Designing for Sustainability: Emerging Professional Roles and Capabilities for Designers in the 21st Century

Kessler, C; Rieger, J

Designing for Sustainability: Emerging Professional Roles and Capabilities for Designers in the 21st Century

Kessler, C Rieger, J

Permalink

Publisher:: WILEY
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: International Journal of Art and Design Education, 2025
Issue Date:: 2025-01-01

Open Access

Copyright Clearance Process

Recently Added
In Progress
Open Access

This item is open access.

Adobe PDF

Download Published versionAdobe PDF (1.26 MB)

View on publisher's site

View statistics

Full metadata record

Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Kessler, C
dc.contributor.author	Rieger, J https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6300-8179
dc.date.accessioned	2026-02-10T08:09:16Z
dc.date.available	2026-02-10T08:09:16Z
dc.date.issued	2025-01-01
dc.identifier.citation	International Journal of Art and Design Education, 2025
dc.identifier.issn	1476-8062
dc.identifier.issn	1476-8070
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/193243
dc.description.abstract	Design Practice is shifting towards transdisciplinary, collaborative and problem-based approaches in response to complex challenges of a changing world including societal issues and the climate crisis. However, the nature of emerging roles for designers aiming to contribute to sustainability transitions, and the capabilities that empower designers to act in these roles, remains uncertain. This research draws from 26 in-depth, career-focused interviews with graduate designers from four higher education sustainability-focused design programs across four continents. Using grounded theory as a methodology, it identifies emerging sustainability-focused professional design roles and their corresponding design capabilities. This paper integrates findings with existing research on design roles, agencies, actions and tools relevant to sustainability transitions, examining their implications from a higher education perspective. It explores the potential for emerging design roles and capabilities to inform the development of higher education design programs. This study emphasises the need for design curricula to become responsive to the evolving scope of design practice, ensuring that graduates are equipped to drive change towards sustainable futures.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	WILEY
dc.relation.ispartof	International Journal of Art and Design Education
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1111/jade.12592
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	1203 Design Practice and Management, 1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy, 1905 Visual Arts and Crafts
dc.subject.classification	Education
dc.subject.classification	3901 Curriculum and pedagogy
dc.title	Designing for Sustainability: Emerging Professional Roles and Capabilities for Designers in the 21st Century
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.for	1203 Design Practice and Management
utslib.for	1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy
utslib.for	1905 Visual Arts and Crafts
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building/School of Architecture
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Design and Society
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Design and Society/School of Architecture
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.rights.license	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.date.updated	2026-02-10T08:09:12Z
pubs.publication-status	Published

Abstract:

Design Practice is shifting towards transdisciplinary, collaborative and problem-based approaches in response to complex challenges of a changing world including societal issues and the climate crisis. However, the nature of emerging roles for designers aiming to contribute to sustainability transitions, and the capabilities that empower designers to act in these roles, remains uncertain. This research draws from 26 in-depth, career-focused interviews with graduate designers from four higher education sustainability-focused design programs across four continents. Using grounded theory as a methodology, it identifies emerging sustainability-focused professional design roles and their corresponding design capabilities. This paper integrates findings with existing research on design roles, agencies, actions and tools relevant to sustainability transitions, examining their implications from a higher education perspective. It explores the potential for emerging design roles and capabilities to inform the development of higher education design programs. This study emphasises the need for design curricula to become responsive to the evolving scope of design practice, ensuring that graduates are equipped to drive change towards sustainable futures.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/193243