Explorative modes of design and sustainable development

Project leads:

• University of Warwick: Associate Professor Adela Glyn-Davies from the School for Cross-Faculty Studies (Design Studies)
• Monash University: Dr Ilya Fridman from the Department of Design

This seed project leverages the continental European footprints of both universities in Venice and Prato, Italy. The goal is to co-develop a joint module — and potentially a summer programme — within Northern Italy’s dynamic design triangle: Venice, Prato, and Florence. This region, renowned for industrial innovation and artistic and cultural heritage, provides an ideal setting for rethinking sustainable design practices through place-based, interdisciplinary education.

The project will adopt a practice-led approach, beginning with a scoping visit to engage local academic and industry partners in textiles, glassmaking, and civic design. Insights from this visit will inform curriculum development and live briefs for experiential learning. From this, a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) will connect students from both institutions in a virtual co-design studio. This prototype module will integrate cross-cultural collaboration, sustainability challenges, and real-world industry engagement, creating a framework for future joint delivery and scalable international programmes.

Benefit to Teaching and Students

This initiative represents an important step in innovating design education, opening up global opportunities for students. For educators, it offers a platform to experiment with transnational, practice-led pedagogy and collaborative curriculum design. For students, the benefits are potentially transformative:

• Immersive, real-world learning in culturally rich contexts.
• Cross-cultural collaboration that builds global design literacy.
• Exposure to heritage industries and sustainability challenges, linking theory to practice.

By blending in-person fieldwork with virtual collaboration, the project moves beyond traditional studio-based teaching to create inclusive, future-ready learning experiences. Students will gain critical skills in design thinking, intercultural teamwork, and sustainability, preparing them for careers in a globalized design industry. Ultimately, this project establishes a blueprint for international design education that is context-driven, collaborative, and commercially viable.