Environmental and societal issues have been gaining momentum in the public arena for a good 40 years; does the pressure for change mean we have to change the way we teach design? Universities are key institutions to affect change.

Environmental and societal issues have been gaining momentum in the public arena for a good 40 years; does the pressure for change mean we have to change the way we teach design? Universities are key institutions to affect change.

Design communities accustomed to tackling complex problems are also appropriate to take on such creative challenges. My research is an exploration into the way design is currently taught within tertiary education. I am interested in knowing the relationship between content and inspiration, teachers and students and what, how and why students learn what they do, especially with regard to sustainable design.

I hope to build knowledge around ways to inspire design education to be able to adapt to tackling the most pertinent issues as design environments change. Sustainability is one such context that could benefit from new approaches to design and design education.