further studies are needed to analyze how best to communicate the climate issue with children.

Witnessing the speed of growth and reach in demand for service design (SD) confronts us to ask what neoliberal forces are behind this acceleration? Can services, systems and structures really improve at this velocity; what are we eroding and ignoring in turn? Pausing to ask about the direction and effect of change is critical to recognising SD’s implication in the status quo. This paper calls for a reflexive methodology of noticing precedents that are quotidian and dystopian to show how dominant logics of SD commodify social practices of relating and organizing. By slowing down to attend, listen and reflect, our approaches reveal existing rituals, values, nuances and commitments that teach us what an apolitical SD fails to see. Rather than adding aspirational methods, this paper calls for greater attention to the political in SD practice, sharing paths of resistance and reorientation toward ethical, transformative, self-determined service design work and learning. 

Participatory Design's focus on people comes from a social democratic vision. However, as climate and existential crises press us to consider wellbeing beyond humans alone, we ask what a pluriversal design agenda might include and what could be articulated as ‘participatory’? Necessarily, this inquiry has limits, as participation usually implies human voice, rights, representation and structures of decision-making. This paper commits to these concerns while asking ethical, political and onto-epistemological questions regarding how worlds and futures are shaped when more-than-human entities – plants, animals, rocks, rivers and spirits – participate in our becoming? We offer a meeting of feminist techno-science with practices and philosophies from Japan and beyond to offer thought experiments in engaging with difference and plurality. And we give several examples of practice situated at ontological boundaries to offer some novel thoughts on ‘participation otherwise’, always-participating-with-many and the futures this could usher in.  

This study is a design-based research that explores the question: How can one, through design, increase awareness and facilitate tracking of the emotional effects of the menstrual cycle? Together with the sub-question: How can a product’s design contribute to reduced stigma linked to menstruation? This is done by highlighting how a user-centered mindset and co-design methods can be used in order to design for tabooed topics.

The purpose of the project was to investigate how product design can support women to more easily track and understand their health from a holistic perspective. This to promote increased control, well-being, and healthier lives for women; and in the long run contribute to design for social sustainability. To examine the research question, the methods expert interview, market research and co-design workshop have been used. The design of the Co-design workshop is an example of how the theory Troubling design has influenced the method execution. This because the theory problematizes the application of user-centered design in relation to women’s health and emphasizes that design for bodily experiences needs to be reconsidered in the form of changing from a problem-solving focus to focusing on the woman’s experiences and thus not seeing the menstruating body as a problem that can be “solved”.

The outcome of expert interviews, market research and co-design workshop was analysed and based on this a requirement specification was created which became a starting point for the design process. The result of the design process and the study’s final design proposal which answers the research question became a board game-inspired calendar with enclosed emotion tracker and cycle visualization. The conclusion was further that stigma is most effectively counteracted through the normalization of tracking and increased knowledge among non-menstruating people.

This study seeks to extend observations on critical citizenship education by examining what the edutainment Comics Uniting Nations, which presents the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), may tell us about the UN view of imagined agency and citizenship, and subsequently, its broader view of development. Given that the SDGs’ message within the comics targets a global audience, the research work in this thesis puts the comic Heroes for Change to the test by surveying how the minority community in Gaza, occupied Palestine feel and situate themselves in the SDGs’ universal message. This is done via interviews with representatives who work with the youth in Gaza at local NGOs. The main discursive and visual analytical tools are postcolonial critical literacy in international development initiatives, soft vs critical theories of citizenship, and superhero semiotic and panel rhetoric organization. The result of this work shows that while the comic uses a universal and convivial citizenship discourse, it misses being a bottom-up designed agenda and hence misses distinguishing between marginalized and ordinary citizens. Also, the superhero metaphor echoes a problematic aspect in opening space for critical thinking and challenging the status quo, which calls to spark further debate on the limitations/potentials of superhero discourse as a communicative tool for radical development/social change.

This study explores how the interaction design techniques approach can contribute to enabling more transparency in physical shopping by creating bridges between consumers and various stakeholders. The aim is to empower the consumers to make informed decisions through obtaining and understanding health and environmental information for individual commodities.

Through close collaboration with users, and with the support of active designers, the design process results in the development of an interactive mobile application proposal. The prototype aims to create a hub between consumers and different stakeholders concerning individual products. Furthermore, the prototype grants consumers access to the information they desire, sharing or requesting product feedback from stakeholders and consumers, focusing on the environment and health aspects.

