CURRENT

Engaging C-Suite leaders about future possibilities. Working with graduate students to help shape their strategic design and futures thinking skills. Collaborating with colleagues to author new frameworks. Whatever is most interesting will be found on this page, in-process and unfinished.

One of the more significant trends currently being explored in my research, with PhD-level and post-graduate students, is the advancement of human-centred design—specifically, studying how its principles can be leveraged as the basis for a more broad-reaching, inclusive, societally scaled, and sustainable practice of life-centred thinking. Taking a multi-pronged approach, we explore the topic with a triple/quadruple helix model perspective in mind that suggests a learning approach is needed to engage in cross-sector partnerships. This new approach is captured in a Letter from Academia, entitled “New Approaches for Sustainable Growth…“.

Expanding on the broader topic of catalysing sustainability and the need for transdisciplinary pathways toward sustainable transitions, a whole Volume Special Journal issue has been dedicated to stimulating conversations around ‘shared value creation’, corporate-social responsibilities, strategic design and innovation considerations. This is in response to concerns that intersect with energy, raw materials, material durability, logistics, supply chains, workforce, consumer behaviour, regulation, finance, and ESG financial reporting requirements. This journal issue on Earth Systems Governance exposes how the evidence and analysis suggest that prevailing innovation paradigms are insufficient to address the urgent challenges associated with climate breakdown and environmental degradation.

From a learner perspective and in my role as higher education subject leader, I can provide a link to the extensive library of Master of Design (MDes) Capstone Theses here.

From the perspectives of design management leaders, this Journal’s Special Issue—editorial—takes a closer look at bridging strategy from business economics and design science. The journal volume issue includes papers from academia and professionals we received through our Call and the results of a complementary survey conducted by myself with Chief Design Officers. Our editorial foreword uses a framework for a synthesis, linking strategy in design science and strategy in business science.

This Book chapter takes the position that Design is in a unique position to advance change across multiple levels of society, business, and education.

The brief that follows it provided inspiration for thoughtful student projects, summarised in three video examples below.