Seventeenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

As the COVID pandemic has emphasized, working conditions of the twenty-first century have drastically changed. Work life integration is nearing reality. Overwork is omnipresent, though often unavoidable to keep business running. Simultaneously, mental health issues and presenteeism are threats for organizations. This complex socio-economic relationship calls for a new status of work in society. The need to design health promoting working conditions is as high as possible. This paper illustrates how strategic design methods and social sciences can combined lay a foundation for a new way to design work that does not only tackle illness but promotes the wellbeing of its employees. The goal is to build a foundation on which organizations can be both economically and socially successful by designing processes and structures that are oriented on a health promoting social capital. The findings present a perspective that goes beyond corporate social responsibility by focusing on the creation of shared value and health.