The study is located in feminist studies through the lens of cultural theory, more specifically in the area of "Girlhood studies", developed in the 1990s. The development of the field correlates with the rise of cultural goods targeted at girls: movies, music, and magazines as well as the development of teenagehood as an identity of its own right. "Girl studies" or "Girlhood studies" focuses then on the relationship between "girls" as a social group to modernity. Pioneer authors such as Catherine Driscoll explore the idea of a "girl culture" and retrace the history of girlhood in an attempt to create a "genealogy of girls". Angela McRobbie, coined "Bedroom culture", which designates the way girls and women have been historically confined to their homes and bedrooms and how they developed their own ways of participating in cultural activities from within the house. Girlhood has been historically associated with modernity. Thus, Catherine Driscoll, states that "feminine adolescence is necessarily shaped by and a component of capitalism as the dominant political organization of late modernity (Driscoll, 2002). Therefore, the existence of girlhood and "girl culture" seem to be biased and somewhat inauthentic. In this way, girls are often dismissed as cultural agents of their own. 

In the frame of girlhood studies, I intend to deepen our common understanding of how girls and young women make use of digital platforms today. In this case, I'll be focusing on the Discord server created earlier this year the GirlBlogSphere by Zoe London, or 'pauvreoison' on Instagram. Through the study, I wish to put girls and young women's online productions to the forefront and to get an overview of the way they create communities, share, produce culture, and craft their identities. The GirlBlogSphere is a perfect case of community and participatory-based initiative that showcases major and interesting aspects of girl culture. I conducted email interviews to accommodate each of the participant's schedules and time zones. Conversations and pictures shared in the server were also used to illustrate theories, hypotheses, and data extracted from the interviews. 

This study applies a participatory design approach including the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of a participative website in media literacy for Iranian teachers. In the design cycle, we utilized collaboration with Iranian teachers formulating basic inceptive design in three workshops identifying needs and requirements in media literacy. The development process was through paper-based prototyping of design components of the website by participants embodying particular design guidelines and ideated design concepts for the website. In the implementation step, the website was launched based on guidelines and prototypes taken from participants in the workshops. The website was evaluated by teachers based on four factors including being educational, facilitating networking, being engaging, and user-friendly. The result of this research informs researchers about the benefit of a participatory design approach to design a platform in media literacy for teachers. We argue that the process of applying participatory design and the design components prototyped by teachers for designing a website in media literacy can be a guide for researchers and all other agents who are active in media literacy education.

This project deals with the potential interaction design that can create ways for fast-fashion consumers toward using second-hand clothing. Through contextual inquiries, main insights were used to guide the prototyping. This led to creating Vintage Block, an app and in-store experience consisting of three different ideas. The first one is a raffle that inspires more people to give quality items to the store for a chance to win the monthly premium item. This is in hopes of receiving a wider variety of sizes and styles from the customers. Secondly, the use of upcycling to customize through the app as well as through QR codes on items at the store. That aims to incentivize customers to download the app and potentially fulfill their shopping needs. Thirdly, an online shopping experience through the app where there is no shipping option to promote sustainable behavior and lower transportation emissions.

Light shapes the environment we live in and thereby our lives. The advancement in technology made it possible to accurately adjust different light properties. This high level of control is promising and changing at the same time. Taming this complexity and providing users with meaningful ways to interact with light is at the core of this mission. This study seeks ways to facilitate adapting lighting conditions to users’ needs in homes. The answer rests on a synergistic collaboration between the user and the intelligent system, in which the system unobtrusively supports the user through the process of adapting the light. Sustaining the user's agency is crucial, therefore delegating or claiming control should be facilitated and the user should be able to easily comprehend and guide the behaviour of the system. Moreover, user experience should be considered at all levels of attention: focused, peripheral, and implicit. This aims to seamlessly fit the interaction with light in the context of everyday life at home. 

The study intends to analyze how the film Caramel breaks stereotypes through the five main characters and how director Nadine Labaki uses media activism to change the image of Arab women in film. This has been carried out through a qualitative semiotic analysis where the concepts of denotation and connotation have been applied as a method. My theoretical framework has been made up of the concepts of representation, codes, symbols, stereotypes, Feminist film theory and media activism. Five selected characters have been analyzed based on their representation in the film. The result of the study shows that Caramel has broken some stereotypes of Arab women in the film and that Nadine Labaki used feminism and activism to change the representation of Arab women in film.

