Presentation by Mike Woods for the Ecodesign centre event 17th April 2015 Envisioning sustainable design and ecodesign in Welsh universities

1. Hello,
Mike Woods
Award Leader 3D Design - Product Designer
Plymouth University

2. Creative modular approaches to sustainable
design
Mike Woods
Award Leader 3D Design - Product Designer
Plymouth University

3. Creative modular approaches to sustainable
design
Some background & context
• Programme revalidation gave us opportunities to review course content,
structure and documentation
• We embedded sustainability elements within our modules across both our
BA and MA programmes
• Trans-disciplinary module introduced

5. Creative modular approaches to sustainable
design
Trans-disciplinary experiences
• Each year our trans-disciplinary module enables (forces) us to connect with
other sustainability experts from faculties across the university
• We have worked with provocateurs from Dentistry, Marine Sports, Robotics,
Digital Arts, the Business School, as well as Health and Social Care
• The most successful connections have brought student cohorts together
with lecturing staff and researchers to work collaboratively

7. Creative modular approaches to sustainable
design
Trans-disciplinary collaboration with Nursing and Midwifery
The NHS faces some big challenges around material waste. Re-thinking
current practice, looking for both replacement materials and alternative ways
of doing things are crucial to maintaining effective patient care and service
delivery.
Working trans-disciplinarily is enabling us to address complex issues:
• Service resilience - resource dependency and depletion
• Quality of service provision - patient and staff experiences
• Cost - resource supply, cost of waste (waste costs NHS £71.2m annually)
• Operator attitudes - awareness and behaviour change

8. Creative modular approaches to sustainable
design
Trans-disciplinary collaboration with Nursing and Midwifery
Processes

12. Creative modular approaches to sustainable
design
Trans-disciplinary collaboration with Nursing and Midwifery
Outcomes

16. Creative modular approaches to sustainable
design
Observations
• Different disciplines speak different languages, it’s important to identify,
value and exploit complementary knowledge, skills and processes

17. Creative modular approaches to sustainable
design
Observations
• Different disciplines speak different languages, it’s important to identify,
value and exploit complementary knowledge, skills and processes
• There can be many logistical barriers to trans-disciplinary engagement in a
large HE institution, but “sustainability” seems to be a theme that brings
people together

18. Creative modular approaches to sustainable
design
Observations
• Different disciplines speak different languages, it’s important to identify,
value and exploit complementary knowledge, skills and processes
• There can be many logistical barriers to trans-disciplinary engagement in a
large HE institution, but “sustainability” seems to be a theme that brings
people together
• Working trans-disciplinarily can be challenging, but when it works well it’s a
lot of fun (& it gets you noticed)

19. Thank you,
Mike Woods
Award Leader 3D Design - Product Designer
Plymouth University