Social & Cultural Development | Sustainable Business MSc Lectures
I designed, researched, and delivered lectures across the discovery of sustainability and cultural issues and futures within the product design industry these included:
Design Ethics
Considering the context of the product you create and considering the moral questions of: What are the long-term problems facing the industry you're designing for? How does your design contribute to them? Designers are having to evolve from being the individual authors of objects, to being the facilitators of change. Sensitivity to context, to relationships, and to consequences are key aspects of the transition from mindless development to design mindfulness. Paraphrased from Thackara, John. In the Bubble : Designing in a Complex World, MIT Press, 2006.
Circular Economy
In our current economy, we take materials from the Earth, make products from them, and eventually throw them away as waste – the process is linear. In a circular economy, by contrast, we stop waste from being produced in the first place. Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Production Waste
Humans don't connect to objects with no value, this is evident from the throwaway culture. It's human nature to put ourselves first, so how can we change this? “In the UK the annual volume of clothing and textile products discarded into waste streams is about 1.1 million tonnes - around 18 kg (2.3 stone) per person per year”. FLETCHER, Kate. 2014. Sustainable Fashion and Textiles. Design Journeys Second Edition. Oxon: Routledge
Social Justice, Working Conditions & Environment
Social justice means everyone’s human rights are respected, protected, and promoted. Everyone has access to equal opportunities and the resources necessary to thrive. This doesn’t guarantee a perfect society where everyone is always happy; however, everyone will have a fighting chance at the life they want. They aren’t held back by things they can’t control like systemic barriers, prejudice, and discrimination.
Consumerism
A social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts.
Climate Anxiety
This phenomenon is known as climate anxiety or eco-anxiety, often defined as a chronic fear of environmental doom, a worry for what might happen if the world does not take action to avert disaster in time. Natural History Museum 2023. Eco Anxiety. Available at: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/how-to-cope-with-eco-anxiety.html [accessed 10/04/2023].
Cultural Appropriation
The unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of customs, practices and ideas from a person, society or members of a dominant culture.
Sustainable Manifesto’s
Business Futures - Sustainable Strategies & Solutions
What tools and systems are the future of Sustainability and Culture, to help businesses meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability?
SDGs
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the key component of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, not only identify where we have to be by 2030 to create the sustainable world we seek, but are also a unique opportunity for all sectors of the economy to rally around a common global agenda to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure a shared and durable prosperity for all.
B Corp Certification
B Lab is a nonprofit network transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet. B Corp certification validates your environmental, social and ethical impact, a key solution to the issues we discussed in the first presentation.
Cradle to Cradle
The framework is characterized by three principles derived from nature: Everything is a resource for something else. In nature, the “waste” of one system becomes food for another. Everything can be designed to be disassembled and safely returned to the soil as biological nutrients, or re-utilized as high quality materials for new products as technical nutrients without contamination. Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things
The Butterfly Diagram, Circular Economy
The circular economy system, known as the butterfly diagram, illustrates the continuous flow of materials. There are two main cycles – the technical cycle and the biological cycle.The circular economy system, known as the butterfly diagram, illustrates the continuous flow of materials. There are two main cycles – the technical cycle and the biological cycle.
Blockchain
Blockchain, the digital record-keeping technology.
Material Futures
Material Futures has the power to change the environmental crisis and consumerism. From fabrics that generate power, self-heal, transform, are genetically engineered, have limited life spans, create pollution-free habitats, are augmented and track data. The materials of tomorrow will be smarter, stronger, more dynamic and less ecologically damaging. Material Futures has the power to change the environmental crisis and consumerism. From fabrics that generate power, self-heal, transform, are genetically engineered, have limited life spans, create pollution-free habitats, are augmented and track data. The materials of tomorrow will be smarter, stronger, more dynamic and less ecologically damaging.
Community
Community has the power to change anything, especially the environment and social justice because people and beliefs have enormous weight, impact and influence especially when it comes to change.
Business For Good
Patagonia Case Study
We’re in business to save our home planet. Founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973, Patagonia is a certified B Corporation based in California. A founding member of 1% for the Planet, the company is recognized internationally for its product quality and environmental activism.
