Satu Miettinen is currently the Dean of the Faculty of Art and Design at the University of Lapland in Finland. She has been in this position since 2018. She is also a Professor of Service Design at the same university, a position she has held since 2016. Before that, from 2011 to 2016, she worked as a Professor of Applied Art and Design. Satu Miettinen is recognised as one of the pioneers in the field of service design. She has written some of the earliest books on this topic. She has supervised over a dozen doctoral theses on service design. She has also guided numerous Master’s theses on various aspects of design.
She has served as an expert on various national committees. These include the Scientific Committee for the National Audit Office. There are also several committees at the Ministry of Finance for developing accessible services. She was part of the Steering Committee for the Design Finland Program. This was at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. Satu Miettinen has also worked as a visiting professor at several universities. These include the University of Washington and Stanford University in the USA, Tongji University in China, and the University of Trento in Italy.
Artistic work
Satu Miettinen is an active artist. She works in the area of socially engaged art. She also focuses on ecofeminist photography. She is a member of Artists’ Association MUU ry. This is a national art organisation in Finland. It is focused on new media art. Currently, she is a vice council member of the National Council for Arts and Culture. She was part of the National Committee of Diversity in Arts. She contributed to the National Arts Promotion Centre TAIKE from 2019 to 2022.
Leadership
Satu Miettinen has significantly influenced both academia and policy through her leadership in service design and interdisciplinary research. As Dean of the Faculty of Art and Design at the University of Lapland and leader of major research projects, she has shaped service design education and developed global research networks. Beyond academia, she has impacted public policy and innovation in advisory roles for Finnish ministries and international organisations. Her work connects research, design, and societal challenges, contributing to advancements in public services, national design policy, digital governance, and regional innovation ecosystems.
Satu Miettinen 