This essay "Down but Not Quite Out: Portrayal of Poverty and Inequality in Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America Through Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London " analyzes the portrayal of poverty and inequality in Barbara Ehrenreich’s book Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America and a George Orwell classic Down and Out in Paris and London. By studying and analyzing Ehrenreich’s text in the scope of Orwell this study will be able to look at what poverty tropes are different, similar, or looked through in a different perspective. While both Ehrenreich and Orwell face the theme of poverty and inequality their experiences differ yet possess noticeable similarities. Orwell familiarizes the reader with the heaviness of being down and out through his personal experience whilst Ehrenreich pushes through and navigates the precarious edges of poverty, barely getting by. This research seeks what tropes of “down and out” are similar or different to the tropes of “getting by". This will be done through close reading of different passages of the books. The analysis shows the different depictions of poverty in Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America and Down and Out in Paris and London might depend strictly on the term “precariousness”. Living an insecure life not knowing when you might be down and out. 

The challenges faced by mathematics education reflect the more immense difficulties of the schooling system as a whole. This thesis investigates such challenges in the light of an ethical learning foundation and aims for a transformation through the use of technologies as learning tools. 

Interaction design methods are used to craft constructivist learning kits that aim to move mathematics students from passive receivers of knowledge to active learners. The proposed tools modify new technologies by adapting them to teachers’ and learners’ needs to be best suited for mathematics classroom adoption. Additionally, social, political, and economic issues that may hinder the adoption of constructivist learning are presented and critically discussed. 

Finally, this thesis paves the way for future designers who aim to design mathematics educational kits by providing a design framework based on the learning theory and the design process presented in this thesis.

The purpose of this study is to examine how the severed hand in the animated film I Lost My Body (2019) is presented as its own character, based on Jens Eder character analysis: the clock of character. This study aims to answer the question: How is the severed hand in a specific scene in the animated film I Lost My Body (2019) presented as both an artifact and fictional character according to the clock of character ? Through the application of Jens Eder character analysis model, a specific scene in the film was captured through screen shots, described, and analysed. The theoretical framework of this study includes characterization theories on anthropomorphism, body form, body language, and emotions in fictional characters as well as a cognitive theory examining the connection between hand and mind. The study’s result suggest that the severed hand is conveyed as a character due to its behaviour, characteristics, and body movement, which place it on the border between animal, human and a fictional creature. The human intelligence of the hand, along with its animal-like reactions and luck in navigating its environment, lends credibility to it as an independent, conscious character. Furthermore, this study discusses ways that this research could be expanded on and how it can be used by filmmakers and animators.

This paper also includes a design documentation after page 43 called “Familjens Förmedlare”, which is part of the degree project that this paper was part of at the Visual Communication program at Malmö University.“Familjens Förmedlare” is a short film that highlights problems that arise when children are given the responsibility to interpret for their parents.

This research compares the coronavirus discourse in the American newspapers between March and May 2020, when the case fatality rate was at its highest in the United States, and between January and March 2022, when it was at its lowest, by exploring the themes and dominant conceptual metaphors used to describe the coronavirus from the discursive expressions. The research also analyzes how they are framing the coronavirus to shape discourses in society using framing theory. Regarding methodologies, I used Discourse Analysis and Corpus Linguistics. The tools used to find the themes were by using concordances and doing manual readings of the discourses. The results showed that the most dominant themes in Corpus (2020) were that the Trump’s Administration lacked response to the coronavirus, there was no knowledge of the coronavirus, the pandemic was a battleground, and the pandemic was on a rise. On the other hand, in Corpus (2022), the dominant themes were that the Biden Administration efficiently responded to the coronavirus, the vaccine for the coronavirus became available, the pandemic was still like a battleground, and the pandemic was on a drop. In sum, the discourse has revealed different dominant themes in both corpora and was reflecting reality. 

Interfaces have long been explored in Human-Computer Interaction and Interaction Design as the human-machine shared boundaries to exchange information. In the last years, we have seen increased interest in innovative materials that respond to their environment to design new types of interfaces. This study focuses on unconventional interfaces and aims to contribute to the interaction design practice by exploring the aesthetics qualities of interaction that ferrofluid can offer to the area. To fulfil this aim, a material exploration with ferrofluids is conducted guided by the four concepts of pliability, rhythm, dramaturgical structure, and fluency to discover the expressive potential of ferrofluid as a design material. The design processes are expected to conclude with a ferrofluid interface prototype according to the definition proposed by the research.

