Sustainability and Ecodesign in Welsh

Transcription

1 Sustainability and Ecodesign in Welsh Filipa Costa Dr Sharon Prendeville April, 2014 Higher Education Recommendations based on International Best Practice Report prepared for the Waste Strategy Branch, Welsh Government

2 1 Contents 1 Introduction Page 3 2 Background and Context Page 4 3 Research Aim and Objectives 4 Research Scope 5 Research Methodology 6 Results 7 International Cases 8 Cross-Case Analysis of the Results 9 Discussion 10 Conclusion 11 Recommendations 12 References Page 7 Page 7 Page 9 Page 11 Page 23 Page 32 Page 36 Page 41 Page 41 Page 43 Audience Summary The main purpose of this research is to provide guidance to Welsh Government and to Welsh universities who deliver design courses. To a lesser extent, this study is beneficial for a broader remit of stakeholders including teachers, researchers and students. Teachers and researchers can benefit by taking forward recommendations (updating module content to include sustainability, developing guidelines and curricula, or conducting more in-depth analysis to build on this research). Finally, students have access to an overview of sustainability and ecodesign in design courses, aiding them through the course selection process. The Ecodesign Centre believes that innovation must consider sustainability and ecodesign is a key strategy for innovation. These are key skills that must be integrated into design courses delivered through Welsh higher education. Education for sustainability is crucial to truly align education with industry and deliver on the Welsh Government s commitment to sustainability as its central organising principle. Opportunity lies in Welsh Government s commitment to closely cooperate with Welsh higher education providers. To respond to this, the study presented here is an overview of Welsh design courses addressing sustainability and ecodesign concepts. The study presents a high level assessment of UK design education and international best practice in design courses. From this analysis, a set of strategic recommendations is developed to benefit design education in Wales. The researchers would like to acknowledge the work of Paola Oggianu who conducted preliminary research for this study during her internship at Ecodesign Centre in 2012.

3 2 Ecodesign is a strategic design management process that considers the full life-cycle environmental impacts of packaging, products, processes, services, organisations and systems.

4 3 The Ecodesign Centre believes that innovation must consider sustainability aspects and ecodesign is a key strategy for innovation 1. Introduction Embedding sustainability and ecodesign in higher education (HE) is key to achieving a sustainable society. Sustainability is the Welsh Government s (WG) central organising principle and therefore Welsh higher education should be aligned to this vision. It is the role of Welsh universities to deliver courses and curricula that aid the development of graduates as global citizens, equipped with skills to address society s grand challenges. The UK Higher Education Academy s (HEA) report, The Future Fit Framework (2012), discusses important factors influencing higher education in Britain. Amongst these factors are: public interest in and global concern for sustainabilityrelated issues; increasing demand from employers for graduates with skills to address sustainability issues; students seeking higher education to prepare and develop their sustainability skillset. Despite this, a recent report on Welsh education and jobs, has limited discussion on sustainability as a required skill for Welsh graduates (UK Commission for Employment and Skills 2011) Innovation is promoted to ensure the long-term prosperity and resilience of the economy. Skills for innovation are sought out by industry. Close co-operation between universities and industry is a key aspect of the Welsh strategy for higher education (Department for Children Education Lifelong Learning and Skills 2009). There are different perspectives on how to achieve innovation; in Wales and the UK policymakers give privilege to the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects. However, the design community suggests (Design Commission 2011) that this is an incomplete picture and design should be included as it is a bridging subject, key to achieving innovation in industry. The Ecodesign Centre (EDC) believes that innovation must consider sustainability aspects and ecodesign is a key strategy for innovative. As set out by the HEA, sustainability and ecodesign are required skills within higher education. Therefore, this research focuses on understanding how sustainability and ecodesign are being delivered in higher education design courses in Wales. This includes an assessment of the Welsh context in relation to the wider UK and internationally accepted best practice for design higher education. Finally, the report delivers key insights and recommendations to be taken forward by the Welsh Government. Specifically, the report gives an overview of existing design courses (both bachelor s and master s level degrees) in Wales and the UK. This overview shows how these courses are integrating sustainability and ecodesign concepts into curricula. Work placement and student exchange programmes, offered by Welsh bachelor s degrees and master s degrees, are also analysed. Following this, international best practice examples of design courses in higher education are presented. The chosen best practice case studies are from the following countries: Finland, Italy, USA, South Korea, Japan, India,

