APPLYING DESIGN THINKING TO REGENERATION

This paper explores the results of a project with 2nd year product design students who were tasked with providing solutions for social issues in the urban environment. It shows how this brief has significance in helping students to understand design as a medium for developing ideas which benefit society. In design education it is important to introduce students to the idea that in many cases design has to serve a social function. It is also important to show students how their design skills can be applied in a non-traditional sense of product design. In the urban environment the consideration of social aspects is essential. Well designed urban environments and those rich in design quality, in terms of street furniture for example, can instil a sense of civic pride in the community and assist social cohesion. This is particularly important when considering the regeneration of the urban environment in order to achieve viable and sustainable outcomes for the community