Graduate of the Department of Design and currently a doctoral candidate of Vilnius Academy of Arts Austėja Platukytė has just returned from the Gengdan Institute of Technology (Beijing, China), where she conducted an intensive two-month training and creative workshop on Green Design for students.
Green Design is part of a Continuous Product Design course that introduces the such philosophies as Zero Waste and Cradle to Cradle, reuse, recycling, experimental design methods, and the development and application of new materials, focusing on students' ability to create innovative product design solutions that address both nowadays and potential future challenges. The course develops a common understanding of Green Design principles by conducting rapid ethnographic research, analysis of sustainable materials, examining local waste streams and the possibilities of using them in design objects. Critical thinking and creativity of students was encouraged through application of new theoretical knowledge in practical experiments, based on eco-efficiency and creative thinking as well as the idea of "form follow evolution".
Established in 2005, Gengdan Institute of Technology is an independent bachelor's institution based on the new educational mechanism and private higher education model in China, inviting design teachers and professionals from all over the world.
