As with all the master’s programs, the successful completion of this program leads to our master’s level degree in Design, certified by the French Ministry of Higher Education.
Innovating responsibly
The masters Program of Responsible Innovation aims to build multidisciplinary design expertise in the pressing areas of social and environmental design.
The issues and themes include:
- Health,
- Safety,
- Well-being,
- Eco-design,
- Societal problems
- User-centered innovation.
Design applications include:
- Emergency and safety gear,
- Innovation-oriented services,
- Life space design and improvement,
- Hospital equipment,
- Educational toys or games,
- Scenario building for the “light economy” and the “green economy.”
Becoming a responsible designer
Life expectancy growing longer, crumbling social ties, disasters, poverty, pollution, overcrowding… many great challenges are looming over our modern-day societies.
Design must strive to provide collectively thought-up responsible answers to these emerging issues by making use of its global and systemic vision of the world.
The role of the designer is not merely to manage, but to anticipate and even provoke these fundamental evolutions that mark our collective lives. Resolving development that is sustainable and inclusive in a context that is often the opposite demands more from a designer than their traditional set of skills. Along with creativity, ideation and communication skills, today designers need to be able to empathize as well as manage - a delicate balance of « soft and hard skills ».
The Master’s program Responsible Innovation trains designers in all these skills, so that they may find their voice and maker their unique contribution in the ever-changing social and economic context.
Gaining expertise in responsible design
Throughout this master’s program, students will develop skills and know-how in Responsible Innovation via design projects, workshops, seminars, roundtables, courses and professional activities.
They will grow to understand the notion of “Responsibility” by:
- Discussing social issues through examples,
- Examining case studies both French and international,
- Undertaking critical examination of economic motivations and their social and environmental ramifications,
- Challenging preconceptions of the designers’ domain of intervention.
…and embrace the culture of “Innovation” by :
- Collecting documentation on “best practices” coming from the public as well as corporate sector,
- Carrying out projects with industrial and institutional partners,
- Building ambitious scenarios and future projections to consolidate the culture of innovation.
Language:
One group of students receive courses conducted in English, another group, in French.
A specialized, international staff
Program leader : Benjamin Walker, Industrial Designer, graduated from Monash University (Melbourne, Australia) and Glasgow School of Art (Scotland). Head of Touraine Design Studio, specialized in eco-design and sustainable development.
Under the direction of Joceyne LeBoeuf, Director of Studies
Associated Team :
Elyssa Sfar, Strategy and Design Management specialist ;
Sue Alouche, Marketing and Brand management specialist, Master of arts, Central St Martins college of Art and design (London).
Other teaching staff :
Various professors and professionals participate in the different courses and workshops:
- Nathalie Ciprian, Head of postgraduate studies ;
- Christophe Houeix, Consultant in innovation ;
- Jean-Luc Barassard, Head of Company Strategy department at the École de design ;
- Fabrice Mauleon, director of program management and sustainable development ESCEM ;
- Gaël Guilloux, Master’s degrees in Industrial design & new product development, Environmental engineering & eco-development, PhD in eco-design, Research consultant in social responsibility and eco-design ;
- Frédéric Bonin, Designer, owner of Axone design studio ;
- Olivier Pigasse, Design manager, Master’s in Design, ENSCI ;
- Faezeh Amar, French language instructor ;
- Chantal McGowan, English language instructor ;
- Luc Montessinos, Master’s in English-language literature, head of foundation studies at L’Ecole de design ;
- Virgine Braud, Sandrine Chagnard Pianleka, Laureline Vantorre, specialists in modern litterature or language ;
- Valérie Godineau, specialist in brands and patent rights ;
- Jean-Claud Marulier, law professor ;
- Pierre Lacoin, MBA ;
- Other guest lecturers may be invited.
A few of our partners:
Industries: Dorel, Candide puériculture, Hill-Rom, Sotec medical, GE Healthcare, L’Oréal Cosmetics,
Competitiveness clusters: Nova Child, Cluster West,
International associations: Practice Research Education, Design Cumulus Working Group – DESIS Network (Design for Social Innovation and Sustainability),
Educational institutions: ESCEM (Graduate School of Business and Management Tours-Poitiers, Department of Economics, Law and Sustainable Development)
