Creative Futures

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Courses / Modules / ARTD2118 Creative Futures

When you'll study it: Semester 1
CATS points: 15
ECTS points: 7.5
Level: Level 5
Module lead: Daniel Cid Moragas
Academic year: 2025-26

Module overview

In a world immersed in a process of change, facing social and sustainable significant challenges, this module focuses on the capacity of creative practices to set out potential new scenarios and creative futures. It will encourage you to think and discuss critically about democratic forms of innovation through citizen participation (collaborative and environmental practices, activism, social innovation, economic sustainability, etc.). The module will encourage you to reflect on the impact of relevant theories related to contemporary design. This module will also present and study various examples of creative projects providing solutions to the challenges faced by current society (sustainable moving, living, consuming, learning or well-being), innovative projects based upon new ways of living, new ecologies of relationship or new scenarios. This optional core module is designed to broaden your studies and provide you with an interdisciplinary learning experience with peers from a range of art and design subjects. The module will provide you with new perspectives and introduce you to themes and practices that can be critically explored to inform your ongoing development, interests and skills.

Aims and Objectives

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

theoretical concepts and practices relevant to creative futures;
practices that demonstrate an understanding of creative solutions to the social and environmental challenges faced by society;
the role of interpersonal skills and approaching issues from multiple perspectives and disciplines.

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

manage your time and meet deadlines;
connect and apply key themes and research resources with your programme or professional discipline.

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

locate yourself within the debate around environmental design and sustainability, in consideration with wider local and global communities.
identify central themes and problematics in social and cultural issues in creative arts and design contexts;

Learning and Teaching

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching methods include: •lectures; •workshops; •tutorials. Learning Activities •peer group seminar; •self-directed research and reading; •group tutorial on feedback. Relationship between the teaching, learning and assessment methods and the planned learning outcomes You will be introduced to a range of subject material through lectures and seminars. You will have the opportunity to discuss and debate these subjects in seminar groups. You will be encouraged to research and study particular aspects of social responsibility and ethical practices in design, design communication and related practices, with regards to your own subject discipline. You will have the opportunity to critically reflect on your study discipline or your creative practice, and to debate your awareness of ethical issues in the creative arts and design contexts.

�� time
Type	Hours
Tutorial	2
Lecture	10
Project supervision	4
Wider reading or practice	16
Follow-up work	16
Revision	10
Preparation for scheduled sessions	64
Seminar	4
Completion of assessment task	20
Practical classes and workshops	4
Total study time	150

Resources & Reading list

Internet Resources

Textiles Environment Design (TED).

Journal Articles

Fashion Theory.

Design Issues.

Design Studies. The Interdisciplinary Journal of Design Research.

CoDesign. International Journal of CoCreation in Design and the Arts.

Textbooks

Weibel, P. (2015). Global activism: art and conflict in the 21st century. Karlsruhe: ZKM.

Pelle, E. [et al.] (2014). Making Futures. Marginal Notes on Innovation, Design, and Democracy. Cambridge: MIT Press.

Seabrook, J. (2015). The High Price of Cheap Garments, from Blackburn to Bangladesh. London: C. Hurst & Co.

McDonough, W. and Braungart, M. (2013). The Upcycle: Beyond Sustainability – Designing for Abundance. New York: North Point Press.

Flood, C., Grindon, G. (2014). Disobedient objects. London: V&A.

Spampinato, F. (2015). Come together: the rise of cooperative art and design. New York: Princeton Architectural.

Thackara, J. (2005). In the Bubble Designing in a Complex World. Cambridge: The MIT Press.

Greer, B. (2014). The Art of Craft and Activism. Vancouver: Arsenal Pulp Press.

Siegle, L. (2011). To Die For: Is Fashion Wearing out the World?. London: Fourth Estate.

McGuirk, J. Herrero Delicado, G. (2017). Fear and Love. Reactions to a Complex World. London: Phaidon.

Fletcher, K. and Grosse, L. (2012). Fashion & Sustainability, Design for Change. London: Laurence King Publishing.

Manzini, E. (2015). Design, When Everybody Designs. An Introduction to Design for Social Innovation. Cambridge: The MIT Press.

Fletcher, K. (2016). Craft of Use: Post-Growth Fashion. Abingdon: Routledge.

De Laure, M. (2017). Culture Jamming. Activism and the Art of Cultural Resistance. New York: NYU Press.

Telier, A. [et al.] (2011). Design Things. Cambridge: MIT Press.

Antonelli, P. (2006). Safe. Design Takes On Risk. New York: The Museum of Modern Art.

Fuad-Luke, A. (2009). Design Activism: Beautiful Strangeness for a Sustainable World. London: Earthscan.

Black, S. (2012). The Sustainable Fashion Handbook. London: Thames and Hudson.

Black, S. (2011). Eco-Chic: The Fashion Paradox. London: Black Dog Publishing Ltd.

Assessment

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Illustrated essay

Assessment Type: Formative
Feedback: Essay proposal with written feedback. There will be a variety of opportunities for formative feedback in the module: •Weeks 4-5 group Tutorials •seminars •peer-group assessment •self-assessment The interim submission of their proposal is an opportunity for a closer examination of students’ needs and targeted individual written feedback on specifically designed templates, which indicate marking criteria.
Final Assessment: No
Group Work: No

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Illustrated essay	100%

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Illustrated essay	100%

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Illustrated essay	100%

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