Design for Social Impact.

Prof. Ian de Vere
RMIT University, Melbourne

Design for Social Impact realizes positive social change for communities and individuals. It is the role of designers to provide global communities with socially responsible, ethical, culturally appropriate and sustainable design solutions – in order to contribute to the betterment of society. Design can play a significant role as a ‘shaper’ of society, empowering communities through direct engagement and design innovation. Design for Social Impact is an important agenda for design education. Design graduates must be ethical and responsible, cognizant of the potential impact of their professional activities and need to understand their capability to make positive contributions to global communities. Ian de Vere introduces a community engagement model that enables students to realize effective design inventions in their local community – through an empathetic co-design process.

Prof. Ian de Vere is Associate Dean, Industrial Design at RMIT University Melbourne, Australia, and previously was Head of Design at Brunel University, London. He is an award-winning industrial designer with extensive industry experience in new product development and an experienced design educator who is keen to ensure designers contribute positively to global communities through a socially responsive approach.

The talk will be held in English language.