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Sustainable Design Thinking

2022-1-HU01-KA152-YOU-0000618082022Mobility of young peoplefinalizedGood practice
Countries: HU|RO · Grant: €25,840
Entrepreneurial learning - entrepreneurship educationGreen skillsKey competences development

Objectives

The "Sustainable Design Thinking" (SDT) project was designed by the young members of our association with the aim of introducing the Design Thinking approach and fostering a sustainable mindset among future entrepreneurs through non-formal educational methods. Over the past decades, the Design Thinking approach has gained increasing popularity among major global organizations and companies such as Google, Apple, and Airbnb. However, many young people are still unfamiliar with this method. The project's goal was to support young individuals who wish to start a business but either lack an idea of which field to pursue or have an idea but are uncertain about how to proceed or begin building their enterprise. We aimed to introduce them to the Design Thinking approach and emphasize the importance of a sustainable mindset when creating their future businesses. Furthermore, our goal was to guide and support participants in developing original, feasible, and sustainable ideas while providing opportunities for them to discover and enhance their own skills and personal attitudes, thereby contributing to building their future. Through the project, participants not only developed their professional and personal skills but also gained an understanding of the importance of sustainability and innovation. Media reports frequently highlight the necessity for global economies to shift toward digital and green transitions. While most governments and large corporations are taking gradual steps to promote the green transition, these changes remain insufficient, and we are still far from meeting the timeline, even though much of the required technology is already available. This process faces political, social, and economic challenges. Not all countries are prepared to move in this direction, risking leaving many people behind. Moreover, it appears that the civil society of industrialized nations is unprepared to change its lifestyle. The need for the project is evident daily, as we observe in many areas of life that young people’s mindsets are still not ready for these changes. When listening to others discuss business, environmental impacts are rarely considered in their decisions. The project aimed to shift the focus from merely "band-aid solutions" and "human-centered" approaches to methods that account for human needs and creativity, deliver long-term impacts, consider the environment, and serve the benefit of people. During the project, we successfully achieved these goals by positively influencing young people's mindsets, encouraging them to place greater emphasis on sustainability and long-term solutions in their future businesses and decisions. At the end of the project, participants were given the opportunity to present their developed ideas, which were evaluated by experts. According to the feedback, all entrepreneurial ideas were well-structured and financially sound. While developing their ideas, the participants applied the basic principles of the Design Thinking method. Additionally, they visibly became more confident, improved their communication skills, and were better prepared to establish successful, sustainable businesses in the future.

Project partners (2)