This study is an investigation into design education and praxis. It calls for an ecological awareness built upon the principles of ecosophy formulated by Felix Guattari in his The Three Ecologies (1989): namely, social, mental and environmental ecology. The rationale for this research is based upon my observations and concerns as a designer and educator that existing design education and praxis largely lack awareness of their ecological implications.

My thesis begins with an introduction to the context of the Anthropocene and the urgency of developing a new consciousness. It then outlines the thinking of contemporary theorists who postulate that the ecological crisis is indicative of a more general crisis of human subjectivity and who thus suggest a shift from ecology to ecosophy. The thesis dives into the current situation of design education in Europe, and then zooms in to my own educational context at Design Academy Eindhoven. It proposes ecosophical awareness as a competency for future design students, highlighting the urgency of including ecological literacy in curriculums and the necessity of putting this awareness into action by developing an expanded curriculum in ecology.

The thesis accordingly sets forth a hypothesis to translate the philosophical theory of ecosophy into an educational framework and tangible pedagogical tools. It describes this translation through the experience and results of an educational project called ‘Building Blocks for an Ecosophical Awareness’, conducted with students at Design Academy Eindhoven. The study employed a methodology based on action/design research to focus on the improvement of my practice and the encouragement of competence learning for design students. The project was based on experiential learning and fundamentally explored social and mental ecology, testing the developed pedagogical tools.

The thesis concludes with brief recommendations for design educators to enhance ecosophical awareness amongst students and proposes the need to develop an expanded curriculum in ecology.

 External critic: Alistair Fuad-Luke (educator, writer and activist, Professor of Design Research, Faculty of Design and Art, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy)