Sustainable Innovation Design – MA

This module upskills practising design professionals in the field of Design for Sustainability (DfS), Circular Economy, and Regenerative Design. It develops participants’ understanding of the complexities and opportunities within these areas while providing practical tools for application across their design practice and programme modules.

By the end of the module, participants will:

• Apply DfS principles in practice
• Use Life Cycle Thinking to inform design decisions
• Demonstrate knowledge, skills, and competencies to address DfS and Circular Economy challenges
• Be prepared to pursue further research and development in sustainable and regenerative design practices

This module equips students with advanced knowledge and practical skills in ethnographic research methods applied to design. Students learn to investigate, interpret, and integrate cultural, social, and behavioural insights into the design process, fostering user-centred and innovative outcomes.

The module emphasises social transformation, stakeholder engagement, and the value of diverse perspectives in shaping sustainable and resilient futures. Learners are encouraged to move beyond traditional research approaches, adopting a holistic lens that accounts for social, environmental, and economic factors.

Grounded in design thinking principles—collaboration, empathy, and comfort with ambiguity—students develop the capacity to navigate complex social contexts and uncover insights that reflect community needs. Ethnographic methods are applied directly to inform solutions in the Design for Change module and across the programme, embedding research as a core driver of responsible and impactful design practice.

This module centres on human-centred and holistic design practices to create impactful solutions for real-world social and economic challenges. Students are encouraged to see themselves as conscious designers, applying creativity, empathy, and sustainable practice to drive meaningful change.

Learners will critically examine the what, how, and why of design, fostering innovation through reflective and ethical approaches. By the end of the first semester, each student will produce a Process Journal that synthesises learning across all three modules, integrating personal frameworks, research, and sustainable design practices. This journal becomes a foundation for developing a cohesive, interdisciplinary approach to analysing challenges and delivering innovative, responsible solutions.

This module enables students to address real-world sustainability challenges through partnerships with local businesses, TUS research centres, public sector bodies, non-profits, or design organisations. Working collaboratively, students apply their design expertise to create innovative, impactful solutions that meet identified industry or community needs.

The module develops advanced collaborative, communication, analytical, and critical thinking skills, while exposing students to professional practice. In consultation with their supervisor, students select partnerships that align with Ireland’s current and future design priorities—societal, cultural, and economic—ensuring that outcomes are both relevant and forward-looking.

This module develops advanced problem-solving skills by combining cognitive navigation with process modelling to support analysis, innovation, and decision-making in interdisciplinary contexts. Students will explore mental model development, prototyping methodologies, and process frameworks, applying them to real-world design challenges.

Core frameworks include Thinking in Systems (Meadows, 2008), Business Model Generation (Osterwalder & Pigneur, 2010), Service Design & Customer Journey Mapping (Stickdorn et al., 2018), Foresight Strategies & Scenario Planning (Schoemaker, 1995), and epistemic heuristics such as the Four Ps of Knowing (Vervaeke, 2022).

Through heuristic reasoning and critical reflection, students will learn to navigate ambiguity and balance creativity with structured implementation, ensuring relevance across design, innovation, and enterprise contexts.

The Major Final Project is the culmination of the programme, where students independently research, design, and deliver a substantial body of work. Building on prior learning, it integrates sustainable design principles, ethical frameworks, and interdisciplinary methods to address complex real-world challenges.

Students define a personally relevant area of enquiry, establish a clear design direction, and develop innovative solutions through iterative research, stakeholder engagement, and prototyping. Outcomes may include a product, service, system, or strategy that demonstrates originality, ethical integrity, and social and environmental responsibility.

The process is fully documented in a Final Process Journal, while the finished work is presented in a professional Final Report, evidencing advanced postgraduate design thinking and supporting progression into academic, professional, or entrepreneurial pathways.