eco-sensitivity

The ethics of tastemaking: towards responsible conspicuous consumption

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Discipline: 

Product & Industrial Design

The systemic nature of cultural production implies that designed objects are made desirable (or acceptable) by tastemakers who endow objects with forms of social distinction. Social distinction highlights or diffuses status and reveals self-perceptions of consumers’ identities. In this way, design becomes a form of tastemaking, invested in the construction of identity and is therefore a form of cultural production rooted in consumption. The role of the designer in facilitating conspicuous consumption is therefore critical in the context of social distinction, cohesion and identity.

The role of the industrial design educator in equipping design students to be ethical decision makers

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Product & Industrial Design

The role of the design educator is to mediate learning and equip students to effectively contribute to their specific field once they graduate. With an ever-increasing demand for the ethical consideration of the sustainability of products and the impact of the manufacture thereof, so too the role of the educator should compensate and prepare learners accordingly. This paper aims to investigate the social and environmental responsibilities of industrial design professionals by referring to the works of key authors as well as current industry practices.

Critical Design as critique of the design status quo

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Design Education Strategy

Contemporary design practice (and theory) is growing up. There is evidence to support the emergence of a new breed of designer who is able to reflect on her or his role in society, and to be critical of what they make and what the resultant consequences of that may be.

Design is often used as a vehicle to criticise and comment on issues, highlight problems and shortcomings in society, and present views and perspectives. This suggests that design is at a distance and impartial, but the truth is otherwise. Design is ideological and an expression of the values mediated by the designer and commissioned by others. This is the status quo: affirmative design. When design steps away from this position and critiques itself, critical design is the result.

Ideas for Integrating Sustainability into Graphic Design Pedagogy: American Case Studies

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Discipline: 

Graphic Design & Visual Art

This Article provides an initial overview of the professional graphic designers’ negative environmental impact and why their method of design for planned obsolescence must change. It argues thereafter that the American university graphic design curriculum should evolve to include an initial discussion of sustainability through a required studio design course on the topic.

How green is your wardrobe?

From the Grave to the Cradle: The Eco-Design Case for the Re-Evaluation of Hemp

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Fashion, Jewellery & Textile Design

This paper argues that the story of hemp is one of mistaken identity and focuses on the potential of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) in a social and economic context and how it can help to develop with modern technology into ‘new’ materials on a national level with reference to examples from abroad.

Developing products & services for the Base of the Pyramid (BoP)

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Discipline: 

Product & Industrial Design

Recent work is re-conceptualizing global poverty as an attractive growth opportunity for firms that can simultaneously alleviate the problem of poverty. The so-called ‘Base of the economic Pyramid (BoP)’, exists of 4 billion people that live on an income of less than $3 a day. Tapping into these overlooked markets will require companies and designers to reconfigure their business and product innovation models.

Giving Value to Waste

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Discipline: 

Product & Industrial Design

In order to achieve sustainability within the design industry, designers and educators working within changing value systems need to develop practical and contextualised solutions.

This paper examines ecological principles based on growing environmental awareness and the need to imbue responsibility towards our environment and relate appropriate technology.

DEFSA conferences

DEFSA promotes relevant research with the focus on design + education through its biennial conferences, to promote professionalism, accountability and ethics in the education of young designers. Our next conference is a hybrid event. See above for details.

Critical skills endorsement

Professional Members in good standing can receive a certificate of membership, but DEFSA cannot provide confirmation or endorsement of skills whatsoever. DEFSA only confirm membership of DEFSA which is a NPO for Design Education in South Africa (https://www.defsa.org.za/imagine).