Design for Sustainability in Higher Education Institutions:

towards a more responsive curriculum in Cape Town

  • Laskarina Yiannakaris Postgraduate student, Faculty of Informatics and Design, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town.
  • Mugendi K M'Rithaa Industrial designer/educator/researcher, Faculty of Informatics and Design, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town.
Keywords: Behavioural change, communication design, design education, Design for Sustainability, sustainable lifestyles, Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

 

In this article, the authors discuss the key findings from a study that investigated the level of awareness of, and engagement with Design for Sustainability (DfS) among three categories of actors within the Cape Town communication design fraternity: design educators, design students and design professionals. It focuses specifically on the degree of application of DfS within three selected Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Cape Town. A major gap in the teaching and practice of DfS was identified; these were the result of several tensions that existed within the academic space. The authors unpack these tensions and explore possible ways to enrich the education around DfS in order to build a community of change agents who are responsive to the environmental, sociocultural and economic impacts of their work. They showcase practical examples of how local designers have addressed sustainability issues positively through their design solutions, as well as highlight how communication designers can address the United Nations’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Published
2019-12-04
Issue
No 28 (2016): Image and Text
Section
Articles