How do a company and a designer take account of users' needs right from the start of the development process and how important is it to do this? How do designers and companies work together strategically in order to attain good results for both the user and the producer?

Seminar programme

08.30  Registration – coffee and croissant

09.00  Welcome
Eline Strøm Gundersen, Project Manager of the Award for Design Excellence at The Norwegian Design Council.

09.05  LESS – Light Emergency Stretcher System: the system that changed life-saving
Robert Sunde, Marketing Director of LESS, Marius Andresen, partner in K8 Industridesign and Trond Vigerust, life-saver with The Norwegian Air Ambulance Service talked about the idea that turned into a unique stretcher system and a company with international ambitions. Since 1998, product development has been LESS' main priority. In 2005, the business channelled its efforts towards commercialisation and internationalisation with the help of Innovasjon Norge and others. LESS is unique in having an interdisciplinary development team (PUMA) consisting of engineers, marketing experts, designers and life-saving personnel. The PUMA team work out common goals, strategies and solutions at company and product levels.

10.35 Break – coffee, tea and fruit

10.45 Debate

11.15 Summary

11.30 End of seminar