5 page 4 number The Netherlands and Australia. These cases are also analysed in terms of the same two criteria: (1) curricula and (2) work placement and student exchange programmes. A third factor is then considered in relation to international best practice cases: (3) the existence and type of a national design policy. This is to assess the relationship between best practice in design education and the implementation of a governmental design policy. The findings show that: (1) sustainability and ecodesign are not deeply embedded in the curricula of Welsh design courses (2) Welsh universities have strong links with industry and all Welsh universities offer (some optional, others compulsory) work placement and student exchange programmes and (3) Wales lacks design support for design schools/research institutions, which is a common governmental design policy identified in international best practices cases. Recommendations are suggested for improvement in each of these three areas (1) curriculum content (2) work placement and student exchange programmes and (3) governmental design policy. 2. Background and Context The Welsh Government has a vision for higher education in Wales in Close co-operation between Welsh Government and higher education providers is vital to deliver a world-class higher education system in Wales that serves the interests of learners and the nation in the twentyfirst century (Welsh Government 2013b). In 2009, the Welsh Higher Education Strategy and Plan presented key aspects of the Welsh Government s vision. This describes the need for more collaboration between universities and businesses to improve graduates applied skills, thereby enhancing their employability and potentially boosting the Welsh economy. Mutually beneficial collaboration between higher education and industry brings opportunities for knowledge exploitation, consultancy, new businesses and employment prospects. Businesses can benefit from specialist knowledge and research within universities and universities benefit from opportunities to put ideas into practice, host placement programmes and support entrepreneurial activities. The level of implementation of the Higher Education Strategy and Plan for Wales depends on higher education institutes. Universities are autonomous entities, free to independently determine strategies, direction, curricula, skills, partnerships and work placement services. However, this autonomy must be balanced with the Welsh higher education vision in order to receive public funding support (Department for Children Education

6 5 Placement programmes are an effective mechanism to enhance a student s practical learning experience. Lifelong Learning and Skills 2009). A highly-skilled workforce is essential for an innovative knowledge economy, and we need a competitive, sustainable higher education (HE) sector to produce high-level skills (Department for Children Education Lifelong Learning and Skills 2008). By addressing Wales s specific needs and developing highly skilled graduates with leadership attributes, innovation, resilience and strong communications skills Welsh Government can overcome the existing skills gap (Department for Children Education Lifelong Learning and Skills 2009). The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects are promoted by Welsh Government as key skills for Wales (Department for Children Education Lifelong Learning and Skills 2009). Wales long-term prosperity in a global economy will depend on its ability to foster innovation which is genuinely transformational in nature and can deliver real long-term social and economic benefits (Welsh Government 2013b). One initiative from the Welsh Government to implement this vision is the GO Wales programme. GO Wales liaises with Welsh Small to Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) to offer graduates work placement opportunities (Department for Children Education Lifelong Learning and Skills 2009). Placement programmes are an effective mechanism to enhance a student s practical learning experience. Work placement is crucial to equip graduates with appropriate and competitive skills (Department for Children Education Lifelong Learning and Skills 2008). Practical work placements help students develop skills suited to industry, thereby narrowing the skills gap identified by employers. One of the UK s strengths is its capacity to innovate. In 2005, the Cox Review of Creativity in Business stated the need to exploit the UK creative sector s potential for growth and development of the national economy. To do this, it recommended reinforcing the link between universities and SMEs to better prepare students for work. At that time, the report also promoted the development of multi-disciplinary courses combining management, engineering, technology and creative arts studies. In Wales, growth in the creative industries is estimated to reach 5,000 jobs in The development of creative skills are increasingly led by the demand of industry (Creative & Cultural Skills 2008). One of Wales s priority sectors, the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing sector, employs a high level of design to produce innovative and technologically complex products and processes. The Skills for Jobs in Wales (2011) report indicates that there is a high priority to develop skilled technicians who can install, maintain and run complex equipment. These technicians must also have a holistic understanding of innovation, whole product and process lifecycles and skills to improve efficiency in terms of energy and resource consumption. Graduates with STEM skills are required in the medium-term to