The Arabic cultural scene in Sweden is characterized by its richness and diversity, encompassing various forms of cultural expressions such as books, artistic events, films, and online platforms. These productions reflect a synthesis of values derived from both the host society and the longstanding Arabic cultural heritage. However, despite the abundance of cultural content, there exists a significant knowledge gap concerning their creation and development, necessitating further investigation. To gain a comprehensive understanding of this landscape, it is crucial to explore the social networks of Arabic-speaking writers. This entails examining the nature of their production, their geographical distribution, literary genres, and the dynamics of their interactions within postmigration contexts. The main objective of this research is to explore the efficacy of Arabic-speaking social networks in facilitating the movement of writing and creativity within the postmigration context in Sweden. The theoretical frameworks of Postmigration and Social Networks are applied to inform the research design, which incorporates a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods including surveys and semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal the capacity of Arabic-speaking writers to establish extensive networks that transcend both their countries of origin and the host country. These networks encompass various domains such as geographic connections, publishing networks, and professional associations. Furthermore, the professionalization of the Swedish language has created opportunities for writers to forge new networks within Swedish society. This study serves as a foundation for future research endeavors that seek to delve deeper into the Arabic-speaking cultural productions. Moreover, it contributes to the broader discourse on postmigration research that explores the intersections of art, literature, and cultural expressions.

In democratic societies, cultural organizations function based on principles of freedom of expression. In non-democratic countries, promoting this fundamental value can be more challenging for such organizations and their actors. This paper explores potential interactions between structure and agency that can leverage freedom of expression, creating an environment conducive to development and creativity. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with human rights experts and employees of Dawit Isaak Library in Malmo, Sweden. The paper finds that capitalizing on freedom of expression is interdependent with other resources, and that financial autonomy is an essential aspect. This can be achieved through various means, including strategic partnerships, careful sponsorships, collaborations with like-minded cultural entities, and the establishment of independent financial foundations through endowment funds and crowdfunding initiatives. We argue that it is crucial to strengthen the efforts of institutions active in this domain while supporting individuals' and groups' agency to create change in non-democratic societies. The paper also emphasizes the role of cultural and symbolic capital, highlighting the significance of exercising caution and striking a balance between freedom of expression and other human rights principles to prevent conflicts and safeguard vulnerable groups' rights.

I februari 2020 utmanade SAS den nationalistiska uppfattningen om vad som verkligen var skandinaviskt genom en reklamfilm. Den här filmen möttes av kritik där flera av kritikerna kritiserade utifrån ett nationalistiskt perspektiv. Detta ledde till att SAS påbörjade en kriskommunikationsprocess där man från deras kommunikation kan utläsa främst tre strategier från Benoits Image repair theory. SAS nekade till anklagelserna, de försökte att sänka trovärdigheten hos kritikerna och de ändrade om sin kampanj. Likt tidigare forskning är slutsatsen i den här studien att SAS agerat otydligt i sin kommunikation vilket grundar sig i att de använt sig av för olika strategier som säger emot varandra. Denna situation kan liknas vid en dialog mellan SAS och respondenter. Vad den här dialogen slutar i är två sidor som vill förmedla en bild om vad som är skandinaviskt, en diskussion som delat många i Skandinavien. 

The human relationship with nature is problematic and leads to an increasingly separated existence from nature and a mechanistic view of non-humans. The study is situated in the field of Design for the Future in the Anthropocene and utilizes design to raise awareness on the human relationship with nature and stone through Speculative and Posthumanist Design. The result is a Provtotype and exhibition highlighting the issues in the human relationship with nature and stone by speculating on a future scenario developed by researchers in biodiversity and related research areas. Through exploratory methods, the subject of human and nature is explored. Theory addressing Posthumanist Design, Natureculture, and Ontology, and the human relationship with the more-than-humans, guide the study in an exploration of how Speculative Design can address the question of raising awareness of the problematic human relationship with nature.

In the field of human-computer interaction, the majority of domestic IoT and smart devices run on proprietary software that possess limited technical properties and predetermined functionalities. As practices of building, modifying, and making IoT applications grow, this thesis follows an open-source approach to IoT to investigate the relationships of humans and things in a domestic setting.

