Design Thinking and Green Skills for Common Futures
The course “Design Thinking and Green Skills for Common Futures” provides an interdisciplinary framework for exploring how design thinking and sustainability intersect to address pressing social and environmental challenges. It equips participants with practical tools to design solutions that are human-centered, climate-conscious, and socially inclusive, while also reflecting the aesthetic and cultural values emphasized by the New European Bauhaus.
The scope of the course spans five thematic modules and a final applied project, integrating theory with practice. Participants will engage with key policy frameworks such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the European Green Deal, while also learning methodologies for creative ideation, prototyping, and community-based innovation.
Combining asynchronous materials (video lectures, readings, interactive exercises) with synchronous sessions (peer discussions, collaborative reflections), the course promotes both individual learning and collective exchange. The final project challenges participants to design a scalable initiative that demonstrates social and environmental impact within their local context.
Targeting university students, early-career professionals, and youth leaders from diverse fields, the course ultimately aims to foster the next generation of changemakers capable of shaping resilient, sustainable, and inclusive futures.
Learning Objectives
- Upon completing the course, participants will acquire the following competences, aligned with the values and principles of the New European Bauhaus (NEB): sustainability, inclusion, and aesthetics.
- New European Bauhaus Literacy Understand the NEB’s four guiding principles—reconnecting with nature, fostering belonging, prioritising the most vulnerable, and advancing circularity—and apply them in community and design contexts.
- Human-Centered and Participatory Design Thinking Employ empathy-driven, inclusive, and creative problem-solving techniques consistent with the NEB’s people-focused ethos.
- Green and Circular Skills Develop awareness of climate change and environmental challenges, and acquire practical skills to contribute to regenerative design and circular ecosystems.
- Place-Based and Cultural Sensitivity Integrate local cultural identities, heritage, and rootedness into sustainable and inclusive design processes.
- Collaborative and Transdisciplinary Thinking Build the capacity to co-create across disciplines and sectors, fostering collective intelligence and community-driven innovation.
- Creative Communication and Storytelling Communicate sustainable and aesthetic ideas effectively through visual, verbal, and spatial channels.
- Initiative Development Transform theoretical learning into practical, socially relevant, and environmentally conscious initiative proposals.
Effort
1-2 hours per week, 6 weeks (self-paced)
Format
Online, self-paced learning through pre-recorded video lectures and interviews, complemented by downloadable resources.
For whom?
The course is designed for a diverse audience of learners and practitioners who wish to integrate sustainability, design thinking, and social innovation into their professional and community contexts. It is particularly relevant for:
- University students and early-career professionals from all disciplines interested in sustainability, design, and creative problem-solving.
- Youth leaders and community organizers seeking tools to develop impactful local initiatives. Professionals in construction, architecture, and urban planning aiming to align their practice with circular, aesthetic, and inclusive approaches.
- Policy makers and civic innovators working on sustainability, climate action, and cultural transformation.
- Entrepreneurs, NGOs, and social enterprises focused on green skills, regenerative economies, and community resilience.
- Open to participants from diverse cultural, disciplinary, and geographic backgrounds, the course welcomes anyone motivated to engage with the New European Bauhaus movement, the European Green Deal, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Provider
Prerequisites
None
Hub
South
Topic
Design Thinking, Green Skills, NEB Literacy, Circular and Sustainable, Prototyping, Digital Skills, Sustainable, Social Impact.
| Name | Version | Size | Downloads | Modified | ||
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Module 1 – Introduction: Common Futures & New European Bauhaus new | 12.32 MB | 0 | 10 hrs ago | Download | |
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Module 2 -Human-Centered& Participatory Design Thinking new | 18.89 MB | 0 | 10 hrs ago | Download | |
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Module 3 – Green & Circular Skills new | 5.4 MB | 0 | 10 hrs ago | Download | |
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Module 4 Module 4 – Place- Based & Cultural Sensitivity new | 3.75 MB | 0 | 10 hrs ago | Download | |
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Module 5 – From Ideas to Action: Prototyping & Communication new | 4.33 MB | 0 | 10 hrs ago | Download | |
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Final Homework Project Guide new | 421.86 KB | 0 | 10 hrs ago | Download |