7 6 Effective education for design practitioners means considering societal and environmental needs through sustainable design education. drive innovation critical to the success of businesses in competitive global markets (UK Commission for Employment and Skills 2011). On the other hand, the Restarting Britain report (2011) highlights the importance of design for innovation. It argues that if the UK is to maintain its leading position in innovation, a change is required where design is considered alongside STEM subjects as a lever for boosting innovation. Design is crucial to bring technological innovations to market and therefore bridge between STEM subjects. Design boosts innovation, improves competitiveness and growth, enhances marketability and increases adoption of new technologies. All of which are necessary to achieve a more sustainable society through market uptake of environmentally and socially preferable products. Britain s ability to develop designers who can deliver on all these fronts is dependent on its approach to design education (Design Commission 2011). On account of this, the UK design community is clear on the need for a UK design policy to enhance the role of design in education (Design Commission 2011). While there is no specific design policy in existence in Wales, the Welsh Innovation Strategy does recognise the importance of ecodesign and ecoinnovation for Welsh industry (Welsh Government 2013a). Many countries instate design policies to ensure investment in design and to raise awareness of the value of design and the benefits of design skills for industry and for education. Effective education for design practitioners means considering societal and environmental needs through sustainable design education. Because sustainability is multidimensional, complex and dynamic, one of the central challenges is to ensure that education is relevant. A key barrier to integrating sustainable design in higher education is the misconception that sustainability is solely about the environment, separate from or unrelated to other higher education agendas 1 such as employability, enterprise, quality and internationalisation (Sterling 2012). Sustainability issues demand a systematic approach, using skills, knowledge and experience from many disciplines. The new environmental context mean that designers require new competencies in terms of ecodesign, sustainable innovation and responsible design (O Rafferty et al. 2012). The Future Fit Framework (2012) report argues that sustainability does not mean adding substantial quantities of new content to courses, instead it requires modification of existing content. Webster and Johnson (2008) argue that sustainability cannot simply be taught through the educational process but needs context to impart meaning and understanding effectively. It is widely accepted that education for sustainable development and specifically design education requires an interdisciplinary approach (O Rafferty 2012; Design Commission 2011; Sterling 2012). According to Sterling s Future Fit Framework (2011) curricula should be integrating sustainability through: 1. See Ecodesign Centre s report Interdisciplinary Design Education for Sustainability available at: ecodesigncentre.org/en/resources/ecodesign-centre-research-interdisciplinarity-design-education-sustainability

8 7 Design education must embed sustainability within its core, ensuring all design graduates emerge with a high level of literacy in sustainable design. 1. Theory and practice: a curriculum that only focuses on a theoretical level without considering practice and application is likely to be incomplete; 2. Local and global scales: a curriculum that ignores spatial connections between global and local levels may be incomplete; 3. Present and future: a curriculum that does not explore the links between present and likely future factors and trends may be incomplete. Businesses need to strive to improve resource efficiency by developing new products and services for sustainable markets (Cox 2005). Ecodesign can aid businesses in achieving resource efficiency while also reducing environmental impact through life cycle thinking throughout the product, service or process design. Ecodesign is a strategic way of thinking and doing good design to benefit companies through cost reductions, competitiveness, positive social impact, brand reputation, innovative business models and resource efficiency (Sarkis et al. 2010). Higher education should challenge all student s assumptions that humans are dominant species separate from the rest of nature; resources are free and inexhaustible; Earth s ecosystem can assimilate all human impacts; technology will solve most of society problems; all human needs and wants can be met through material means; individual success is independent of the health and well-being of communities, cultures and life support systems (Cortese 2003). Design education must embed sustainability within its core, ensuring all design graduates emerge with a high level of literacy in sustainable design. 3. Research Aim and Objectives The research aim is to review the integration of sustainability and ecodesign in design higher education in Wales. This includes a broad assessment of UK design education with additional examples of international best practice. From this the report sets out strategic recommendations to benefit design education in Wales. To achieve this aim, the following objectives are set out: 1. Map the integration of sustainability and ecodesign in design curricula in higher education in Wales and the UK. 2. Identify the current approach to work placement programme and student exchange programmes in Wales. 3. Benchmark international best practice for sustainability and ecodesign higher education including curricula, work placement programmes, student exchange programmes and governmental design policy. 4. Identify recommendations for improvements to design higher education in Wales.

9 page 8 number 4. Research Scope To deliver a focused study the research scope is defined according to Figure 1. This sets out the types of design courses included in the study: product design, fashion design, textile design, furniture design and packaging design. Initially, service design was not considered within the research scope but rather included in the study as an element of product design. This is because, more often than not, service and system design are an evolution of product design curricula and are therefore included within existing product design courses. However, some standalone service design courses have been identified. Given the importance of servitization and system design in transitioning to a circular economy 2 service design is designated as the sixth course type within our research scope. These six course types are chosen because they are: 1. The most prevalent design courses (thus offering substantial opportunity to integrate sustainability and ecodesign in design education in Wales) 2. Perceived as those courses with most activity to-date in terms of sustainability and ecodesign education. Figure 1 represents the research scope showing that this research focuses on two levels: undergraduate and postgraduate. Undergraduate refers to bachelor s degrees and postgraduate is limited to master s degrees. This study excludes PhD and other post-doctoral programmes, as these are typically individual, research-based studies rather than structured courses. Figure 1 Research scope In this study sustainability is defined as preparing people to cope with, Figure 2 Relationship between sustainability and ecodesign 3 2. See Ecodesign Centre s paper titled Circular Economy: Is it Enough? available at: resources/circular-economy-it-enough 3. Symbols designed by A and Francesco Terzini from the Noun Project

