Reporting from the 2026 London Student Sustainability Conference

Postgraduate Ambassador and MA Global Collaborative Design Practice student Shynara Nygmetova presents her ongoing final project at the London Student Sustainability Conference 2026

The London Student Sustainability Conference (LSSC26) is an annual collaboration between ten London-based universities, that welcomed over 300 people to engage with student interdisciplinary research and extracurricular projects aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). My project "Algorithm of Desire: Rethinking Digital Consumer Culture Together" was one of 33 student projects selected to present at the conference, held on 25th February 2026 at Kingston University. Being selected alongside researchers from across London's leading universities was both a recognition of the project's relevance and a valuable opportunity to test its ideas with a broader audience.

The project explores how social media and marketing shape the way people consume and express identity. Targeted advertising and online shopping are deeply embedded in everyday life, algorithms and social comparison subtly manufacture needs and escalate desires, creating a widening gap between people's sustainable intentions and their everyday habits. With social media advertising in the UK projected to reach nearly ten billion pounds in revenue, what users experience while scrolling is not accidental. It is an engineered system designed to convert attention into desire. And yet, Gen Z, the generation most immersed in digital culture, is simultaneously the most sustainability-aware, making this gap between values and behaviour one of the most urgent design challenges of our time.

Using participatory design methods, the project develops creative interventions that invite participants to rethink value, identity, and connection beyond consumption. It directly addresses SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, with particular relevance to Target 12.8: Promoting Universal Understanding of Sustainable Lifestyles.

At the conference, I shared findings from my first workshops, held at Camberwell College of Arts during the Work-in-Progress Show in November 2025. Through hands-on activities and group reflection, participants explored the psychological forces that shape desire online, including influencer culture, targeted advertising and the social pressure to keep up with trends. One activity invited participants to scroll on social media for one minute while paying attention exclusively to the ads appearing in their feed. Data collected from participants revealed an average of seven advertisements per minute — a figure that consistently surprised participants and reframed their understanding of how much commercial content shapes their everyday digital experience.

The project is currently in its second phase, inviting participants to imagine and prototype alternative ways of living through speculative "What if?" scenarios. These collaborative exercises explore futures rooted in community, creativity, and care. Inspired by works such as "The Day the World Stops Shopping" and the participatory project "Fashion Fictions". The speculative phase asks participants not just to critique the present but to actively author different futures.

Ultimately, Algorithm of Desire demonstrates what art and design can do when placed inside the systems that shape consumption. The project's impact lies in fostering critical awareness and communal practices that reduce waste, support sustainable lifestyles, and long-term cultural shift towards responsible consumption.

Participating in LSSC26 was a valuable opportunity to share the project with a wider audience, gather meaningful feedback, and connect with researchers and practitioners working across sustainability disciplines. In many ways, the conference marked a full circle moment for me: having attended LSSC26 the previous year as a visitor, stepping into the role of presenter carried particular meaning. And yet, the experience as a participant remained just as rewarding. I also attended the Transferable Skills for Careers in Sustainability workshop delivered by the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals a reminder that conferences like LSSC26 are not only spaces to present but equally powerful spaces to keep learning.

If you are interested in participating in future workshops or following the project's development, you are welcome to reach out to the author of this post and Post-Grad Ambassador Shynara Nygmetova at s.nygmetova0620241@arts.ac.uk.

Post-Grad Stories

Post-Grad Stories is a thriving online platform of postgraduate voices. Here you can share thought-provoking experiences, practices, thoughts and articles about what matters to you.

Do you have a story you want to share? You can email us at pgcommunity@arts.ac.uk