Design Thinking for Local Sustainability Initiatives
UndergraduateTAS-KGA1022026
Previously TAS-XBR102
Course information for 2026 intake View information for 2025 course intake
Enrol today with instant approval and no entry requirements
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 15 Feb 2026
- Entry requirements
- No ATAR needed, No prior study
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Price from
- $2,972
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Design Thinking for Local Sustainability Initiatives
About this subject
Upon successful completion of this subjects, students will be able to:
- Construct your ideas through questioning and synthesis of information.
- Evaluate a project by refining questions, gathering feedback and reflecting on improvements.
- Develop a realistic plan of action by synthesising information, including self, peer, subject content and the academic literature.
- Module 1: Design Thinking and Problem Definition
- Empathising, problem definition and ideation
- Value proposition canvas: Customer jobs
- Value proposition canvas: Value map
- Input and feedback
- Prototyping
- Module 2: Testing and Iterating
- SMART goals
- Business model canvas
- Relationships, competitors, partners
- Communication channels
- Module 3: Your Environment
- Trends and the environment
- Next steps
- Honing your project pitch
This subject was formerly titled "Developing your Creative and Entrepreneurial Potential"
Do you have a sustainability idea you'd love to bring to life through a community initiative, business, social enterprise or similar? Would you like to develop it using design thinking tools in a safe, supportive, and collaborative environment?
In this subject, you will integrate understandings of sustainability with Bruce Mau’s ‘design thinking’ principles, to empathise, define, ideate, prototype and test your ideas to plan a successful sustainability initiative. This subject cultivates collaborative, hands-on learning through weekly live seminars and interactive discussion boards. Each week, students apply design thinking tools and concepts to their own ideas, building a structured yet flexible framework that supports creativity and progress.
To deepen insight and spark innovation, students explore real-world projects—including inspiring examples from past cohorts. By grounding learning in practical application, peer interaction, and lived experience, the subject offers a dynamic environment for shared exploration and reflective growth. Students will emerge from the subject with a project idea ready to launch and a business model canvas and project pitch ready for investors or a grant application.
This subject includes an 'assurance of learning' task which necessitates that students record short videos of themselves explaining subject concepts to verify their learning. For this task, students must have access to a camera and microphone so staff can see and hear them in the recording. This task must be completed for a student to pass the subject.
- Value proposition canvas quiz (30%)
- MyLO discussion posts (30%)
- Project proposal final report (40%)
- Assurance of learning hurdle task (0%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
Wherever you are, the University of Tasmania brings its island campus to you through a growing range of online programs across art and design, business, education, health, science, sustainability, technology, and more. It’s never too late to switch things up. Kickstart that career you’ve been dreaming about, or upskill for the one you’re in. You’ll also become a part of the world's leading university on climate action.
Learn more about UTAS.
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- QS World University Ranking 2026, within Australia:
- 20
- Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2026, within Australia:
- 14
Entry requirements
No entry requirements
Equivalent subjects
You won't be able to enrol into this subject if you've already successfully completed or currently enrolled in the following subject(s) as they are considered anti-requisites due to the similarity of the content.
TAS-XBR102 (Not currently available)
Additional requirements
- Other requirements - Teaching Arrangement: 1 x weekly 1-hour online tutorial, 1 x 1-hour pre-recorded online lecture and content, plus self-paced online learning (Subject readings, discussion boards and project work).
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
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What to study next?
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
Bachelor of Science (Geography and Environment)
UndergraduateTAS-SCG-DEG
Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Science
UndergraduateTAS-BBS-DEG
Bachelor of Science (Sustainability)
UndergraduateTAS-SUS-DEG
Bachelor of Psychological Science and Bachelor of Science
UndergraduateTAS-PSC-DEG
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