Abstract
To integrate sustainability and the responsibilities of future graphic designers into design education, this paper explores an innovative approach rooted in Education through Responsible Entrepreneurship. This pedagogical framework fosters an entrepreneurial mindset, empowering students to initiate their own projects while evaluating their broader impact. As part of a doctoral research, the study focused on designing a five-day creative retreat for graphic design students at Cégep de Sainte-Foy in Québec City, Canada. The retreat combined theoretical modules with practical individual and team workshops, inspiring students to explore concepts of responsible entrepreneurship alongside ethical and sustainable decision-making. Through a mixed-method research methodology and the application of Learning Experience Design (LXD), the study highlights the potential of developing a learning experience that empowers students by enhancing their agency and incorporating social, environmental, and economic considerations into their work. The discussion highlights the importance of integrating sustainability-oriented content, learner-centered strategies, co-designed learning experiences, and pedagogical innovation into design education. Drawing from this approach, the paper presents concrete, evidence-based principles and methods to foster graphic design students’ agency and sense of responsibility.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drslxd.2025.104
Citation
Raîche-Savoie, G.(2025) Empowering Future Designers: Embedding Responsible Entrepreneurship with Ethical and Sustainable Thinking in Graphic Design Education, 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.2025.104
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Full Paper
Empowering Future Designers: Embedding Responsible Entrepreneurship with Ethical and Sustainable Thinking in Graphic Design Education
To integrate sustainability and the responsibilities of future graphic designers into design education, this paper explores an innovative approach rooted in Education through Responsible Entrepreneurship. This pedagogical framework fosters an entrepreneurial mindset, empowering students to initiate their own projects while evaluating their broader impact. As part of a doctoral research, the study focused on designing a five-day creative retreat for graphic design students at Cégep de Sainte-Foy in Québec City, Canada. The retreat combined theoretical modules with practical individual and team workshops, inspiring students to explore concepts of responsible entrepreneurship alongside ethical and sustainable decision-making. Through a mixed-method research methodology and the application of Learning Experience Design (LXD), the study highlights the potential of developing a learning experience that empowers students by enhancing their agency and incorporating social, environmental, and economic considerations into their work. The discussion highlights the importance of integrating sustainability-oriented content, learner-centered strategies, co-designed learning experiences, and pedagogical innovation into design education. Drawing from this approach, the paper presents concrete, evidence-based principles and methods to foster graphic design students’ agency and sense of responsibility.