Course content

For Industrial Ecology (or other) master students, who take this course as an elective, it provides the opportunity to experience how designers deal with sustainability issues.

This course aims to develop the candidates’ knowledge and personal engagement towards sustainability issues in product design. The courses focuses on identification of design dilemmas that may occur when economic, environmental and socio-ethical requirements need to be jointly considered, and on the development of solutions that may 'solve' such dilemmas. Topics include theory and methods of sustainable design, design for sustainable behaviour, environmental assessment of product life cycles, product improvement strategies, green marketing and communication, and stakeholder involvement. As such, this is not a typical design course. The course takes a research approach where identification, measurement and analysis of requirements are more important than detailed concept development.

Learning outcome

Knowledge: The candidate has gained knowledge on basic theories, methodological tools and on practical examples how to apply sustainable design. The candidate is able to reflect on responsibilities concerning sustainable development related to his/her future professional role as practicing designer or professional working with design(ers).

Skills: Through the exercise, the candidate has learned to write short academic texts. Through the assignment, the candidate has got practical exercise in sustainable design and how it can be applied in companies and organizations. The candidate obtained experience with written, research based justification of a design brief, requirements, concept development and concept choice.

General qualifications: Candidates have knowledge on concepts, methods, values and applications in sustainable design.

Learning methods and activities

The course runs partly in combination with TPD4145, which is a required course for 3rd year IPD students. The course is usually taught in English because of the participation of many international students.
The students will follow the lectures in Sustainable design TPD4145, and do the same assignments, consisting of one or two larger group reports based on analysis of behaviour, products and services, and one or two smaller individual assignments. Groups have regular supervision meetings. Weekly lectures, including guest lectures are offered.

Alternative forms of assignments can be discussed; for example trading one of the group assignments for an essay on a piece of research or a literature review that relates a student's specific interest or expertise with the area of sustainable design.

Recommended previous knowledge

Number of students limited to 15 and to students of Master of Science Programme in Industrial Ecology. Other students can apply to the department to participate.
In 2014, this course code is to be used for Industrial Ecology students and exchange master students.
Bachelor level eduction in either design or sustainability-related topics is required.

Course materials

Compendium and lectures.

Credit reductions