Abstract
As societies grapple with the profound environmental and social transformations of the Anthropocene, design education plays a critical role in preparing future designers to confront sustainability challenges. The field of design is in a constant state of evolution. In this context design schools are tasked with equipping students not only with technical skills but also with ethical frameworks, critical literacies, and collaborative capacities that enable them to drive meaningful, long-term change. This research examines how tertiary design education in the Global North has integrated sustainable design principles within design and architecture programs since the 1970s. How have design pedagogies adapted to the demands of their time and anticipated the respective needs of the future? Sustainability-focused design is still evolving. While attention to climate change and in this context regenerative and circular design strategies are continuously growing, it remains essential to understand how design pedagogy evolves to prepare students for the pressing challenges of tomorrow. This research is conducted in collaboration with the Papanek Foundation in Vienna, Austria as part of a two-year fellowship funded by the German Research Association (DFG). It contributes to a growing body of knowledge on how design pedagogy can cultivate the skills needed for students to critically engage with the complexities of an interconnected and uncertain future.
Presenters
Flavia MameliPostdoctoral Research Fellow, Faculty of Art and Design, University of the Arts Bremen, Germany
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
History of Sustainable Design Education, Design Education of the Anthropocene
