The development model based on industrial production was responsible in two centuries for a significant reduction of many non-renewable resources. The idea that design as a field of knowledge has been a notable participant in this context has existed since the 1970s and has been corroborated by leading authors ever since, such as Victor Papanek, Gui Bonsiepe, Ezio Manzini, Michael Braungart and Janis Birkeland. Going with this concept, studies from the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) indicate that about 80% of the environmental cost of a product, service or system is generated in the design phase. This makes clear the importance of inserting this theme in the field of design, both in the academic and professional spheres. 

Based on this, the research aims to understand how it is the approach of teaching in design for sustainability in Brazilian undergraduate courses. From a set of data obtained in public official documents from the Institutes of Higher Education (HEI) researched in Brazil and Europe, in addition to a bibliographical survey of relevant contemporary publications, this paper uses content analysis tools to map the recurrence and articulation between documents. The results present the state of the art of design education for sustainability in Brazil in comparison to European educational institutions and the scientific community agenda.

Oral Presentations:

Design for sustainability. State of the art in Brazilian undergraduate courses