Sustainable Impact

The course consists of eight modules of 1/2 to 2 weeks each. In the different modules, students will learn about sustainability from the perspectives of People, Planet en Prosperity. They will develop an understanding of the complexity and interrelatedness of product materials, energy use, user behavior, end of life, business models, and the environmental and social impacts arising from them all. They will also learn how to improve these impacts and translate them into practical priorities for their own design projects using systems thinking. A range of methods for assessing impacts and generating creative solutions will be introduced. These will include UN sustainable development goals, life cycle assessment (LCA), design for behavior change strategies, material choice and recovery strategies, and sustainable business models such as Product Service Systems.

The content of this course is relevant for students because environmental and social considerations are increasingly crucial for all human endeavors, especially manufacturing, design, and business.