Aalto Design Factory: Sharing the passion for doing.

Aalto Design Factory: Learning by doing, research and innovation.

Even though our large amount of work on development work project, a group of IF's teachers planned a trip to Espoo city to visit Aalto University Design Factory, a physical and mental working environment for product developers and researchers focusing in the learning process. We were hosted by Paivi Oinonem, that is the Design Factory Global Network strategist.

Before our arrival, I thought that the main focus of Aalto Design Factory was the product development and a kind of relationship between Aalto University and enterprises, but just in the beginning of our visit, I could realize that the huge effort spent to put together teachers, researchers, modern laboratories, prepared staff, enterprises, other Universities, "much money", was to improve the learning process through master's degree and extra courses focused in Product development, innovation, student centered learning and learning by doing.

In resume, Aalto design factory (ADF) offers five possibilities to students, from Helsinki and surroundings as well as abroad. The key course which was responsible by the idealization and creation of ADF is Product Development Project (PDP). It is a one academic year course where students from different fields of studies are joined in groups of 10 to develop a innovative project coming from a local or an international companies. Students have worked in a real-life problem as a basis for learning. At the end of the academic year the groups show their products at Product Design Gala. During our visit, Paivi showed some past projects' posters and explained some of successful projects to us.  

Beyond PDP, Allto Design Factories has provided a Design Thinking Master degree course in partnership with Stanford University, named ME310. This course has special emphasis on user centered innovation and it's organized around full time nine months and in collaborative workgroup of 8 from two Universities (4 + 4). Likewise PDP course, the problem come from global companies and they are usually bigger. Companies must invest between 50 to 100k euros.

Aalto Design Factory also offers summer courses through an initiative named Summer Studio, as well a support to students develop Bachelor's and Master's Thesis and a Bachelor's degree minor studies programme in Interdisciplinary Product Development. ADF also provide a pedagogical support to teachers create a course that includes the planning, implementing and evaluating process. Working methods are individual and group supported with pedagogical mentoring.

ADF infrastructure is awesome, each detail has been thought to foster an inspiring environment. Paivi walked with us around all rooms and labs explaining their purpose and affording us the chance of talking to staff and gather essencial information in order to understanding the ADF modus operandi. My development workgroup was attending that visit and it is impressive as the ideas were flourishing in our minds. Four staff members talked to us about the students' enthusiasm, they've tried to encourage the students putting their hands dirty and be present to help the students wherever and whenever they need.

Aalto Design Factory was born in 2008 based in a interdisciplinary Product Development Project course and today has been spread around five continent, 10 factories and 15 hug points. Inside the main building there is a cefeteria where they have encouraged everyone (students, teachers, staff, researches and clients) to collaborate and to enjoy that space to get together. As shown below, some TVs present others design factories in real time, it's really a inspiring space.

As Paivi told us, as much as they increase the collaboration with others Universities and countries, more significant, challenger and valuable the projects have become. Companies will be more interested and consequently will sponsor much more money, as a result, a larger number of students will benefit from the various courses offered. I could realize that two of the most important features they aim are interdisciplinarity, groups are compulsorily formed by students from different areas, and internationalization, the official language of ADF is english and more and more the groups are formed at least with a foreign member. The picture below shows as the Design Factory has spread around the world. It is missing Brazilian hub yet.

I've reflected a lot about that visit and I'd like to share some points I consider extremely relevant to ADF successful. (i) encouraging interdisciplinary teams; (ii) cafeteria strategy, opportunity to put together stakeholders from different projects; (ii) openness, Paivi told us every teacher or researcher can come in and use ADF dependancies; (iv) engaged and motivated staff; (v) many facilities to students: sauna, cafeteria, flexible use 24/7, printshop, machineshop, paintshop, and others; (vi) startups, supporting and being supported by ADF.

In my opinion, one sentence is able to resume Design Factory proposal: Sharing the passion for doing.