Sustainable Design

The MA Sustainable Design at Brighton is a solution-focused course, for a post-awareness-raising era of change, redirection and activism through design.

Sustainable design is maturing. This coming of age relocates design at the forefront of the search for solutions to economic, social and behavioural dimensions of sustainability, in addition to the already-established focus on energy and materials. The MA Sustainable Design embraces the opportunities arising through emerging practices, whilst stepping forward to pioneer new and provocative means through which sustainability may be more fully achieved.

The MA Sustainable Design at Brighton adopts a distinctive position in the sustainable design debate, both nationally and internationally. In addition to delivering a broad and comprehensive foundation of sustainable design principles, models and theories, the programme engages directly with artists, designers and architects need for creative sustenance, meaning and authorship; acknowledging the impact such contributions make to a healthy and productive culture of sustainability. It also recognizes and nurtures the value that communication, commentary and expression have to the adoption of sustainability concerns to invigorate the culture of essential critique that affords design with the properties of social, economic and environmental change.

If sustainable design is to grow and develop over the coming decades, it is essential that we foster new and sustainable cultures of creative practice, which place an emphasis on new interpretations of familiar design contexts, enabled by the visioning capabilities of the sustainable design entrepreneur – a more expansive understanding of sustainable design (the discipline), sustainable designs (the stuff) and sustainable designing (doing it) is needed, if progress is to be made; leading to new understandings of sustainability – and unsustainability – in this context, and in response, develop tools, methods, frameworks and creative propositions for sustainable change.

Requirements

Typical entry requirements
individual offers may vary

For non-native speakers of English:
IELTS 6.0 overall, 6.0 in writing (or equivalent qualification).

Other:
There is no formal deadline for receipt of applications, and applications may be made at any time. At the point of admission, students are expected to have clear reasoning behind their choice to undertake this programme, nominal understanding of the context of sustainable design underpinned by a desire and determination to know more. Direct access to semester 3 of the programme will be considered only where applicants have accrued appropriate number of credits at either M-Level or postgraduate study in a relevant subject. Applicants must demonstrate - through their personal statement within the application form, and where appropriate, at interview - a clear motivation to engage with issues of sustainability and design through demonstrating: - an ability to articulate individual perceptions and understandings of sustainable design - an ability to positively engage in critical discussion regarding their work and its broader implications in relation to sustainability - to present a body of work that demonstrates experience and competency within the design processes - an ambition to critically appraise and develop their practice within the context of sustainability.

Degree and/or experience:
Normally a degree in a design subject (for example, Product, Industrial, Furniture and 3D Design, Fashion Design and Textiles Design, Three Dimensional Craft, Graphic Design and Illustration, Interior and Spatial or Architectural Design) or equivalent experience in design practice.

Mode of Attendance : Full - time