presentation by mike woods, creative modular approaches to sustainable design

Hello,

Mike Woods

Award Leader 3D Design - Product Designer

Plymouth University

Creative modular approaches to sustainable

design

Mike Woods

Award Leader 3D Design - Product Designer

Plymouth University

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

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

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

Creative modular approaches to sustainable

design

Trans-disciplinary collaboration with Nursing and Midwifery

Processes

Creative modular approaches to sustainable

design

Trans-disciplinary collaboration with Nursing and Midwifery

Outcomes

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

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

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)

Thank you,

Mike Woods

Award Leader 3D Design - Product Designer

Plymouth University