Pontus Johansson

About Pontus Johansson

Pontus Johansson, who holds a master’s degree from the Child Culture Design program, has been working at HDK-Valand since 2015. He has a particular interest in project-based courses that involve collaboration with other actors in society. These projects are context-based and take place in public spaces. At HDK-Valand, Pontus has been involved in leading many projects and courses together with students, working closely with municipalities, institutions, and other schools, both in Gothenburg and its surrounding areas, as well as in Poland and Kiruna in northern Sweden.

At HDK-Valand, Pontus has also been responsible for organizing several events and conferences, including Making a Living, Growing with Design, and ZOO Much to Talk About.

Pontus enjoys practical, collaborative work and believes it’s important to be engaged both mentally and physically. He is passionate about amplifying the voices of those who are less heard, and he believes that the results of participatory work are not necessarily immediate or physical but can emerge and take many forms tomorrow, next year, or even 20 years from now.

His other interests include materials, craftsmanship, sustainability, and the relationship between humans and nature. He often starts with small things—a detail or something overlooked—and lets projects develop and grow from there. Pontus works with the belief that almost anything can become interesting if given enough time.

In his own practice, Pontus often collaborates with other designers, artists, landscape architects, and researchers. He is currently working on several urban development projects in Örebro Municipality, a design project in Kungsbacka Municipality, and the "Plastic Perspectives" project in collaboration with researchers from Lund University.