Sustainable Thinking by Design Researchers

摘要

In this issue of The Design Journal are six original articles, two exciting PhD reports and an important book review. It is an open issue which means it has a range of design subjects, often with no unifying lens upon which to rest. Here, however, there is a soft flow through the idea of sustainable thinking across each piece of work, with its presence being more energetic in some design research studies than others. With contributions from Australasia, Asia and Europe about architecture, entrepreneurship, digital cultural heritage, diversification, Indigenous craft, interactive textiles, and sustainable design, there is a stimulating dialogue on offer. We open with an article by Carolina Short from the University of Waikato in New Zealand who writes about 'The Ulm School of Design discourse: a foundation for Sustainable Design'. In this article, the relevance of the mid-20th Century Ulm discourse with its values of social equity, resource optimization, and respect for planet earth are discussed as pillars for 21st Century Sustainable Design practices. The HfG Ulm experience is offered as a translation from history to modern day affairs with a contribution to creating frameworks that will allow better design, where design is a responsible interdisciplinary practice. With its weaving of seminal works from design historians, theoreticians and early career researchers, this article offers an appreciation of a concept of design which is innately sustainable with a concern for social consciousness, social justice and innovation.