Thesis /
Students progress toward the completion of the graduate thesis project in the field of sustainable design and innovation, identified by the student and approved by the Sustainable Design Academic Committee during the Mid-Program Review. In the first of this two-semester sequence, students develop a thesis learning plan and timeline; initiate, lead, and manage their thesis project work; select and solicit critical feedback from their thesis committee; conduct scholarly research; and create initial drafts of their thesis project presentation and web-based portfolio.
Course content is the completion of the graduate project in the field of sustainable design and innovation, identified by the student and approved by the Sustainable Design Academic Committee during the Mid-Program Review. In the second of this two-semester sequence, students continue to lead and manage their thesis project; solicit critical feedback from their thesis committee; conduct scholarly research; complete their thesis project work; create final drafts of their thesis project presentation and web-based portfolio; and pass their final thesis review. The course culminates in the student submitting their final thesis project presentation and web-based portfolio to the library.
Project Overview /
Small businesses make up the majority of companies in the United States, contributing a significant amount of jobs and economic value. Many small businesses have the desire to develop more sustainable businesses practices but are prevented from doing so due to a lack of time, knowledge, and resources - the COVID-19 pandemic has widened this barrier. Woman-owned companies in particular have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Women hold the unique leadership skills needed to lead the world’s efforts towards adopting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), and in order to accomplish this in the United States woman-owned small businesses must stay afloat to keep more women in the business arena. The proposed design solution is an e-book for woman-owned small businesses that, alongside the support of a sustainability consultant, helps small businesses work towards the UN SDGs as a means of staying in business and building resiliency to weather future unforeseen events. By helping woman-owned small businesses recover more efficiently from the post COVID-19 financial recession, the solution has the potential to make the U.S. economy stronger and more efficient than it’s ever been. The e-book will be available in tandem with a consultant providing ongoing support. Metrics are set in place to measure the design solution’s success and effectiveness over time. Systems Thinking, Design Thinking, and Biomimicry are key frameworks utilized to create a design proposal for the e-book.