Design skills and methods have been at the conceptual foundation of the design discipline(s) for at least the past half century. Over this period, design has also changed, focusing on new outcomes, serving new goals, and addressing different scales and broader application areas. On the one hand, there is a large set of methods and tools; on the other hand, there is growing visibility with ‘design thinking’ both giving design greater appeal and a shallower message. Currently many design schools struggle with adapting their curricula to meet the new demands for sustainability, diversity, and incorporating new technologies such as AI or Biodesign (designing as, with and for nature). Several academic initiatives have produced visions giving direction to those efforts. This paper reports the outcomes of a series of discussions by experienced educators, attempting to produce a specification of the goals and detailed objectives of design methods education. We share these outcomes not as a definitive prescription for the incorporation of methods within a design curriculum, but as a reference point for further development.@en

The Future of Design Education working group on sustainability developed recommendations for integrating sustainability into higher education design curricula. The recommendations provide a foundation for design instruction, using well-established evidence-based tools, methods, and mindsets that apply to professional practice and support designers as advocates for environmental and social responsibility. The document identifies core ideas for sustainable design, organized under a set of topics. These topics include sustainability fundamentals; circular economy; whole systems thinking; sustainable innovation strategies; impact assessment, and laws and standards; and communication, collaboration, and leadership. A summary table captures each idea, along with corresponding discussion and learning outcomes (things students should know and do). Recommendations are tailored to three levels of study: for all design students, students expecting to practice in sustainable design, and students in elective or advanced study. Resources for such study are also included.@en