Background and experience
Mari Suoheimo is working as an associate professor of service design at the Oslo School of Architecture and design. Her research concentrates on how to approach wicked problems in service design. Wicked problems are diverse and can range from sustainability to the use of technology. Suoheimo´ s research interests are in the field of mobility and logistics, emerging technologies, public services, participatory design, design for policy, circular economy, design theories, decolonizing design and sustainability.
She is a Doctor of Service Design (2020), Master (2010) and Bachelor of Industrial Design (2008) -University of Lapland; Bachelor of Art Education (Licenciatura, 2015) - Centro Universitario Claretiano. Suoheimo has working experience in service, UX and product design, marketing and branding, e.g. in the development of the JEFFER.SON brand. At Grasp Ltd., she worked as a marketing analyst. At the Everest International School, she was an art teacher and the teaching language was English. In Brazil, Suoheimo also owned a micro-enterprise called Design District.
After returning to Finland from Brazil, Suoheimo began her doctoral studies in service design. Suoheimo graduated in three years and defended her thesis called "Approaching Wicked Problems in Service Design". During her studies she published eight peer-reviewed scientific publications. In 2018 Suoheimo received one-year grant from the Lapland Cultural Foundation for her thesis. She has worked as a service design researcher and project manager at the University of Lapland for both LUX research group and Co-Stars Service Design research group.
Suoheimo works at the Systems Oriented Design group at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO). She teaches at BA, MA and doctoral level at AHO. She also supervises MA students' diploma projects and PhD candidates.
Suoheimo has experience in research projects funded by EU (H2020, ESR/ESF, EAKR), Academy of Finland, Interreg Nord and Business Finland. At the Co-Stars research group she participated in applying successfully funding to start a new master’s degree program in service design called PAMA at the University of Lapland. Other successful funding calls have been SEEYouth (Trans-Atlantic Platform), Engage4BIO (Horizon), Seed funding for Sino-Nordic research collaboration and MusEdu (Erasmus+). Suoheimo has worked as a project manager at the following research projects “Muittut, muitalusat – The Story of the Sámi by the Sámi” (Interreg Nord), Smart Social Distancing (Business Finland) and FrEE - Framtidens EnergiExpert (ESF).
She has publications in the following journals: The Design Journal, Processes, The International Journal of Design Management and Professional Practice, Revista Educação Gráfica, International Journal on Social and Education Sciences, International Journal on Social and Education Sciences, Journal of Sustainability Research, and Strategic Design Research Journal. Suoheimo has coedited two books, Service Design for Emerging Technologies Product Development: Bridging the Interdisciplinary Knowledge Gap and Systemic Service Design.
She makes part of the editorial board of The Design Journal and CONTEXTS, The Systemic Design Journal. Suoheimo is also a senior member of the ServDes Conference Committee. In 2024 she served on the Relating Systems Thinking and Design (RSD) academic committee.
I look forward to connecting with you! Feel free to send me an email or call me on my Finnish number: +358 40 686 3988.
Teaching
2025 spring, Participatory Gigamapping, 70 309, 6 ETC, MA level, course responsible, Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Norway
2025 spring, Ph.D. Seminar, 1,5 ETC, Ph.D. level, course responsible, Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Norway
2025 spring, GK6: Introduction to Systems oriented design course, 70 161, 24 ETC, BA level, crew of lecturers – tutoring students in their projects around information integrity with UNDP Global Policy Centre for Governance, Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Norway
2023 autumn, Designing Research Methods: Interdisciplinary PhD Research in Architecture and Design, 7 ETC, crew of lecturers – lecture about case study research, Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Norway
2024 autumn, Pre-Diploma, 70 000, 6 ETC, MA level, crew of lecturers – giving a lecture about research ethics and SIKT for the students of design, architecture and landscape architecture, Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Norway
2024 autumn, Ph.D. Seminar, 1,5 ETC, Ph.D. level, course responsible, Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Norway
2024 autumn, SERVICE DESIGN: Service Design tools for wicked problems. Mess Mapping to Blueprint. 70 308, 6 ETC, sole course responsible, Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Norway
2024 spring, Pre-Diploma, 70 000, 6 ETC, MA level, crew of lecturers – giving a lecture about research ethics and SIKT for the students of design, architecture and landscape architecture, Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Norway
2023 autumn, Designing Research Methods: Interdisciplinary PhD Research in Architecture and Design (7 ECTS), crew of lecturers – lecture about case study research, Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Norway
2023 autumn, Pre-Diploma, 70 000, 6 ETC, crew of lecturers – organizing the practical side of the course such as being responsible for the emails and giving a lecture about research ethics and SIKT, Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Norway
2023 autumn, Service Design 1: Service design practice, 70 510, 24 ETC (half of a semester module), MA level, course module teacher about service blueprints, Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Norway
2023 spring, Service Design Futures 2, 70 602 (half of a semester module), 24 ETC, MA level, course leader, Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Norway
2022 autumn, GK3 Designhistorie 2 Nyere tid, 70-132, 24 ETC, BA level, crew of lecturers, teaching interviews and observations + basics of research ethics, AHO works, Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Norway