Insights from the ODD About Upskilling Designers for the Green Transition
On 19 March 2025, BEDA hosted a vital discussion on upskilling designers to meet the challenges of the green transition. Organised in collaboration with the Design Council UK, this event brought together experts from education, higher education, and industry to explore how designers can acquire and apply green skills to create a sustainable future. Read on to learn the key insights from the speakers, and watch the recording below.
Watch the Recording: BEDA Open Doors: Upskilling Designers for the Green Transition
Read the Summary and Resources Shared: beda.org/wp-content/uploads/20[…]itiondocx-1.pdf
Speakers
Rachel Moriarty – Director of Skills, the Design Council
Michele Gregson – General Secretary and CEO, National Society for Education in Art & Design (NSEAD)
Sandra Booth – Director of Policy and External Relationships, Council for Higher Education in Art & Design (CHEAD)
Mark Curtis – Head of Innovation and Thought Leadership, Accenture Song
Tom Watts, Head of Design at the Design and Crafts Council Ireland and a board member of BEDA, opened the event by introducing the mission of BEDA Open Doors: facilitating dialogue on design policy and practice across Europe. He highlighted the significance of the theme of upskilling and green skills and the role of BEDA in supporting sustainable design through its network. Further on, the Design Council and industry experts from across design disciplines discussed the green skills needed in their sector and the Design Council’s exciting new mission to upskill 1 million designers by 2030.
Key Insights
The Design Council’s Green Skills Mission
Rachel Moriarty, Director of Skills at the Design Council UK, provided an overview of the Design Council’s commitment to upskilling 1 million designers in green skills by 2030. She referenced the Design Economy report, which revealed a growing demand for sustainability in design, with 66% of surveyed designers incorporating environmental considerations into their work. However, only 43% felt adequately equipped to meet this demand.
Rachel outlined key green skills necessary for designers, including:
- Regenerating nature
- Embedding circularity in design
- Empowering communities for climate resilience
- Eliminating emissions
She emphasised that sustainability should no longer be a niche skill but a fundamental competency for all designers. The World Design Congress, to be held in September at the Barbican Centre in London, will further explore how these skills can be embedded into design practice.
Embedding Green Skills in Early Education
Michele Gregson, General Secretary and CEO of the National Society for Education in Art and Design (NSEAD), stressed the importance of introducing green skills at the school level. She brought up the issue of widespread climate anxiety among young people, arguing that education must equip them with problem-solving skills and a sense of agency.
Michele highlighted the role of art and design in fostering sustainability, noting that art classrooms already encourage:
- Systems thinking
- User-centred design approaches
- Experimentation with sustainable materials
However, she warned that declining numbers of design technology teachers in UK schools pose a challenge, and called for greater investment in educators to ensure sustainability principles are embedded from an early age.
Higher Education as a Driver of Change
Sandra Booth, Director of Policy and External Relations at the Council for Higher Education in Art and Design (CHEAD), built on Gregson’s points by discussing how universities are embedding sustainability into design education. She noted that prospective students are actively seeking courses with strong environmental credentials, and institutions are responding by integrating green design skills into curricula.
Key trends in higher education include:
- Collaboration between design schools and industry to tackle real-world sustainability challenges
- A growing focus on circular economy principles in product and fashion design
- Sustainability embedded in technical training, such as sourcing responsible materials and reducing waste
Booth also pointed to the upcoming revision of the UK’s National Subject Benchmark for Art and Design, which will formally integrate sustainability into degree programmes.
Reinventing Consumption in Industry
Mark Curtis, Head of Innovation and Thought Leadership at Accenture Song, took a broader view, arguing that the design industry must lead a transformation in consumption patterns. He noted that consumerism is the primary driver of climate change, and while conversations around “degrowth” are difficult in commercial settings, designers must find ways to reinvent consumption rather than simply reduce it.
Mark proposed a shift in design thinking, integrating environmental impact into traditional design principles:
- Expanding desirability to consider planetary well-being
- Ensuring feasibility accounts for emissions reduction
- Redefining viability using a model like Doughnut Economics
He also stressed the importance of behaviour change, noting that while sustainability is not yet a primary driver for most consumers, designers can make sustainable choices more accessible and desirable.
Looking Ahead
The panel concluded with a call to action for designers, educators, and businesses to align their efforts in equipping designers with green skills. The conversation will continue at the World Design Congress in September, where global leaders in design will further explore how to embed sustainability into every aspect of the profession.
Last updated: 25/03/25