Design Theory Week
Join the 11th SIG Tutorial on Design Theory 2027
We are pleased to announce that the 11th SIG Tutorial on Design Theory will take place from 04 - 05 February 2027, in Paris, France.
Events
Find the Conference, workshop, talk or research school that is just the right fit for you. Find colleagues with shared research interests and invest in yourself.
W6 - Two Decades of Sustainable Design: Where are We Heading and How do We Get There?
Hotel Croatia, Cavtat
The objective of this workshop is to examine how current research efforts are addressing contemporary challenges in advancing Design for Sustainability (DfS) in industry and society. The workshop takes as its point of departure the DfS evolutionary framework proposed by Ceschin et al. (2016), marking its ten-year anniversary and using it as a lens to reflect on how the DfS landscape has evolved, how sustainability challenges are currently being addressed, and how future research directions might unfold over the next decade.
DESIGN 2026 - Workshop 6
Two Decades of Sustainable Design: Where are We Heading and How do We Get There?
Location: Hotel Croatia, Cavtat, Croatia (Room TBC)
Dates: 18 May 2026 (Time TBC)
Chairs: Sophie I. Hallstedt, Els du Bois, Giliam Dokter, Alessio Franconi and Nazli Terzioglu
Organised by: Sustainable Design SIG
Workshop Description
The objective of this workshop is to examine how current research efforts are addressing contemporary challenges in advancing Design for Sustainability (DfS) in industry and society. The workshop takes as its point of departure the DfS evolutionary framework proposed by Ceschin et al. (2016), marking its ten-year anniversary and using it as a lens to reflect on how the DfS landscape has evolved, how sustainability challenges are currently being addressed, and how future research directions might unfold over the next decade.
The workshop brings together scholars working in the field of DfS, as well as participants with a broader interest in design and sustainability. Through a sequence of reflective and collaborative activities, participants will critically position their own research trajectories within the DfS evolutionary framework, examine how recent research contributions respond to sustainability challenges across different levels, and collaboratively construct future-oriented narratives and actions.
The workshop consists of the following activities:
- Reflecting on research trajectories: Participants will individually reflect on and discuss in small groups how their own research relates to sustainability and how their focus has evolved over time, using the DfS evolutionary framework to structure the discussion.
- Mapping current research contributions: Groups will analyse selected DfS-related abstracts submitted to DESIGN 2026, examining how these contributions are positioned within the DfS evolutionary framework and how they address sustainability challenges across different system levels.
- Building future narratives: Each group will select a key DfS challenge and develop a future narrative outlining how research could contribute to overcoming this challenge between now and 2036.
- Commitment to action: Participants will identify and write down one or two concrete near-term actions that they commit to pursuing in the six months following the conference. These commitments will be followed up by the conference chairs.
By combining reflection on past developments, critical analysis of current research, and the co-creation of future-oriented narratives and actions, the workshop aims to strengthen the connection between DfS research and societal impact.
Key Outcomes
- A deepened understanding of how participant’s research relates to the evolving DfS landscape, along with actionable ideas for how their work can contribute to addressing current sustainability challenges.
- A research roadmap for Design for Sustainability SIG and a summary report documenting workshop outcomes, including insights gained from the follow-up with participants six months after the conference