As a result of this material exploration, proprietary frameworks for interactions with smart devices are challenged through speculative scenarios, that include diverse instances of human-things interactions.

Thus, a research through design methodology is suggested to support series of experiments, conducted to explore instances of perceived intelligence of these open-source hardware, without the use of advanced computational systems as proprietary devices entail. The suggested process is the creation of a speculative design artifact that combines hacking practices, to support designers in generating insights and to further iterate on possible open-source IoT interactions.

COVID-19 hit the world causing global health, social and political problems. Exceptional misinformation about the pandemic has been circulating through social media and contributed to the public panic and confusion about how to deal with the crisis. In addition to fake news and rumors, conspiracy theories are among the most common type of COVID-19 infodemic.Given the prevalence of misinformation in the context of COVID-19 and the harmful effects of conspiracy theories on the people’s behavior, the purpose of this study is to investigate the following question: “How is the discourse about COVID-19 conspiracy theories, as presented through popular videos in the Arabic social media, structured to negotiate identities, and construct ideologies?The study applied the Van Dijk CDA framework to analyze the text, context, and worldviews. Empirically, it is based on a sample of the 13 popular conspiracy videos that circulated through Arabic social media.At the textual level, the analyzed conspiracy videos constructed conspiracy theories by narrating major themes:1) depopulation of the world to reach the target of the golden billion; 2) dismantling the existing economic system and establishing a new one; 3) genetically modifying the COVID-19 virus in the lab.Conspiracy theory videos presented five forms of conspirators to support the conspiracy structure: abstract conspirators (secret cult, elite); individual and family conspirators (Gates, Trump, Rockefeller, Rothschild, Tedros); organizational conspirators (WHO); corporation conspirators (Pfizer, BioNTech, and Moderna); and state conspirators (USA, UK, China).The conspiracy videos used several semantic and discursive practices including access, setting, lexical style, metaphor, rhetorical, and denial. Ant-Semitism, anti-western and Ismailism ideologies reflected in the videos, affected the world views and promoted the conspiracy narratives.The study suggests that the existing ComDEv strategies have to be revised and equipped with a thorough analysis of the conspiracy theories taking into consideration the proliferation of conspiracies in the post-truth era and its association with fake news and alternative facts

Syftet med detta examensarbete är att undersöka utmaningarna och möjligheterna som uppstår genom digitaliseringen inom bildämnet, samt hur bildlärare anpassar sig till den föränderliga miljön. Fokus ligger på att identifiera de begränsningar som utrustningen skapar för skolor och lärare, samt att utforska olika strategier för att hantera dessa utmaningar. Trots att läroplanen inkluderar riktlinjer för digitalisering inom bildämnet, har flera tidigare studier visat att den faktiska integrationen av teknologi inte lever upp till förväntningarna. Orsakerna till detta inkluderar lärarnas kompetens, deras syn på ämnet och skolans resurser. I denna studie genomfördes intervjuer med tre erfarna bildlärare för att få insikt i deras erfarenheter och åsikter om digitaliseringen inom bildundervisningen. Resultaten av studien visar att utrustningen i skolorna är begränsad och att det finns en variation i hur olika skolor hanterar digitaliseringen inom bildämnet. Denna variation kan skapa utmaningar för bildlärare när det gäller att integrera digitala verktyg i undervisningen, vilket i sin tur kan påverka elevernas digitala färdigheter.

Genom att utforska det digitala dilemmat inom bildämnet bidrar denna studie till en ökad förståelse för de utmaningar och möjligheter som uppstår i samband med digitaliseringen av undervisningen. Resultaten kan vara användbara för både bildlärare och skolledare när de utformar strategier för att effektivt integrera digitala verktyg i bildundervisningen och främja elevernas digitala kompetens.

We live in an increasingly globalized world where mutual dependencies are clearly visible, especially in the lives of children and young people. Therefore, schools must prepare students for a life in which society houses multiple cultural diversity, give them global education, and create conditions for sustainable internationalization. Not much research and writing has been done about intercultural and multicultural art education in Sweden, because of this we chose to delve into this subject in our overview project. This knowledge overview examines the intercultural and multicultural meaning in visual arts education through scientific research. The main aim of this study is to investigate whether intercultural methods can help both students and teachers reach a better understanding regarding diversity in schools. Furthermore, this knowledge overview aims to gather different resources that touch on the concept of integrating multiculturalism into different pedagogy approaches that centers around visual arts. Our SAG project hopes to widen the perspective that current teachers have on/against diversity within education and which effects it may conjure. 

