Learning Together: Students And Community Groups Co-Designing For Carbon Reduction In The London Borough Of Camden

In 2012, the London Borough of Camden (Camden Council) identified 30 ‘Green Zones’ – local neighborhoods, including Kings Cross where Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design (CSM) is located, that are characterized by the presence of community champions and/or community groups that are committed to delivering behavioral change that supports more sustainable ways of living within their neighborhoods. This paper reflects on how the University of the Arts London (UAL) DESIS Lab, working in partnership with the London Borough of Camden’s Sustainability Team, supported students from CSM’s BA Product Design and MA Applied Imagination courses to collaborate with local residents to design new ways to change behaviors to reduce carbon emissions.

Reflection on the practice of delivering the project confirms some of our previous understandings about the best way to deliver student design projects that address societal challenges working with community groups. It also highlights further challenges that need to be addressed when seeking to deliver similar DESIS projects in the future. Finally, we consider the implications of these findings for design practice, design education and policy makers.