10 9 manage and shape social, economic and ecological conditions characterised by change, uncertainty, risk and complexity (Sterling 2012). Ecodesign is defined as a strategic design management process that is concerned with minimising full life-cycle impacts of products and services. It also, considers the social and economic impacts of products and services (O Rafferty et al. 2008). It is generally accepted that sustainability is a much broader concept than ecodesign. Figure 2 illustrates the role of ecodesign within sustainability. 5. Research Methodology This section explains the research methodology as illustrated in Figure 3. The research methodology is inspired by the Design Council s double diamond design approach (Design Council n.d.). This means the research is structured into the following four phases: discover, design, develop and deliver. Discover phase Insights from the literature review inform the background and context for the research. These insights also support the design of the data collection process, by identifying three important criteria: course curricula, work placement and student exchange programmes and governmental design policy. Design Phase During the design phase, desk-based research is undertaken to map design courses addressing sustainability and ecodesign across the UK. This is achieved by analysing data on universities websites and available programme prospectuses. More detailed analysis is undertaken in Wales by searching course content, work placement and student exchange programmes. Additionally, Figure 3 Research methodology

11 page 10 number international examples of design education are presented from either (1) countries with a strong design heritage or (2) those with a governmental design strategy in place. These are used to benchmark against key criteria defined in the discover phase. To identify UK design courses addressing ecodesign and sustainability two approaches are taken: 1. The first is a broad approach, using search engines and keywords to call and filter information (e.g. sustainable design courses UK ). 2. The second approach is more focused, using The Guardian s University guide 2014 Art and Design listings 4 From the Guardian s list, universities offering degree level courses within the scope of the research are identified. This new list is then filtered to identify courses with sustainability and ecodesign in the curriculum programme. Mapping of design higher education in Wales involves: 1. Identifying design courses specified within the research scope taught at Welsh universities 2. From this list identifying those courses that integrate sustainability and ecodesign 3. Identifying work placement and student exchange programmes within each selected Welsh university To identify international best practice cases, experts in sustainable design education were consulted and their recommendations are supported by evidence from the academic and grey literature (discover phase). A key assumption of this study is that embedding sustainability as a core part of a course s programme (across curricula and throughout the duration of the course) is preferable to courses only delivering one or two fixed modules (O Rafferty et al. 2008; O Rafferty et al. 2012). This initial list of exemplary cases is filtered based on this assumption. That is, courses taking a specialised approach embedding sustainability within curricula are chosen. In addition, countries with either a strong design heritage and/or existence of a high level of design policy are selected. Countries selected include: Finland, Italy, USA, South Korea, Japan, India, The Netherlands and Australia. The research to map international best practice cases of design education involves: 1. Identifying design courses specified within the research scope integrating sustainability and ecodesign at an international level 2. Identifying work placement and student exchange programmes at selected universities 3. Identifying the implementation of a governmental design policy Develop phase This is the analysis stage. Firstly, a caseby-case analysis is conducted on Welsh, UK and international data individually. 4.

12 11 Secondly, a cross case analysis is conducted between Welsh, UK and international data to benchmark Wales in terms of: Curricula Work placement and student exchange programmes Governmental design policy Deliver phase Finally, the research is summarised in this report to communicate the research method, findings and recommendations to improve and support the integration of sustainability and ecodesign in Wales. 6. Results 6.1 Mapping Design Higher Education Courses in the UK (excluding Wales) a) Distribution of Design Course Types identified within the Research Scope A total of 80 design courses are identified from the two approaches taken to finding design courses specified within the research scope. This total corresponds to 34 universities. Figure 4 shows the UK percentage allocation for each of the course types set out in the research scope. The majority are product design courses, which make up 61%. This is followed by fashion and textile design at 28%, furniture and packaging design combined make up 6%, product and service design combined make up 2.5% and finally, standalone service design courses make up 2.5%. In relation to service design, two universities offer product and service design courses as master s degrees. These are Design and Innovation for Sustainability at Cranfield University and Design and Innovation for Sustainability at Loughborough University. Figure 4 Distribution (%) of the type of courses in UK

13 page 12 number Figure 5 Design courses in higher education in UK.

