Thanks to everyone who took part in this, the fourth Sustain Talk. The speakers unpicked this knotty problem: in the interests of designing a more sustainable way of life, how can the creative world take advantage of opportunities inherent in the social and natural world?

Date: 24 January 2011
Chair: Sarah Teasley, Tutor, Critical & Historical Studies/History of Design
Opening presentation: Florie Salnot, MA Design Products (2010)

Ezio Manzini, designer, author, Professor of Industrial Design at Milan Polytechnic and one of the long-time leading thinkers in the field of design and sustainability, and Julian Vincent, Professor in Biomimetics and Natural Technologies at the University of Bath, explored the opportunities inherent in the social and natural world all around us, and asked how the the creative world can engage with them to design a more sustainable way of life.

Sustain Talks:

Sustainability can fuel innovation, enhance creativity and drive business. The RCA offers a unique forum, opening up and exploring issues in a free-thinking, cross-disciplinary environment.

In 2010/11 Sustain hosts a series of debates with leading thinkers and doers from across the art and design disciplines. They will inspire and challenge you to embrace and address sustainability in your work, providing a forum for honest discussions about the complexities and opportunities of sustainable practice in art and design.