Design for Social Innovation and Sustainable Futures

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University of the Arts London
UK
Provided by: ucas

Progression Summary

ma design for social innovation and sustainable futures has been established as a collaborative, creative and generative studio for designers interested in working with complex global issues. the course explores the future of design practice and its interdependence with eco-social concerns. whether you are a graphic designer, systems designer, animator, filmmaker or architect, no matter your educational or professional background, you are invited to investigate and question your discipline in relation to the global systems you inhabit. looking at the environment, materiality, empathy, ethics and justice within broad and dynamic socio-cultural, economic and political contexts, this is both a practical and thoughtful course with an emphasis on innovative practice, collective action, plurality and real-world change. the ma will culminate in a final ‘design in action’, creating demonstrable eco-social impact. what can you expect? you will work fast. you will work slow. you will think deeply. you will make quickly. you might fail periodically. you might play intensely. you should learn continuously. you will learn with and from your peers. you will cultivate your distinct voice and creative confidence. you will critique, deconstruct and re-define the innovation and sustainability canon. you will design for justice. you will delve deeply into research methodologies, prototyping and experimentation, diverse models of sustainable eco-social practice, systems design and speculative futures. through various forms of collaboration inside and outside the university, you will learn to connect with stakeholders, frame your inquiry and re-imagine the present for more sustainable futures. you will be exposed to different theories in social innovation and sustainable practice. you will be invited to critique these and build your own knowledge. you’ll be given opportunities to participate in a diverse range of experiences including workshops, presentations, exhibitions, symposia, knowledge exchange and skills sharing. the course has been designed to be designed. all students involved will be shape-shifting this course through their own critical and practical work. the design school at london college of communication believes in ‘design as the site of action and agency to radically transform our world’. this course will be putting thinking into practice, giving you the chance to make real eco-social impact through a design in action final project. who is this course for? students who care about the world they inhabit. who make work with purpose and intent. enthusiastic, collaborative and responsive designers who want to concentrate their practice on working as agents of positive change. students curious about both the systemic power of design in shaping the future, and the limitations, ethics and critical dialogue around eco-social innovation practices. students with a creative background and with practical design experience. able to take initiative, try things out, take risks, disrupt, put their values into practice, and lead through uncertainty. students who want to work with people who are not the same as them. able to create productive ecosystems of collective action. able to cross boundaries of discipline, experience, identity and beliefs. mode of study ma design for social innovation and sustainable futures is in full time mode which runs for 45 weeks over 15 months. you will access learning through a blended model of online and offline experiences. you will be expected to commit 40 hours per week to study.

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Start Date

2026-09-01
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Tuition fees

154,336 .SAR

You must have one of the following qualifications:
ielts ukvi 6.5 (or equivalent) is required, with a minimum of 6.0 in speaking and reading, and 5.5 in writing and listening.

the ma design for social innovation and sustainable futures course welcomes applicants who are keen to explore design in terms of its human-centred and strategic approach, its collaborative potential, and as a leading force for driving meaningful and contextually relevant societal and ecological transformation. applicants may come from a range of design disciplines or related creative industry experiences with a 2:1 or above honours degree course, or have other equivalent qualifications. the course team also welcomes students with relevant technical/ practical background experience who have worked in creative industries and who show a commitment to design and experiential learning, being keen to explore their practice as a place of sustainable action and social transformation. the teaching team is looking for applicants who value critical thinking and socially and environmentally focused design, and are looking to question the relationship of design industry and the global systems it inhabits. educational level may be demonstrated by: honours degree at 2:1 or first-class possession of equivalent qualifications; prior experiential learning, the outcome of which can be demonstrated to be equivalent to formal qualifications otherwise required; or a combination of formal qualifications and experiential learning which, taken together, can be demonstrated to be equivalent to formal qualifications otherwise required.

Full-time