14 page 13 number It is also worth mentioning that two courses are identified that specialise in service design. These are the Master of Design (MDes) Service Design Innovation from University of the Arts London and the MDes Design for Service at University of Dundee. b) Classification of the Curricula Content: Embedded or Modular Figure 5 shows the results for UK design courses in terms of (1) universities delivering design courses identified in the scope (2) whether the course is specialised or modular and (3) whether the course is a bachelor s degree or master s degree. Next page presents some of selected UK examples from each of the six course types. From the total 80 courses identified, that include sustainability and ecodesign concepts, 49 courses or 61% are undergraduate and 31 courses or 39% are postgraduate. The curriculum of each design course is classified according to either an embedded or modular approach: 1. Specialised courses embed sustainability as part of the core focus in the design programme. These types of courses make up a total of 15 courses in the UK, of which 67% are master s degrees. 2. The remaining 65 courses take a modular approach meaning these courses group sustainability and ecodesign together within a single module, delivered as part of the design programme. Of these courses 32% are master s degrees. Most of these courses focus on the operational aspect of ecodesign. Some examples of modules include: Eco-Design: Understanding Design s Role in Global Ecology; Sustainable Design and Sustainability; Recycling and Environmental Issues.

15 page 14 number Selected UK Case Examples from Each of the Six Course Types: 1BA (Hons) Fashion Design Buckinghamshire New University BA (Hons) Sustainable Product Design 2 Falmouth University This is the only UK Fashion Design degree that emphasises a creative approach to design, with a unique focus on ethics (child labour, social and corporate responsibility) and sustainability (fashion production, manufacturing processes and supply chains) More info: This is one of the few bachelor s degrees in Sustainable Design in the UK. This course teaches design as a tool for change that can be ethical and profitable simultaneously. During the 3-year programme students learn in-depth social, environmental and economic perspectives of designing a product. More info: BSc (Hons) Sustainable Product Design 3 University of Brighton MDes Service Design Innovation 4 University of the Arts London This is a cross-disciplinary course including strategic subjects such as innovation and product design consultancy coupled with a foundation in core sustainability modules such as Alternative Energy, Global and Environmental Issues and Hazards and Sustainable Development. More info: This course emphasises the wider role of design and innovation in services and systems. It focuses on service design thinking and includes projects as diverse as design of patient service experience in the development of medical technologies, through to public sector innovation and sustainability. The course promotes external collaborations with universities (Cranfield University, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and Sadi Samsung Art and Design Institute in South Korea) as well as service design consultancies, local government and third sector organisations. Examples of modules include: Strategic Service Design and Service Design Project Management. More info: html MSc Design and Innovation in Sustainability 5 Loughborough University MSc Packaging Technology Management 6 Brunel University This master s degree improves students skills in developing a balanced portfolio of high-quality design and innovative thinking, enabling graduates to deal with complex and interrelated issues both analytically and creatively. Example of modules include: Enterprise Business and Sustainability; Sustainable Design; Design for Sustainable Behaviour. More info: departments/design/designandinnovationinsustainability/ This is a unique packaging design course in the UK. The course aims to produce high-calibre packaging technologists and managers who have vision and flexibility to create opportunities, solve problems and allow industry to play its part in the drive to reduce unnecessary consumption, reduce CO2 emissions and battle climate change. More info: data/assets/pdf_ file/0003/189552/6034-amee-course-brochure-a4-16pg-final. pdf

16 Mapping Design Higher Education in Wales a) Overview In Wales there are 12 higher education universities. These universities are located in three main areas of concentration North, South East and South West (Figure 6). This distribution can be attributed to the natural population clusters in Wales, the presence of the M4 corridor in the south and A55 corridor in the north, providing links to surrounding industry and infrastructure. Visualising this distribution deepens our understanding of the relationship between higher education and the regional context in which institutions operate. These 12 Welsh higher education universities offer courses across a breadth of different subjects including: art and design; business studies; social sciences; humanities; physical sciences. Within these 12 universities, 28 courses are identified relevant to the types of design courses defined in the research scope. This list was filtered down to a list of 14 relevant courses. These 14 courses are: The 5 Welsh universities teaching sustainability and ecodesign within their design programmes are (including both bachelor s and master s degree levels): Cardiff Metropolitan University; Swansea Metropolitan University; Glyndŵr University; Swansea University; Bangor University. These 14 courses are broken down as follows: Product Design (11); Product and Service design (1); Packaging design (1); Packaging and Product Design (1) (Figure 8). The level of integration within these courses varies between universities. Table 1, 2 and 3 present data for these 14 Welsh design courses integrating sustainability and ecodesign. Tables 1 and 2 are structured according to university and course name, course type and curriculum overview. Table 3 is structured according to university, work placement and student exchange programmes. Delivered at 5 of the 12 universities. 10 are bachelor s degrees and the remaining 4 are master s degrees This information is presented in a key in Figure 6 in reference to Figure Sourced from: aspx 6. University of Wales Trinity Saint David (Swansea Campus) and Swansea Metropolitan have merged, now known as Swansea Metropolitan. Glamorgan University and University of South Wales have also merged, now known as University of South Wales

