New Product Paradigms

This 3 credit elective course asks: How does industrial design change in light of the global ecological crisis? Where are the new opportunities, and how do we push the boundaries of what has traditionally been expected of industrial designers? Students will explore a full spectrum of design strategies aimed at enabling a sustainable future. Project work ranges from exploring incremental improvements that are measurable by Life Cycle Assessment, as is currently practiced in industry, to systemic approaches that re-envision how to balance human well-being and planetary needs.

This was a dream course to teach! It was a small group of 9 students who all brought a high level of engagement, curiosity and design interests to class each week. The readings I assigned lead to very rich dialogue, sometimes taking place outside in the Wellness Oasis surrounded by gardens, big sky and mountain views. We organized two hands on workshops that supported the topics covered. One was an Unmaking Workshop led my Emily Carr MDes alumni Theunis Snyman. The other was a mending workshop led by the fabulous soft shop technicians. We also welcomed Louise St. Pierre as a guest to discuss and teach Life Cycle Assessment, and Christian Register, a senior soft goods designer interested in zero waste design and material innovations.