Background and experience
Kathinka Bene Hystad is Assistant Professor at the Institute of Design at AHO. She holds a Master’s degree in Design from the Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO) and a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from BI Norwegian Business School.
Kathinka also has training in pedagogy for creative fields. She has practical experience as a designer in the eyewear industry, including positions at Paus Jensen Optikk and Trendoptikk. She was a partner in the industrial design agency Geriljawoks and has several years of experience as a project manager in the advertising industry.
Kathinka possesses extensive expertise in industrial design through her own practice and the management of industrial collaborations in teaching. She has contributed to large international research projects such as SafeConsume and has collaborated with both larger and smaller manufacturing companies in Norway and internationally. Her projects span various industries, from furniture and technical products to sports and the medical sector.
Teaching collaborations are conducted as real design projects. The projects are characterized by creativity, breadth, and insight, enabling the exploration of the potential for future realization of products and solutions.
Teaching
Kathinka is responsible for courses in industrial design and is actively involved in the development of the area. She develops teaching programs and teaches at both the bachelor’s and master’s levels.
Her specialized knowledge includes design processes that contribute to sustainability and inclusive design. Kathinka places great emphasis on user insight and brand building in the design process. She promotes a market-oriented development of the design field.
Research
Kathinka is dedicated to improving the design process with methods and tools to create maximum value for designers and other stakeholders.
Among other initiatives, she has been involved in a design-driven innovation program (DIP) using augmented reality (AR) in the oil and gas sector, as well as researching how students' design work can inform and drive results in larger interdisciplinary collaborations.
Kathinka is engaged in inclusive design and has collaborated multiple times with Oslo Met and NTNU for the development of the field, funded by universell.no.