DE7052 - Proposal for Sustainable Innovation

In Proposal for Sustainable Innovation (DE7052) you will learn and engage with this subject through a bricolage of teaching methods including lectures, tutorials and tutor guided independent learning. Acting as design researchers, you will work closely with academics and peers in their subject area to build a co-operative partnership in driving forward knowledge innovation. Situated within a postgraduate design research community, you will push boundaries in approach, process and execution to make a difference to both people and the environment.

Utilising the theoretical tools adopted during Fashion Context and Relevance (DE7053), you will begin to map and frame a self-directed relevant problem space within the fashion supply chain, collating and recording an extensive body of research to evidence the contextual relevance from a fashion perspective. This will begin to form the basis of a project proposal to be taken forward for further development in Responsible Design Experimentation (DE7054) in block 2, followed by a proof of concept in block 3 in Sustainability in Action (DE7056) and executed in block 4 in Project Thesis and Portfolio (DE7057).

Throughout this semester, you will start to develop a personal development plan (PDP) that can be utilised for the entire year, documenting the knowledge, skills, and understanding you acquire during your time at Northumbria. The PDP is aimed at helping you to work towards your future goals, equipping you to manage the challenges and excel in the changing environment.

Working within a design community, research excellence is positioned at the forefront of the support available, enabling you to work alongside academic leaders within their field who will disrupt thinking and facilitate debate amongst the postgraduate community. You will be encouraged to pose questions and challenge existing ideas, norms and values to drive forward academic quality and aid in the development of innovative propositions.

During discussions in both one to one tutorials and group critiques, you will be provided with verbal formative feedback providing the opportunity for improvement and revision prior to submission. Written summative feedback will be provided along with the opportunity for further verbal discussion to facilitate reflection and evaluation.

Where appropriate, you will be supported in developing relationships with external communities, which may include fashion brands, consumer groups, non-governmental organisations and charities.

Further formal academic support is provided via information posted on E-Learning Portal. Where appropriate, you may also be directed to engage with Study Skills +, or other resources offered through the University Student Support Services such as Dyslexia Support. The Library is open 24 hours a day and E-Learning Portal houses all your module documents including your timetable. These services can be accessed on a range of devices.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding (KU):

• Conceptualise, theorise and undertake research which addresses complex issues and which advances understanding within the discipline or practice. Present and justify your work in the context of wider theories and practice.
• Explore and evaluate sustainable or ethical design principles to professional design research standards.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities (IPSA):

• Frame and deal with complex issues through the representation of Design Problem Space and Design Solution Space.


Personal Values Attributes (PVA):

• Operate as a reflective practitioner

Summative Assessment 80%:
An extensive body of contextual research will be evidenced using methods appropriate to the individual (process journal, annotated bibliography, etc.) demonstrating an in-depth investigation through appropriate secondary resources. Practical experimentation can be used as a tool to explore research findings. This is an on-going record of process, formative feedback and peer review will be used to allow for further development.

The research process will be concluded through the development of a detailed project proposal indicating the area of inquiry for the following semester (2000 words).

Summative Assessment 20%
A year long reflective Personal Development Plan will be started and accompany this contextual review that records the knowledge, skills and understanding you have attained from undertaking this learning.

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Proposal for Sustainable Innovation (DE7052) allows you to consider fashion from a new perspective, addressing ethical and sustainable challenges pertinent to the global fashion market. Through the interrogation of existing systems, you will research and discover new approaches to the design, manufacture and use of fashion products during their lifecycle. Emerging alternative consumption models will encourage you to work with relevant external communities, understanding and exploring the proposed problem-space from a multi-stakeholder perspective.

Positioned within a research-rich learning community, you will work cross-disciplinary to conceptualise, theorise and undertake research which addresses complex contemporary issues and contributes to the advancement of innovative solutions. Through the development of specialist knowledge and skills, you are becoming a hybrid fashion professional, future-proofing your career by fusing discipline specific skills with the knowledge to lead the way to a more responsible fashion system.