Design for Social Innovation

Examine the myriad ways that design interacts with culture, society, technology, and the environment.

Design for Social Innovation examines the relationship between design and culture, society, technology, and the environment. It explores how they impact each other and delves into the theoretical and practical connections between them.

In this field, we undertake a variety of research. Our research focuses on how design shapes, and is shaped by, cultural beliefs, values, norms, institutions, relations, and practices. Research themes we pursue include design for more-than-human worlds, indigenous cultures and narratives, sustainable design, and transition design.

Research in this area aims to have a positive impact on the way people live and work. We seek creative solutions to some of the social, environmental, and cultural challenges facing our world.

Research topics

Research topic	Staff who can supervise research in this area
Design ethnography	Bobby Luke, Rosie Scott, Jennifer Whitty
Co-design	Rosie Scott, Jennifer Whitty
Fashion cultures	Hannah Goldblatt, Bobby Luke, Jennifer Whitty
Fashion design for sustainability	Bobby Luke, Jennifer Whitty
Indigenous cultures and narratives	Nan O'Sullivan, David Hakaraia, Bobby Luke, Edgar Rodriguez, Tuakana Metuarau, Jennifer Whitty
Service design	Nan O'Sullivan, Dana Fridman, Leon Gurevitch
Sustainable design	Tonya Sweet, Leon Gurevitch, Jennifer Whitty
Transition design	Nan O'Sullivan, Tonya Sweet, Bobby Luke, Jennifer Whitty
Theories of Change	Nan O'Sullivan, Jennifer Whitty

Academic staff

Name	Research interests
Dana Fridman	Design investigations that aim to have a positive impact on the way people live and work
Hannah Goldblatt	Exploring the significance of fashion for people and societies throughout time Investigating fashion as object, representation, and practice in the context of sustainable design systems
Leon Gurevitch	Design investigations that aim to have a positive impact on the way people live and work
David Hakaraia	Design explorations that are driven by and/or recognise the value of cultural diversity through any creative medium
Bobby Luke	Exploring how design shapes, and is shaped by, cultural beliefs, values, norms, institutions, relations, and practices. Exploring the significance of fashion for people and societies throughout time Investigating fashion as object, representation, and practice in the context of sustainable design systems Design explorations that are driven by and/or recognise the value of cultural diversity through any creative medium Design investigations that challenge complex social, cultural, political issues through any creative medium
Tuakana Metuarau	Indigenous Narratives, Representation in Media Digital Narrative, Digital Mediums Media Culture and History Retro Game Design, Video Game Abstraction
Nan O'Sullivan	Design explorations that are driven by and/or recognise the value of cultural diversity through any creative medium Design investigations that aim to have a positive impact on the way people live and work Design investigations that challenge complex social, cultural, political issues through any creative medium
Edgar Rodrigues	Design explorations that are driven by and/or recognise the value of cultural diversity through any creative medium
Rosie Scott	Social impact design and design justice
Tonya Sweet	Design investigations that challenge complex social, cultural, political issues through any creative medium
Jennifer Whitty	Design investigations that challenge complex social, cultural, political issues through any creative medium Design led Social Innovation and environmental justice interventions Developing new mindsets, models, and systems that work within planetary boundaries Design futures, Speculative futuring Designing for degrowth, cultivating the use phase of products, services, systems, capabilities, and "abilities" amongst users/people Design for wellbeing Participatory design Place-based design

Design Research Labs

C.R.I.S.I.S

The C.R.I.S.I.S. (Critical Resilience through Innovative Solutions in Sustainability) Design Research Innovation Lab supports design-led responses to sustainability challenges impacting Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond. Our research promotes awareness, resilience, and the development of design provocations and solutions that address “wicked” issues and the transition to sustainable socio-ecological futures.

For more see C.R.I.S.I.S.

More-Than-Human

The More-Than-Human Lab uses critical and creative means to engage the political, ethical, environmental, and affective dimensions of human relations with other forms of life. We are dedicated to imagining what lies beyond human-centred design.

For more see More-Than-Human.

Social Design Lab

Social Design Lab positions social and cultural issues as highly relevant to contemporary design research and situates them as central points of departure for our investigations. The research projects cultivated in this stream employ critical, creative approaches to their explorations of indigenous culture, society, politics, economics, technology and the environment.

For more see Social Design Lab.

Study options

The following postgraduate programmes allow you to pursue research in the area of design for social innovation:

Master of Design (MDes)

The MDes allows you to further develop your critical thinking and discussion skills, increase your understanding of design, and learn to express your own ideas and conclusions within a theoretical framework.

Find out more about the Master of Design (MDes).

Master of Design Innovation (MDI)

The MDI delves deep into the process of innovation, from conception to design to construction. Through independent research, you'll gain the specialist skills and knowledge you need to be a successful professional in the design industry.

Find out more about the Master of Design Innovation (MDI).

PhD

On our PhD programme, you'll produce an original body of research that expands the design discipline. Your work will be largely independently driven, with two supervisors available to advise you. Typically the PhD is studied on-site, but in suitable cases it may be studied by distance.

Find out more about the PhD.