The document discusses the integration of ecodesign and sustainable design education in Welsh higher education, highlighting the significance of these subjects for innovation in the industry. It outlines key objectives, including mapping sustainability in design curricula, assessing work placements, and identifying best practices. The report emphasizes the importance of developing skilled graduates to address sustainability issues amidst growing public interest and employer demand.

1. Ecodesign and Sustainable
Design Education
in Wales
Where is our starting point?
Sponsored by Huw Lewis AM

2. Background
&
Context

3. Policy drivers
Higher Education Strategy promotes the STEM subjects for innovation
Welsh Innovation Strategy does recognise the importance of ecodesign and
eco-innovation for Welsh industry.
Design community defends that is incomplete picture and design should be included as
it is a bridging subject to achieve innovations in industry.
High priority to develop skilled technicians with understanding of innovation, whole product
and process lifecycles and skills to improve efficiency in terms of energy and resource
consumption.
Higher
Education
Strategy
Skills for
Wales
Innovation Design
Well-being for Future Generations (Wales) Bill

4. Sustainability and Ecodesign in HE
Universities
are autonomous
entities, free to
independently determine
strategies, direction, curricula,
skills, partnerships, work
placements.
Report states:
• Public interest in and global concern for
Sustainability - related issues
• Increasing demand from employers for
graduates with skills to address
sustainability issues
• Students seeking to develop their
sustainability skillset
Framework for
Sustainable
Development in
HE
UK
Welsh context
Welsh
Government
Higher
Education
Skills for
Wales
Innovation Design
Universities

5. EDC
Research

6. Research Aim
Aim
Review the integration of sustainability and ecodesign in design higher education in
Wales.
Key objectives
1. Map the integration of sustainability and ecodesign in design curricula in higher
education in Wales and the UK
2. Identify the current approach to work placement and student exchange programs in
Wales.
3. Benchmark international best practice for sustainability and ecodesign higher
education including curricula, work placement programs, student exchange
programs and governmental design policy.
4. Identify recommendations for improvements to design higher education in Wales

7. Research Scope
These six course types are chosen because they are:
1. The most prevalent design courses (thus offering substantial opportunity to integrate
sustainability and ecodesign in design education in Wales)
2. Perceived as those courses with most activity to-date in terms of sustainability and
ecodesign education.

8. Welsh
Findings

9. 2014 - Mapping Wales
Courses with
‘sustainability’ and
‘ecodesign’ in the
programme
+
Cardiff Metropolitan University
University of Wales Trinity Saint David
(Swansea campus)
Glyndwr University
Swansea University
Bangor University
13Welsh
Universities

10. 2014 - Welsh design courses
University of Wales Trinity
Saint David (Swansea campus)
BA Product Design with Marketing
University of Wales Trinity Saint
David (Swansea campus)
BA Glass with PD
BA PD with Computer
Visualisation
BA PD with Enterprise
BA PD
BA PD with Digital Media
MSc Industrial Design
Cardiff Metropolitan University
BA Graphic Communication
University of Wales Trinity
Saint David (Swansea campus)
MA Product Design and Innovation
All 15 courses seems to have
modular approach towards
sustainability and ecodesign
Glyndwr University
BA Design: Applied Arts
Bangor University
BSc PD
Swansea University
BEng PD Engineering
MEng PD Engineering
Cardiff Metropolitan University
BA Product Design
MSc Advanced PD

11. 2015 - Mapping Wales
Courses with
‘sustainability’ and
‘ecodesign’ in the
programme
+13Welsh
Universities
Cardiff Metropolitan University
University of Wales Trinity St David
(Swansea campus and Carmarthen campus)
Glyndwr University
Swansea University
Bangor University

12. BA/BSc/BEng Product Design

13. • Use of one method: desk-based research
• Data collection:
– data gaps due to a lack of information on university websites and within
prospectuses (e.g. module content).
– lack of alignment between the stated aim of some courses and its set
curricula
– one source of data (i.e. website and prospectuses) meaning only that
conclusions where collected form one perspective, the Universities
perspective.
• Validation:
– Barriers to validate information collected with the welsh design educators
Limitations of the research

14. Thank you!