
Professor of practice
E-mail: aina.nilsson.strom@umu.se
Background
After graduation from Gothenburg Academy of Design and Crafts
1976, I started my career as industrial designer at the Swedish car
manufacturer Saab. I held different positions at the design
department at Saab and was also assigned as chairman of the Swedish
Industrial Design foundation among other appointments for the
Swedish Government as an expert in the area of design.
When GM acquired Saab Automobile, I became part of the GM´s
International
Executive Management. After 18 years at Saab, I got the assignment
to build a design organisation at Volvo Trucks. During the years
the responsibility grow due to acquisitions. During the last 15
years I was responsible for the design of several truck
brands e.g Mack Trucks, Renault Trucks, UD Trucks , as well as
Volvo buses,
construction equipment and Penta. The design group was operating
from 5
places in the world, Japan, China, France, US and Sweden. The
design department received many global design awards during the 20
years I held the position as responsible for Product Design at AB
Volvo. I feel very happy to have become a Honorary Doctor at Umeå
University. In 2002 I received the Gold Medal from the Royal
Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, and are now also a member
of that academy.
Except the 20% assignment at UID I today run my own company as
Senior
Advisor and hold several board assignments.
What I do at UID
After a long experience from working as a designer and
being a design
manager a contribute with my experience to help promote the
integration of
academic scholarship with practical experience. After having hired
design
students from all over the world, I know what the industri expect
from a
graduated designer not only transportation designers but also
interaction
designers and product designers. My aim is to support the teachers
and program directors in securing UID´s continues excellence in
educating the best designers.
Talk to me about
• Product and vehicle design, B2B as well as B2C
• Expectation on students in business and industri
environment
• Design management
• Design Thinking process
• Brand management and storytelling
• Responsibility and critical thinking
• Aesthetics and people/life focused design