Social Impact Studio | Circular Economy

Design Education for Systems Change

Redesigned and led a strategic design studio at California College of the Arts focused on circular economy, sustainability, and social impact.

The studio explored how designers can create resilient, value-driven solutions that respond to complex environmental and societal challenges. Students were introduced to sustainability frameworks and asked to situate their work within real business and systems contexts, bridging design, strategy, and impact.

I transformed the studio from a lecture-based format into an integrated, hands-on learning environment. The structure combined applied design research, rapid prototyping, and a startup-style model, where student teams were paired with industry mentors and guided through iterative development.

Throughout the studio, students learned to move from insight to solution, balancing systems thinking, human-centered design, and business viability while developing their ability to collaborate, communicate, and think critically.

Impact

• Student teams received international recognition (Gold, Social Impact and Bronze, Sustainability, IDA Awards)

• Studio outcomes demonstrated strong integration of design, business, and sustainability thinking

• Work contributed to advancing circular design education and was later shared through academic publication and conference presentation