Abstract:

In higher education, the importance of sustainability takes on greater significance in various initiatives with far-reaching and multifaceted objectives in environmental, social, and economic areas. This paper presents a case study on an impact initiative developed by students at the School of Design (ESD) of the Polytechnic of Cávado and Ave (IPCA) in Barcelos in northern Portugal.
This ongoing project aims to encourage students to develop their learning in the field of design at a higher education institution that integrates sustainability into all its strategic areas, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (IPCA, 2022). The students’ contribution to more sustainable environmental responsibility and a greater focus on the economy of available resources is the challenge posed by this project, through a pedagogical and interdisciplinary practices, that seek to implement positive changes in environmental sustainability through design communication.
The design methodology applied to develop this project incorporates the Double Diamond model, consisting of four stages that lead to the results developed by the students. The first stage involved presenting and discussing the central themes of the issue based on scenarios and data from surveys containing key questions assessing the actions of the community in Barcelos. This took place in a space designed for divergent discussion. The second phase involved participants selecting the issues identified as most relevant to be addressed and the possible strategies to be implemented. The third stage involved generating various concepts through drawing and project design to define the path to achieving solutions. The final stage involved selecting the best ideas from the previous stage in order to finalise potential graphic or product designs that would improve the community's daily environmental sustainability practices.
A design practice capable of communicating and enabling positive changes is urgent, and it is essential that students learn how to develop and achieve outcomes to share and propose to the community. The pedagogical component should deepen their knowledge of the subject, equipping them to apply this knowledge in line with the principles of sustainable development in their future work as designers.

Acknowledgement:
This work was supported by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P. by project reference UID/04057: Research Institute for Design, Media and Culture.

Keywords:

Environmental Sustainability, Innovative Design Pedagogy, Creative Design Process.