Design for sustainability II

Summary

This course explores and practices some of the fundamental tools of designing for sustainability with a focus on the sustainability, desirability, and economic viability of solutions.

Content

Keywords

design process, desirability, viability, sustainability, prototyping, interdisciplinarity, project-based learning

Learning Prerequisites

Required courses

HUM-397: Design for sustainability I

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, the student must be able to:

• Apply an iterative prototyping approach to test the sustainability, desirability, economic viability of a project
• Develop an innovative and sustainable project through ideation techniques
• Estimate the potential impact of a sustainability-driven project

Transversal skills

• Communicate effectively with professionals from other disciplines.
• Take account of the social and human dimensions of the engineering profession.

Teaching methods

• Group work under weekly lecturer supervision

Expected student activities

• Work in interdisciplinary teams
• Attend weekly project consultations at ECAL
• Design a solution through prototyping
• Document and valorize the processes of designing for sustainability

Assessment methods

• Project and documentation: 80% (groupwork)
• Reflexive note: 20% (individual)

Supervision

Resources

Bibliography

• Ceschin, F., & Gaziulusoy, I. d. (2020). Design for sustainability : a multi-level framework from products to socio-technical systems. Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
• Manzini, E. (2015). Design, when everybody designs : an introduction to design for social innovation. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press.
• Papanek, V. J. (1972). Design for the real world; human ecology and social change. New York,: Pantheon Books.
• Thompson, P. B., & Norris, P. E. (2021). Sustainability : what everyone needs to know. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
• Verganti, R. (2016). Overcrowded : designing meaningful products in a world awash with ideas. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press.
• Wizinsky, M. (2022). Design after capitalism : transforming design today for an equitable tomorrow. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press.

Ressources en bibliothèque

• Ceschin, Design for sustainability
• Thompson, Sustainability
• Manzini, Design, when everybody designs
• Papanek, Design for the real world
• Verganti, Overcrowded : designing meaningful products in a world awash with ideas
• Wizinsky, Design after capitalism

Websites

• https://designforsustainability.studio

Moodle Link

• https://go.epfl.ch/HUM-398