Embedding regenerative design in design education: a framework for interdisciplinary collaboration and climate conscious innovation

Ryan, Karen, Fallouh, Suzanne and Wilmot, Katie (2025) Embedding regenerative design in design education: a framework for interdisciplinary collaboration and climate conscious innovation. Sustainable Innovation 2025: Sustainable Innovation in Products, Services and Business Models Past, Present and Future, University for the Creative Arts (UCA), Epsom, Surrey, United Kingdom. 30 - 31 Oct 2025. pp. 48-62 .

Abstract

The built environment and fashion industries significantly contribute to resource consumption, energy use, and emissions, yet hold potential to drive positive change. Regenerative design shifts focus from minimising harm to creating benefits for human and natural systems. Preparing graduates for these challenges requires embedding regenerative competencies in education. This study asks: How can regenerative design be embedded in design education through an interdisciplinary framework that prepares students for climate-conscious practice? We present a regenerative design framework integrating narrative, experiential learning, co-design, and systems thinking, co-developed through an Interdisciplinary Design Practice Framework and Mindset (Fallouh,2011). Piloted in the REGEN workshop, it united Architecture, Interior Architecture, Fashion, and Marketing students to explore lifecycles, circularity, and materials, using case study strategy and ethnographic, autoethnographic, and questionnaire methods. This framework offers are plicable, adaptable resource for educators seeking to embed regenerative design and systems thinking into their programmes, encouraging a shift from siloed teaching toward collaborative, embodied, and ecologically attuned learning. Findings highlight both its potential and the challenges of sustaining meaningful change.

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Contributors

Author: Karen Ryan

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