Educating on sustainable product design for a circular use of water. Reflections on the results of university design studios for this new scenario

This paper reflects on the education of designers for sustainable development, which can follow the evolution in progress in the design discipline in general. From how to design to what to design, moreover, today designing products should not only care about the interaction of the user-object, but also the user-object-environment to ensure that what is designed makes sense without compromising the critical environmental situation. The design for sustainability field has emerged to design more sustainable products following the ecodesign principles and has evolved over the years from ecodesign to design products, services, and systems for system innovations and transitions. This paper reflects on this new design scenario, taking as case studies two educational experiences on design of sustainable products for circularity in the food service, through a retrospective inquiry over the concepts designed and the educational model used. There, many groups recognized water saving as an essential point where to work and where they, as designers, can intervene, so the reflection can give insights also on educating on design for a sustainable use of water. The diffusion of this education model can help future designers to focus more on innovation for freshwater saving, especially in locations affected by water scarcity.