Designing Behavior Change

Take a class!

Ripples

We’re offering Designing Behavior Change for Sustainability course this Fall.

Data tells us that most Americans are concerned about climate change. A recent survey from Yale’s Program on Climate Change Communication showed that 72% of Americans understand that climate change is happening, and 65% feel that individuals should be doing more to address global warming. Yet, we consistently see that actual purchasing decisions are made primarily on the basis of price, with just 22% of sales going to products marketed as “sustainable”. What accounts for this gap between beliefs and behavior? And how can designers help influence the everyday behavior of consumers to live in more sustainable ways?

The answers to these questions may lie in the burgeoning areas of Persuasive Design and Behavior Design. This summer, we’re offering a 5-week short course in Designing Behavioral Change for Sustainability through MCAD’s Continuing Ed fall program. Open to anyone, but especially relevant to communication designers, we’ll be getting a taste of what prevents people from making the change they want to, overcoming the inertia of unsustainable habits, and how to move individuals from Belief to Action.

Class starts Mon, Nov. 7, 2022 – Thurs. Dec. 15, 2022

Time: 6:30–7:30 p.m. CST
Day(s) of the week: Tuesday

Dawn Keene / Director

Dawn Keene is the president of Studio Change, a company offering sustainability consulting services. Prior to Studio Change, Dawn has served as president of Keene Design, Inc. an award-winning Atlanta-based firm specializing in graphic design for over a decade.

Her previous affiliations have included High-Performance Healthy Schools Committee for USGBC Atlanta (United States Green Building Council), serving as the membership chair and on the sustainability committee for AIGA Atlanta (American Institute of Graphic Arts AIGA.) Her work has been featured on Sustainable Brands and published in Graphic Design U.S.A. In addition, she has participated in panel discussions on various topics such as environmental design and community outreach.

Her life mission is to empower communities and individuals to take positive action towards building a more sustainable future through education and community outreach. She holds a BFA in Graphic Design from Georgia State University and graduated from MCAD’s MA in Sustainable Design program in 2013.