17 page 16 number Figure 6 Map of higher education universities in Wales 5 6 A B C D 14 E F G H I J K L courses in Wales that teach sustainability and ecodesign * * 5 universities in Wales with design courses addressing sustainability and ecodesign * univerisities within research scope Figure 7 Welsh universities delivering design courses

18 17 Figure 8 Distribution of design courses per type in Wales b) Bachelor s Degrees Initial analysis of the data in Table 1 shows that for Welsh bachelor s degrees in design, sustainability and ecodesign concepts are typically taught during the second year of most courses. For Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees, sustainability and ecodesign themes are integrated into design modules (e.g. Sustainable Design and Design for Sustainability). For Bachelor of Engineering (BEng), sustainability is integrated into engineering modules (e.g. Engineering Sustainability module). 9 bachelor s degrees sustainability modules are compulsory. All bachelor s degrees identified here take a modular approach. However, the Design Applied Arts BA (Hons) at Glyndwr University programme has a strong focus on core values of design such as social responsibility, sustainability and environmental awareness. However, online information about the curriculum references no modules on sustainability or ecodesign. In relation to compulsory verses optional modules, only the Graphic Communication BA at Cardiff Metropolitan offers (in the second year) the module Sustainable Design as an option for students. For the other

19 page 18 number Table 1 Welsh bachelor s degree design courses University Cardiff Metropolitan Glyndŵr University Bangor University Swansea Metropolitan University Swansea University Course/ Type BA Graphic Communication BA Design: Applied Arts BSc Product Design BA Glass with Product Design BA Product Design with Computer Visualisation BA Product Design with Enterprise BA Product Design with Marketing BA Product Design BA Product Design with Digital Media BEng Product Design Engineering Curriculum content This course gives the opportunity for students to think contextually, learning how to contribute their creative capabilities to commercial design in a sustainable way. For two years students can opt for a Sustainable Design module, applying sustainable graphic-design practice to print and screen-based media, which are continually adapting to changes in technology and working-practices to affect the triple-bottom-line. This course has a strong focus on the core values of design such as social responsibility, sustainability, environmental awareness, functionalism, ethics, matching appropriate use of materials to cost-effective solutions, as well as innovative, aesthetic and cultural values. However, no specific modules on sustainability or ecodesign are in the curriculum. Students learn product design and how to produce/refine prototypes, applying the knowledge of sustainable development as part of a subject module. Every year, students have a Workplace Experience module that involves placement in industry for about 8 weeks in total. Students study traditional and contemporary practice underpinned by solid craft skills, including drawing, design and making. In the second year, students will learn how to design for sustainability through the taught module Design for Sustainability. This course focuses on human-centred aspects of product design and computer aided visualisation. Students are encouraged to focus on the needs of people, using a variety of research methods to explore interaction with consumer products and the wider world of services and systems surrounding consumers. In the second year, students learn how to design for sustainability through the taught module Design for Sustainability. This course focuses on human-centred aspects of product design, business and enterprise. In the second year, students learn how to design for sustainability through the taught module Design for Sustainability. This course focuses on human-centred aspects of product design and marketing (including product branding, advertising, web-presence, point-of-sale and packaging design). In the second year, students learn how to design for sustainability through the taught module Design for Sustainability. The course vision is to produce design professionals able to respond creatively to the changing needs of people in a commercially and environmentally sustainable manner. There is an emphasis on idea generation and product development (form and function) with an understanding of materials and manufacturing processes. In the second year, students learn how to design for sustainability through the taught module Design for Sustainability. This course develops student s ability to communicate their creative approach to design thinking and problem solving through digital media. It focuses on human-centred aspects of product design and digital media. In the second year, students learn how to design for sustainability in the taught module Design for Sustainability. This course allows students to learn how to take a product from the initial concept and design stages right through to production and manufacture. In the first year, students learn about how they can contribute to all three aspects of the triple bottom line, in the module Engineering Sustainability. Packaging design Product design Packaging and product design

