How Design Thinking Can Address Climate Change and Social Issues? | Terry Irwin | Professor, School of Design, Carnegie Mellon University

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Design thinking has emerged as a powerful approach to tackling complex challenges, particularly those related to climate change and social issues. As explained by Terry Irwin, Professor at Carnegie Mellon University and co-originator of Transition Design, this methodology integrates transdisciplinary perspectives to address "wicked problems"—deeply interconnected global issues like climate change, polarisation, and poverty. Unlike traditional solutions, which often impose fixes, design thinking fosters systemic interventions by understanding the problem's root causes and the specific needs of stakeholders. By fostering collaboration among diverse groups and addressing problems on multiple levels, design thinking offers a framework for creating sustainable, equitable futures that consider not just human needs but the health of the entire ecosystem.

[00:40] - About Terry Irwin

• Terry is a Professor at the School of Design and the Director of the Transition Design Institute at Carnegie Mellon University

• She is one of the Co-originators of Transition Design, a transdisciplinary approach to addressing the many complex and wicked problems confronting 21st-century societies.

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