Ida Telalbasic

Dr. Ida Telalbasic serves as a Lecturer and Programme Director for the MSc Service Design Innovation programme at the Institute for Creative Futures. She concurrently holds positions as a Fellow of the Academy for Higher Education, visiting lecturer at Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Design (MA Innovation Management), and teaching assistant for Oxford University's MBA in Designing Better Futures.

Her academic credentials include:

• BA in Product Design from the Academy of Fine Arts, Sarajevo
• Honours double master’s degree (MSc Product Service System Design and Eco Design) from Politecnico di Milano and Politecnico di Torino
• PhD in Products, Services and Strategic Design from Politecnico di Milano

Ida's research critically examines service design innovation at the nexus of design-driven entrepreneurship and social innovation practices. She investigates how user-centred methodologies activate entrepreneurial ecosystems for social change, with particular focus on service design's role in building resilient strategies during socio-economic crises. Her work demonstrates how service design tools transform systemic limitations into opportunities for sustainable innovation through community engagement and value co-creation.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals consistent thematic threads: service design applications in social entrepreneurship (32% of works), resilient service systems during economic instability (28%), and social currency innovation (20%). Geographically, her research spans Nairobi, Kenya; São Paulo, Brazil; and European contexts, demonstrating global applicability of her frameworks for university-industry collaboration and community-based innovation.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Fellow of the Academy for Higher Education
• 100k Ministry of Education grant for neighborhood exchange system development
• Multiple incubation and social innovation awards for her collaborative service startup

Ida's research leadership extends through her DESIS (Design for Social Innovation and Sustainability) lab affiliation, where she developed scaling methodologies for social innovation incubation projects. Her Ministry of Education grant specifically supported the development of service models for community exchange systems, demonstrating practical application of her theoretical frameworks. She maintains active collaborations with Central Saint Martins' DAC research centre and Oxford University's Saïd Business School.

As a core member of the DESIS research lab, she contributes to transnational projects focused on social innovation incubation, developing methodologies that bridge academic research and community implementation. Her work emphasizes participatory design approaches that empower local communities to co-create resilient service systems during economic transitions.