UAL Climate Action Case Study

We caught up with Noemi Sadowska, Programme Director - Branding and Design Innovation at London College of Communication (LCC) to hear about the course design process behind the new BA (Hons) Design for Climate Justice course at LCC.

Set to launch in September 2024, this course places climate justice at its core, teaching design practices as a way to take climate action. The current approach to course development tends to centre on a particular design practice or discipline. This subject-first approach makes the course unique to UAL. It enables students to gain creative skillsets and to use design to respond to the climate emergency.

The new BA (Hons) Design for Climate Justice course is aimed at people who are interested in how visual communication design can address climate emergency. From the need for faster action and change, to the disciplines explored on the course and difficult questions raised throughout the development process, Noemi shares insights on the new course ahead of its launch in September 2024.

BA (Hons) Design for Climate Justice explores the disciplines of graphic design, illustration, data visualisation and interaction design. Students will learn how to uncover, unravel and creatively configure the complexities of the climate emergency.

The course invites students to explore the potential for design to have a positive impact on our climate and environment. Students will be immersed in diverse and inclusive ways of doing and knowing, building on global perspectives and nature-centred design.

To develop a course several steps are required. From procuring market research to indicate interest from potential students, to considering the financial implications. “Within the Design School at LCC, there has been a growing interest and commitment to embedding sustainable practices in our pedagogical approaches for a while now,” notes Noemi Sadowska.

The new course responds to the need for broad and rapid action to address the climate crisis. It aims for a critical understanding of the complex narratives of climate justice, whilst reflecting on the discourses of climate change and its relationship with design. The learning journey encourages students to co-create with nature and experiment with sustainable processes.

Key Outcomes and Learnings

The course is a direct response to the need expressed by students to engage more with climate action and social justice debates. It provides a unique opportunity to position climate justice at the centre of study, rather than at the periphery, aligning directly with our strategy dedicated to social purpose, and the UAL Climate Action Plan.

Noemi notes that the development of this course has generated a lot of interest from colleagues, including discussions on the exact meaning of the term ‘climate justice’. With acknowledgments that, “Even though we don’t always get the complexities of climate justice right, this course attempts to engage students and staff to create more opportunity for change and to empower students to become changemakers.” Noemi adds that the team recognises our own positionality and privilege, and considers how that is reflected in the course.