20 19 c) Master s Degrees The results in Table 2 show that Welsh master s degrees acknowledge the need to educate students on sustainability and ecodesign concepts. For example, course visions include: need to develop sustainable and universal solutions (Master of Art (MA) Product Design and Innovation at Swansea Metropolitan University increasing importance of ethical and ecological issues, faced by today s product designers (Master of Science (MSc) Advanced Product Design at Cardiff Metropolitan). Despite this, no master s programmes identified in Wales are classified as taking an embedded approach. The only product and service design course identified in Wales is the MA Product Design and Innovation at Swansea Metropolitan University. Table 2 Welsh master s degree design courses University Cardiff Metropolitan Swansea Metropolitan University Swansea University Course/ Type MSc Advanced Product Design MA Product Design and Innovation MSc Industrial Design MEng. Product Design Engineeriing Curriculum content One of the course objectives is to teach students an understanding of sustainability. Students gain an understanding of the increasing importance of ethical and ecological issues, faced by today s product designers. This is taught through the module Sustainability (Ecological) Issues in Design for Production. Final project can be focused on Sustainable (Ecological) Design. This course s main focus is: creativity, innovation and product design. These themes are considered because of the need to bridge between the design and development of innovative products and the need to develop sustainable and universal solutions. It also provides a platform for students to further their knowledge of the nature of innovation and the necessity for its application in the design of innovative products, systems and services. However no specific modules on sustainability or ecodesign are in the curriculum. This course aims to align consumer needs with manufacturing reality. It focuses on the advancement of innovative paradigms for sustainable product development through the use of digital technologies. It does this by allowing students to explore and test design solutions by prototyping within real and virtual environments. However no specific modules on sustainability or ecodesign are in the curriculum. This course teaches how to take a product from the initial concept and design stages right through to production and manufacture. Students learn the recycling methods across the major materials sectors, within the module Materials Recycling Techniques, and principles of life cycle analysis and its application to the engineering industry within the module Environmental Analysis and Legislation. Product design Product and service design

21 page 20 number From the information available it is not clear how service design is taught to students and no module dedicated to sustainability or ecodesign concepts is identified. This is also the case for the MSc Industrial Design at Swansea Metropolitan University. Two remaining master s degree courses are identified in Wales: MSc Advanced Product Design at Cardiff Metropolitan and MEng Product Design Engineering at Swansea University. The first course offers a module on Sustainability (Ecological) Issues in Design for Production and an optional final project focused on Sustainable (Ecological) Design. The second course offers modules titled Materials Recycling Techniques and Environmental Analysis and Legislation. To summarise, all Welsh design higher education courses take a modular approach, meaning programmes address sustainability and ecodesign concepts through specific modules and not continuously within curricula. From the 14 courses identified, 8 set a vision to address sustainability and ecodesign concepts during their programme. An additional 4 do not have explicit vision statements but typically offer one module on sustainability or ecodesign. The remaining 2 courses show some disparity between good intentions of addressing both concepts in their programmes, but with no information regarding how this is achieved. d) Work Placement and Student Exchange Programmes Table 3 shows that in general all universities provide a career service point that operates both desk or online advice and support for students regarding work experience, job opportunities, CV surgeries and skills improvement. Most placement programmes are provided in collaboration with GO Wales, hosted normally by Welsh SMEs, usually lasting between 6 and 10 weeks. Most Welsh universities have a partnership agreement with other universities in Europe or the rest of the world. There are also European initiatives to support student mobility, such as the widely used Erasmus programme. Cardiff Metropolitan University offers similar global initiatives such as the Join EU- SEE programme between Europe and the Balkan countries and the Heritage programme between Europe and India. Interestingly, one particularly advanced Welsh course mandates placements as part of its degree programme. This is the Bachelor of Science (BSc) Product Design at Bangor University, which stipulates a placement programme of 24 weeks over the three-year course (8 weeks per year). Next page presents programmes for students exchange and work placement.

22 21 Support programmes for student exchange and work placement: 1 Consurgo Programme The Consurgo programme provides career support, advice and industry connections to students and graduates in the design and creative industry. It gives a list of available internships and work placements available to a variety of agencies, which as a minimum will cover travel and lunch expenses. More info: 2GO Wales The GO Wales programme is a service dedicated to aiding and advancing graduates with their early careers. It offers: Graduate Academy which is a free training programme aiming to provide recent graduates with the skills and support needed to help with getting employment Freelancer programme is of particular interest for design graduates Job Growth Wales is a programme to support young people aged with a 6-month job opportunity Work Placements offer students and graduates the chance to gain paid employment for around 10 weeks Work Tasters is a work experience programme that runs from 3 to 10 days. It is designed to help students on making career choices in a particular industry or business sector. More info:

