Abstract
This research introduces an innovative sustainable design management methodology and its gamified educational tool aimed at raising awareness about sustainability and circular economy among fashion design students. The study is grounded in evidence showing that up to 80% of a garment's environmental impact is determined during the design phase, underscoring the designer's strategic role in creating sustainable products. The methodology is structured into six strategic stages: problem identification, research and analysis, idea generation and selection, consumer verification, and end-of-life cycle planning. To facilitate practical implementation, the game "The Traveling Pair of Jeans" was developed and applied to 82 fashion design students in higher education institutions in Santa Catarina, Brazil. The tool provides a holistic understanding of the environmental, social, and economic impacts throughout the lifecycle of a pair of jeans. The results highlight the methodology's effectiveness as an innovative pedagogical strategy in sustainable design education, contributing to the development of professionals equipped to drive systemic transformations in the design sector.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drslxd.2025.050
Citation
Daltoe, M.,and Gancho, S.(2025) A Gamified Approach to Teaching Circular Economy in Fashion Design, in Clemente, V., Gomes, G., Reis, M., Félix, S., Ala, S., Jones, D. (eds.), Learn X Design 2025, 22-24 September 2025, Aveiro, Portugal. https://doi.org/10.21606/drslxd.2025.050
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Case Study
A Gamified Approach to Teaching Circular Economy in Fashion Design
This research introduces an innovative sustainable design management methodology and its gamified educational tool aimed at raising awareness about sustainability and circular economy among fashion design students. The study is grounded in evidence showing that up to 80% of a garment's environmental impact is determined during the design phase, underscoring the designer's strategic role in creating sustainable products. The methodology is structured into six strategic stages: problem identification, research and analysis, idea generation and selection, consumer verification, and end-of-life cycle planning. To facilitate practical implementation, the game "The Traveling Pair of Jeans" was developed and applied to 82 fashion design students in higher education institutions in Santa Catarina, Brazil. The tool provides a holistic understanding of the environmental, social, and economic impacts throughout the lifecycle of a pair of jeans. The results highlight the methodology's effectiveness as an innovative pedagogical strategy in sustainable design education, contributing to the development of professionals equipped to drive systemic transformations in the design sector.