Design thinking (DT) has gathered prominence in recent times, gaining traction inside and outside the design industry. Its name notwithstanding, DT did not emerge from or is created for the design industry but has gradually evolved into a widely adopted central approach across disciplines, including fashion design. Valued for its human-centered, iterative methodology that enables innovative and sustainable outcomes, DT forms the basis of this study, which examines its application in fashion design higher education to enhance sustainability. Rather than positioning sustainability as an explicit instructional focus, the study attempts it as an organic outcome of DT-led, project-based learning (PBL) with insights from students, faculty, and industry practitioners. The Design Thinking Process Guide by Stanford d.school serves as the primary conceptual framework, complemented by experiential learning theory and sustainability frameworks in the context of fashion design. This case study involves undergraduate students at a university in Dubai who are engaged in a semester-long DT-based studio project, and the learning outcomes and feedback of the students and faculty involved are collected and analyzed to answer the research question—How does the application of DT in PBL influence the advancement of sustainability in undergraduate fashion design education? To ensure industry relevance, the study moves beyond academic settings by incorporating interviews with practicing design professionals, examining their views on how DT is integrated within real-world workflows, and the intentional integration of sustainable practices. Supported by a review of relevant literature, the findings reveal that DT promotes responsible, inclusive, and context-sensitive design solutions, reinforcing its relevance as a pedagogical and professional approach that supports sustainability.
Agarwal et al. (Mon,) studied this question.