The role of Design in fostering Sustainable Innovation
Andre Nogueira
Institute of Design
André Nogueira is a Design PhD student at the IIT-Institute of Design (ID) with research interests in 'complex spaces of innovation', policymaking, urban regeneration, food systems, and sustainable solutions. Previously he worked on projects related to organization design, business development, sustainable initiatives, urban planning and design, and architecture. At ID, Andre is an adjunct faculty and teacher assistant for masters level, and an instructor for IIT's undergraduate IPRO program. As research assistant, Andre is collaborating with Patrick Whitney at Harvard University and Global Health Institute, and also with Dr. Carlos Teixeira and Dr. Weslynne Ashton on a grant-winning research for Designing Sustainable Solution at The Plant, in Chicago. As a student, Andre is co-chairing for SustainID and BarnRaise 2017. Before ID, André received a Master of Science’s degree in Urban Planning, Master’s degree in Geography, Cities and Architecture, and a dual major bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Urban Design, in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Abstract
The rising middle class is shaping new demands, changing the landscape, and blurring the boundaries of frames that appear to be sustained by eternal principles, paradoxical and timeless social activities that led the... [ view full abstract ]
The rising middle class is shaping new demands, changing the landscape, and blurring the boundaries of frames that appear to be sustained by eternal principles, paradoxical and timeless social activities that led the contemporary state. As new ways of interactions are suggesting novel forms of stability, individuals still struggle to position themselves in this new order. Due to the high demand for innovation, the current systems of production are constantly trying to adapt their offerings to the current systems of consumption, but are still searching for alternatives to improve the quality of life. This is the result of the existing linear system of production and consumption, which does not have the capability to consider the systemic level of interactions between the complex network in which humans are engaging and the environment in which action is taken. Therefore, novel systems of production and consumption need to consider and promote the intersection of different bodies of knowledge in order develop sustainable innovations.
As many fields have been working in isolation, including Design and Industrial Ecology, undesirable consequences happen frequently. However, if disciplines could combine their expertise in alignment with sustainable principles, sustainable solutions would emerge. While the design field has been struggling to understand and incorporate the complexities underlying sustainable innovation, knowledge development and new practices in design are happening too slow to address the fast paced emergence of sustainability concerns. On the other hand, Industrial Ecology has been developing frameworks and methods for measuring the impact of human decisions, but the adaptation of existing conditions to shape the desirable future is one of the major constraints of the field. Therefore, the intersection between Design and Industrial Ecology offers a great opportunity not only to explore ways of strategizing and implementing innovation processes, but also to expand the design practice into finding sustainable solutions that account for environmental impacts, facilitating large scale collaborations among the fields in complex spaces of innovation.
The proposed research aims to create a bridge between existing frameworks, tools and methods for the analysis of sustainability in production and consumption systems, and the design of sustainable solutions in complex spaces of innovation. The overarching goal is to reshape what we produce and consume and how, so that environmental and sustainability concerns are fundamental to product and complex systems design. In the first year, this collaborative research approach focus on the facility level at The Plant, which is an industrial building located in the south of Chicago that serves as an incubator for local food and beverage businesses. The project aims scaling up the findings from this case study to larger and more complex systems, such as a region or the food system, in later years.
Authors
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Andre Nogueira
(Institute of Design)
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Weslynne Ashton
(Illinois Institute of Technology)
Topic Areas
• Complexity, resilience and sustainability , • Decision support methods and tools , • Public policy and governance
Session
ThS-6 » Lightning Session 2: Science for Sustainable and Resilient Communities (08:30 - Thursday, 29th June, Room I)
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