Design Thinking, Acting, and Making Net Zero Transformational Change Across NHS Scotland

Paul A. Rodgers (), Mel Woods, Sonja Oliveira, Efstathios Tapinos, David Bucknall, Fraser Bruce, Andrew Wodehouse, Gregor White and Marc P. Y. Desmulliez
Additional contact information
Paul A. Rodgers: Department of Design and Manufacturing & Engineering Management, University of Strathclyde, 75 Montrose Street, Glasgow G1 1XJ, UK
Mel Woods: Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, UK
Sonja Oliveira: Department of Architecture, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XJ, UK
Efstathios Tapinos: Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship, Strategy and Innovation, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XJ, UK
David Bucknall: School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
Fraser Bruce: Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, UK
Andrew Wodehouse: Department of Design and Manufacturing & Engineering Management, University of Strathclyde, 75 Montrose Street, Glasgow G1 1XJ, UK
Gregor White: School of Design & Informatics, Abertay University, Dundee DD1 1HG, UK
Marc P. Y. Desmulliez: School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK

Societies, 2025, vol. 15, issue 8, 1-22

Abstract: Climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century. However, this challenge presents an opportunity to do things differently. This paper sets out how, using a design-led and collaborative approach, one can re-imagine the delivery of healthcare itself in a way that will deliver environmental sustainability. The paper presents a series of eight projects at the intersections of design, health and wellbeing, and complex net zero challenges, with an emphasis on inclusive, equitable, and sustainable design-led interventions. This encompasses diverse interventions across and beyond conventional design boundaries such as architecture, product design, and textile design providing insights that demonstrate the impact of design thinking, making, and acting on real-world net zero issues. Addressing such a broad and complex topic requires engagement across a wide range of stakeholders. The work undertaken has been conducted as part of a UK Government-funded Green Transition Ecosystem (GTE) Hub that has allowed multiple academic disciplines, research organisations, regional and local industry, and other public sector stakeholders, to connect with policy makers. Across seven themes, the paper describes how Design HOPES (Healthy Organisations in a Place-based Ecosystem, Scotland), as a design-led GTE Hub, brings in multiple and marginalised perspectives and how its design-led projects as one part of a wider movement for transformational change can re-use, nurture and develop these interventions sustainably. The overarching ambition being, through our collaborative design-led thinking, making, and acting, to build a more equitable and sustainable health and social care system across Scotland.

Keywords: design for health; design thinking; acting and making; net zero; transformational change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 A14 P P0 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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