I have been running seminars and workshops at #RennesSchoolofBusiness this semester to students studying for an MSc in International Luxury and Brand Management. My courses are entitled Sustainable Design and Brand Identity in the Luxury Industry and as such I spend many hours dedicated to the different specialisms in design like brand and Corporate Identity, Communications, Packaging Design, Interior Design and Architecture, Product Design and Sensory Design and make them relevant to sustainability and in particular circularity.

I prefer to put students in the position of a designer in certain classes to understand how a designer thinks, or practices their work.

This year, I developed a new tool to analyse packaging from a position of Circular Design. It uses the 7Rs (you will find more information on the full exercise here).

And the exercise itself here…

DESIGNING WITH EMPATHY

Having worked for over 25 years as a  part-time lecturer, tutoring and delivering workshops and seminars at l’Ecole de Design Nantes Atlantique, Rennes Business School, and Audencia, amongst others, I have worked on many themes about the way we lived yesterday and the way we live today and the tools designers can employ to have empathy with others.

To do this, we need to understand the whole user experience whether that be in Food Design, Brand Design, Packaging Design, Audio/Visual Design, Inclusive Design, Trans-generational Design, UX or Cultural Design and of course sustainability, circular design and ethics feature prominently in each schools’ teaching strategies right now.

SUGAR. NO SUGAR.

I spent a really enjoyable 10 days, jointly running a short project at l’Ecole de Design Nantes Atlantique’s Master Food Lab, working around all of the different facets of sugar – its history, its politics, health, and enjoyment of sugar, in all its states.

Why the theme of sugar? Well Nantes is known for it’s history in the slave trade. This is where the triangular commerce bought sugar and molasses from Africa and other regions in the world and made Nantes famous for sugary gourmandise. We have a very famous biscuit brand based in Nantes called Lu, as well as the famous Berlingots.

Health issues are also a big focus of our Masters Food Design Lab, and sugar is one of those subjects that comes to the surface a lot. The students also are aware of their vending machines in school being full of sugary snacks.

You can find out more about the specialist Options I worked on with the International Classes focusing on Brand Design and Retail Interior Design at l’école de Design in this video (above).

You can find out more here on my LinkedIn Profile about all of my experience in the educational field, or just read enjoy through this blog.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch on 0667452888 or by mail on creativiteconsultants@orange.fr for more information on the courses I can offer your school, educational establishment or business. 

Feel free to download this free pdf about Sustainable Design and Pedagogy, based on a Programme I took part in between Aalto University’s School of Arts, Design and Architecture, L’École de design Nantes Atlantique and the department of Design of Politecnico di Milano.