23 page 22 number Table 3 Work placement and student exchange programmes

24 23 7. International Cases: Mapping Sustainability in Design Higher Education a) Overview To develop understanding of best practice within international design programmes, 60 courses from 12 countries are analysed : USA, Japan, China, The Netherlands, Italy, South Korea, India, Taiwan, Sweden, Finland, Australia and Canada. service design courses. No international best practice examples of packaging design courses are identified. With regard to design policies, four levels of design policy implementation are defined in Mapping of International Design Policies and Strategies (Quartz+Co et al. 2011). This is adopted as the framework for analysis of design policy within the international cases described here (see Table 4 for a thorough explanation of each level). From this list, countries meeting the following criteria (set out within the research scope) are selected: 1. Those taking an embedded approach to integrating topics into curricula 2. With either a design heritage and/or a high level governmental design policy The selected case studies are: Finland, Italy, USA, South Korea, Japan, India, The Netherlands and Australia. From these eight countries, 12 universities are identified that deliver design courses defined in the research scope. A total of 16 design programmes are identified as relevant for the study: 3 bachelor s degrees and 13 master s degrees. The breakdown of these 16 courses in terms of course type is presented in Figure 9. This shows that 9 are product design courses, 3 are product and service design, and 2 are fashion and textile courses. The 2 remaining courses are divided between furniture design and

25 page 24 number Figure 9 Distribution of design courses per type in international best practice cases Table 4 Design policy levels adapted from Quartz+Co et. al (2011) Design policy level Level I Level II A Level II B Level III Definitions Awareness raising and design promotion to a broad audience is the most basic level of design policy and generally the first initiative that a government engages in to support design (e.g. design awards, conferences, publications, exhibitions, design weeks, etc). Design support is targeted at design education and design research institutions (e.g. concrete initiatives focusing on promoting, like design disciples; teaching methods, specific research topics, attracting foreign students, financial support from government). Design support targeted at companies (usually SMEs) (e.g. driven by national design council, a design centre or a design promotion institute, for example to do consulting or advisory services, matchmaking between designers and business, education and training, grants, scholarships and dissemination of information). A dedicated design policy or strategy with objectives, targets and actions agreed at ministerial level.

26 25 b) Bachelor s Degrees Bachelor s degrees are analysed according to course type and approach to integration of sustainability and ecodesign in the curricula. Three product design courses are identified as best practice, each from different universities: Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University (Australia), Kookmin University (South Korea) and National Institute of Design (India). The integration of sustainability and ecodesign within these curricula is classified as specialised. The BEng (Sustainable Systems Eng)/BDes (Industrial Design) at RMIT University takes an advanced approach with integration throughout the entire 5-year programme. This course also has a number of specific modules in place (e.g. Design for Sustainability; Sustainable System Design). Table 5 International best practice bachelor s degrees c) Master s Degrees Master s degrees are analysed according to course type and approach to integration in the curricula (Table 6): Fashion and textile design Two courses are identified, the MA Fashion and Collection Design (Aalto University, Finland) and Master of Fashion and Textiles (RMIT University, Australia). The integration of sustainability and ecodesign concepts in both programmes is not strong enough to be classified as taking a specialised approach: The MA at Alto states the importance of sustainability thinking, though no module on this topic was identified. However other modules, such as, Entrepreneurship and Business Creation and Innovative Fashion Design (optional), appear to address

27 page 26 number sustainability and ecodesign concepts. The second course at RMIT Australia, offers modular integration of both concepts: Sustainable Product Design and Development for Fashion and Textiles. For this reason this course is classified as taking a modular focus. Furniture design The MA Furniture Design at Aalto University s core aim is to teach graduates about durability and sustainability. It is not clear whether this programme teaches discrete modules or whether sustainability is embedded throughout the course. Service design Service design is represented by the Master of Service Design course at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). This master s degree has a core focus to impart design processes and methods to develop designers with a whole services and systems mindset. Principles of service ecologies that go beyond traditional manufacturing are key to the course. This course is considered specialised. Product design There are six product design master s degrees identified: MSc Integrated Product Design (Delft University, The Netherlands), MSc of Ecodesign (Politecnico di Torino, Italy), MA in Sustainable Design (Minneapolis College of Art and Design, USA), MSc Industrial Design (Art Centre College of Design/ INSEAD), MDes Sustainability (Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), USA) and MDes Science Product Development (Chiba University, Japan). The main results are: All of these courses are considered specialised, since each course is focused on delivering sustainability and ecodesign concepts across the curricula and continuously throughout their respective programmes. Ecodesign concepts (life cycle thinking, eco-products design) are commonly discussed in course descriptions. Product and service design This course type was only identified at master s degree level and typically focuses on management and business: MA Creative Sustainability (Aalto University, Finland), MSc in Strategic Design and Management (Parsons The New School for Design, USA) and Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Design Management (Pratt Institute, USA). Course content focuses on sustainability and ecodesign throughout course programmes. Therefore these courses are considered specialised. Some of the specific attributes of these courses include: Aalto University s programme offers students the opportunity to participate in modules and projects that are organised in collaboration