What are the social, cultural and environmental ramifications of our design decisions, and how can we mitigate or leapfrog them through our ideas? What is the role of design in the current ecological crisis? Students use their skills as designers to develop creative solutions to technical challenges in moving our industry and our society towards sustainability. More specifically students will review the ecological crisis and how fashion/textiles contribute to this crisis. Emerging interdisciplinary eco philosophies and methodologies will be reviewed, and students will be encouraged to develop their own eco design strategies. The content of the lectures will be explored through a series of lectures and tools coupled with class exercises, in which students will have the opportunity to test these methodologies and tools for themselves. Eco communication strategies and practicing eco design will also be covered through the lectures. Class time is structured around class exercises and lectures with a studio project as a final. Relevant field trips guest speakers and videos are integrated throughout the semester. A reader is provided. By the end of the course, students will have built their own source guide covering research and design methodologies, resources. organizations, and companies which can be referenced when practicing eco design, and participated in a collaborative studio project giving form to new ideas which emerged from the class.

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