Are you Designing for Planet?
In this Innovations in Practice session, leading HEIs will share how they are embedding the Design Council's Skills for Planet Blueprint and Learning Outcomes which have been co-designed for creative educators in HE to use as a template for course design, revalidation and mapping existing course provision.
''The Blueprint defines the critical green skills that all designers need and establishes a shared language across the design sector." Rachel Bronstein, Senior Skills Manager, Design Council.
Our sector has an outstanding record in delivering sustainable design courses, modelling sustainable practice in the studio and setting assignment briefs incorporating green design skills. This session will highlight existing good practice by showcasing how course designers, technicians and educators are accelerating the delivery of green skills programmes and embedding the six skills areas in applied practice. Attendees will be encouraged to access the green design skills self-assessment tools to map your course provision against the blueprint.
Presentations will be themed into the following areas:
Evaluating Green Impact
Regenerating Nature
Embedding Circularity
Eliminating Emissions
Empowering Green Communities
Influencing Green Behaviour
''Without course designers adopting the blueprint the green transition is unattainable.'' Sandra Booth, Director of Policy and External Relations, CHEAD.
This event is a knowledge sharing opportunity for Design Educators.
In one short session you will hear six different ways to deliver green skills within your own teaching practice.
Presentations will include:
De Montfort University
DMU School of Design Innovation - Transforming established practice: Programme-specific approaches to the School-wide embedding of the Skills for Planet.
Presenters: Stuart Lawson, Deputy Head, School of Design Innovation, De Montfort University and Carolyn Hardaker, Associate Head of Department, School of Fashion and Textiles, De Montfort University
Sheffield Hallam University
Future Now: Collaboration in Action, a project-based, multi-disciplinary module introduced in 2024/25 across seven courses. The module brings students together with peers, industry clients and academic staff to respond to live briefs aligned with sustainable development challenges, supporting the development of skills, knowledge, and work readiness.
Presenter: Sally Billau, Senior Lecturer in Interior Design, Sheffield Hallam University
University for the Creative Arts
Embedding Skills for Planet through Curriculum Re-Design: From Responsible Materials to Climate-Focused Industry Collaboration
This presentation explores how the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) is embedding the Design Council’s Skills for Planet Blueprint through a whole-institution curriculum re-design (2026).
It reflects on how UCA’s practices are being scaled through curriculum design and its new Creative Learning Framework to foster a green design mindset and support a fair, equitable transition to sustainable futures.
Presenters: Rebecca Court, Associate Dean, JJ Brophy, Programme Director, David Shaw, Programme Director, University for the Creative Arts
Event schedule to follow.
