Systemic Design education in interdisciplinary environments: enhancing a co-disciplinary approach towards Circular Economy

The transition of our linear economic models towards a Circular Economy is perceived as a pressing need at European level. A growing body of literature highlights the demand for new skills to facilitate this transition: more than new professions, it is about specific professional skills for circular businesses. The European Erasmus+ project MULTITRACES falls within this scenario and is based on the co-creation of a multidisciplinary online training programme that involved Systemic Design in collaboration with other scientific and economic disciplines. The learning process focused on the acquisition of both hard and soft skills relevant to the Circular Economy in the rural area, through a structure combining a vertical approach to disciplinary topics, with a horizontal approach based on teamwork on industrial issues. The experience gained within the Systemic Design module opens a structured reflection on how to teach design to students from different backgrounds, how design skills can foster a co-disciplinary approach to complex issues, such as the Circular Economy, and how digital tools can support design education.