What should design students learn, not to lose hope, but be able to design in the current dire climate, energy and health situation? What can we design and still stay on track with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in 2030? What can we design in the long run, not worsening critical human and non-human systems? In the paper we question "good intentions" and business-as-usual approaches, to challenges facing many of our most existential systems. We suggest changes to the Design field's understanding of the SDG's. Further, we suggest focusing on several solutions at the same time, in local communities, with collaboration with others and design educations. The paper argues that a holistic and systemic view is required that rather focuses on root-problems, than the symptoms these problems cause. Based on a multidisciplinary selection of scientific literature, the paper shows how acclaimed systemic approaches often harm the health of both human and non-human systems. In addition, the paper argues that these acclaimed systemic approaches tend to suggest "solutions" that stand in the way of more realistic solutions emerging from supportive and social environments. One of the insights from the literature, is how individuals by reconnecting to community- and practice-based activities strengthen hope of better futures. In the paper we argue how designers and design educations, can act multidisciplinary, with others, to become agents towards the kind of holistically, community-based, and radical changes required to heal all broken systems. We suggest how designers can situate themselves in the responsible workshop of 2030.

Denna studie undersöker problemområdet sexualiseringen av kvinnokroppen på sociala medier, eftersom det är en stor källa till visuella intryck idag. Syftet är att undersöka hur influencers, mer specifikt Fanny Lyckman och Amanda Ekström representerar kvinnokroppen i sociala medier utifrån ett postfeministiskt perspektiv, och där frågeställning lyder: Hur representerar Lyckman och Ekström kvinnokroppen i sina sociala medier utifrån ett postfeministiskt perspektiv i relation till sexualiseringen av kulturen? Studien genomförs med en kvalitativ semiotisk visuell analys där materialet undersöks enskilt samt kompareras. Teorin som appliceras är bland annat postfeminism, representation och gaze-teori. Resultatet av undersökningen visar att Lyckman objektifierar och sexualiserar sin kropp vilket skapar en tydlig koppling till mjukpornografin, och att den manliga blicken används. Ekströms bilder är också avklädda, men det finns ingen tydlig koppling till pornografins bildspråk, här är modellerna i stället subjekt och bilderna utgår inte från en manlig blick, snarare en icke-blick. Både Lyckman och Ekström representerar kvinnokroppen medvetet med en underton av empowerment, samtidigt som det finns kopplingar till hur kvinnokroppen stereotypiskt representerats genom historien och sexuella anspelningar, framför allt i Lyckmans material vilket skapar en dubbelhet i resultatet.

In the midst of the formidable challenges imposed by the COVID-19 lockdown, the "Stop Violence Against Women" campaign emerged as a resilient and proactive response, harnessing the influential capabilities of social media and strategic communication to combat the pervasive issue of gender-based violence in Thailand. This comprehensive study, deeply rooted in the realms of public sphere theory, development theory, and digital activism, explores the multifaceted dimensions of the campaign's profound impact. Through an extensive examination of its strategies, narratives, and outcomes, this research illuminates how the campaign adeptly leveraged social media platforms to heighten awareness, promote inclusivity, and empower victims during a period of elevated vulnerability.

In pursuit of a holistic comprehension, this study navigates the theoretical foundations that steered the campaign's conception and implementation. Within the contours of public sphere theory, the campaign effectively transformed digital spaces into virtual town squares, where individuals could congregate, deliberate, and amplify their voices on the pressing issue of gender-based violence. Through compelling visuals, strategic hashtags, and resonant narratives, the campaign transcended geographical boundaries, nurturing empathy, and galvanizing action within a global audience.

Inclusivity stood as a central tenet of this endeavor, intricately interwoven with the campaign's strategic alliances and dialogues involving diverse stakeholders. By amplifying marginalized voices and orchestrating participatory development, the campaign evolved into a dynamic crucible, where diverse perspectives converged to drive profound societal transformation. The campaign's harmonious engagement with development theory further fortified its impact, addressing not only the social but also the economic repercussions of gender-based violence while fostering a participatory ecosystem wherein survivors, allies, and advocates coalesced in unity.

