Designing for a Sustainable Future (FutureLearn)

Sustainability is one of the most pressing cultural, societal, and planetary challenges of our time.
On this course, you’ll hear from a range of passionate experts from the UK including presenter and founder of GROW George Lamb alongside Dominique Palmer (Climate justice activist), Dwayne Fields (Adventurer and Explorer), and Joycelyn Longdon (Founder of Climate in Colour).

Explore what technological innovation could mean for sustainability
You’ll begin by taking a deep dive into what’s happening in the sustainability sector in the UK today and what an equitable sustainable future could look like. You will reflect on what is needed for our world to be more sustainable and be introduced to existing sustainable technology solutions and the impact they’re having on the UK’s sustainability efforts.

Learn about design-thinking and get inspired by sustainable design
Designing today comes with a responsibility to think of the environmental and sustainable impact of your efforts now and in the future.
Throughout this course, you’ll also get to grips with the fundamentals of Design Thinking- a non-linear and iterative process used by many technology companies like Samsung to solve problems and create innovative solutions.
By the end of the course, you’ll feel inspired and confident in identifying, planning, and articulating your own sustainable technology designs–using empathetic design thinking to bring your ideas to life.

Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow
This course forms part of Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow programme, offering young people a chance to explore the role tech can play in solving some of society’s biggest issues.
Design the future. No qualifications needed.

Syllabus

Week 1: Explore the world of sustainability
Week 2: Ideation

Learning on this course
You can take this self-guided course and learn at your own pace. On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

• Reflect on how sustainability relates to you today.
• Compare and discuss the state of sustainability in the UK today.
• Identify and interpret opportunities and challenges when designing for a sustainable future.
• Explore the opportunities that technology can bring when designing for a sustainable future.
• Understand the fundamentals and importance of empathetic design thinking.
• Identify and ideate your own tangible actions and solutions in response to the proposition: Designing for a sustainable future.

Who is the course for?
This course would appeal to young people aged 16-25 from across the UK who are passionate innovators and are keen to drive positive change for themselves, their communities and the world.
If you’re curious about the possibilities of technology in solving pressing world issues, this course is for you. No formal education experience is required.