At the heart of this transformative narrative lies digital activism—a paradigm of empowerment that united stakeholders in a harmonious symphony of awareness, empathy, and advocacy. In alignment with the principles of public sphere theory, digital activism emerged as an influential force for socio-political change, transcending the confines of the virtual realm to manifest tangible policy shifts and instigate societal change.

This study diligently uncovers not only the campaign's remarkable accomplishments but also the challenges it encountered, providing valuable insights into the intricacies of harnessing social media and communication strategies to combat gender-based violence. Woven together through a rich tapestry of theoretical frameworks, narratives, and strategies, the "Stop Violence Against Women" campaign stands as an enduring testament to the compelling impact of theory-infused activism, engendering profound transformations in the domain of gender-based violence awareness and prevention.

Keywords: Gender-based violence, social media, public sphere theory, development theory, digital activism, inclusivity, strategic communication, COVID-19 lockdown, Thailand.

Mycelium-composites has been emerging commercially as an environmentally sustainable alternative to conventional materials. By utilizing the fungal mycelium’s ability to bond with lignin and cellulose fibers of plants, mycelium-composites can be made that are recyclable and renewable. Mycelium therefore has the potential to contribute to creating more sustainable options in material selection for product designers. However, the visual appearance of mycelium materials might pose a challenge when it comes to their adaption into society. Case-studies have indicated a negative reaction to the mycelium-composites aesthetics which are characterized by imperfections and irregularities with an off-white coloring. Using theories surrounding aesthetics, materials experience and emotional design, the purpose of this study was to further develop the visual and/or aesthetical aspects of a mycelium-composite through a material driven design process The results of material development is presented in a product concept that displays the insight that can assist designers create mycelium-based products that are more accepted by a broader market.

The aim of this study is to explore how one citizen journalist, Joakim Lamotte, reflects on codes of journalistic standards and ethics. Lamotte is a Swedish citizen journalist who publishes texts reporting on events in society on his Facebook-page. From the Facebook-page, five texts have been sampled for analysis in this study. This is done through using Norman Fairclough's critical discourse analysis as a methodology. The analysis is supported by Erving Goffman's theory of self presentation and Rom Harré and Luk van Langenhove's positioning theory as theorethical frameworks, to explore Lamotte's self presentation and how he is positioning in his role as a citizen journalist.

Some of the main results of the study are that Lamotte uses the term independent journalist in the self presentation of his role, but at times includes himself in the group of the public (his audience). Throughout the samples he positions himself against professional journalists and mainstream media, as a way to reinforce his position as an independent journalist. While doing so, he criticises their choices and justifies his own choices relating to codes of journalistic standards and ethics. The study is an example of one citizen journalist with a large audience, in a Swedish context, reflects on codes of journalistic standards and ethics.

The aim of this study is to explore how three Swedish media outlets adhere to mass media logic and social media logic in articles on their websites and the corresponding Facebook posts on their Facebook pages. The media outlets are SVT (Sveriges Television), Dagens Nyheter and Expressen. They represent a public service broadcaster, a daily newspaper and a tabloid in a Swedish context. The samples of the study consists of the headlines and leads of the articles and the text in the corresponding Facebook posts. The articles and the corresponding Facebook posts cover the news event of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the 24th of February 2022. The samples are analysed with the method of critical discourse analysis and the theoretical frameworks of mass media logic and social media logic.

The main findings of this study are that the samples adhered to the mass media logic elements of coverage of events, staging experts and media personalities; and the social media logic elements relating to connectivity. The further implications of this study may be that media as an institution is impacted by social media platforms, such as Facebook, and that news distributed on Facebook is adapted to the platform. The findings of this study are an example of how media outlets in Sweden adhere to mass media logic and social media logic, when covering a news event in articles on their websites which they share on their Facebook pages.

In this essay, 10 front pages of the newspapers Dagens Nyheter and Aftonbladet are analysed with the aim of examining how and with what visual expression the terrorist attack on Drottninggatan 2017 was visualised. The results of a semiotic analysis of the newspapers Dagens Nyheter and Aftonbladet's front page visualisation of the terrorist attack on Drottninggatan 2017 show that the journalists who reported used arguments that alluding to readers' feelings. Large images that like to evoke emotions marked the front pages the day after the terrorist attack. The images themselves contained visual elements that showed that they related to a rhetorical strategy when reporting. Previous studies have mainly focused on how the news media has framed the incident, with the help of the semiotic analysis, a deeper meaning and understanding can be reached for how and in what way the news media visualised the terrorist attack.