Week 1

Design Thinking Workshop

Design thinking involves realizing the problem, generating solutions, and testing the ideas to improve the situation. These aims can be achieved in the following ways: 

• Research- What is the issue? How did it become an issue? How is it affecting the surrounding environment, i.e., people, communities, globally?
• Concepts- How to address this issue? What can be changed to improve the situation?
• Fix and Fail- Prototyping and pilot experiments to understand and address possible errors. This helps ensure the project is feasible and effective in addressing the situation.
• Communication- How to acquire funds for this project? Who will this project address, and how will they become aware of it? Will they think this will benefit them?
• Critical Evaluation- Is the idea “out of the box” or “cliché”? Is the concept “good”, or can it be improved?

How to create a visual portfolio? 

Design research employees a qualitative approach to bring about change from the current situation to the preferred situation. A 'sneakdown' is a visual paradigm of what the situation is now and how it is preferred. To understand what is desired, communication from the community is essential. This can be achieved by: 

- Surveys, questionnaires and interviews 

- Cultural probes- A method to obtain inspirational data in order to gain an understanding of the subject 

- Sensory Mapping- Use of the senses to describe an experience. 

Using the involvement of the communities in project design is crucial in generating a useful and practical idea.

SGN's Sustainable Development Goals, Climate Change and Biodiversity Strategy Policies, and Public Engagement 

To reach the United Kingdom’s net-zero, greenhouse gas emission by 2050, SGN is implementing new technology, and developing new ideas for long term sustainability. These long term sustainability projects include: 

• H100 fife- Substituting methane with green hydrogen, as a fuel for heating and cooking. The project aims to start the switch for consumers in Levenmouth by 2022 and be completed by 2027.
• Gas goes Green- A collaborated project with other gas networks, which uses the current gas lines. H100 fife and Aberdeen Vision are the two projects SGN focuses on in Gas goes Green.
• Replacement of old metal pipes with polyethylene (PE)- Prevents leakage of greenhouse gases and ensures the pipes’ longevity, thus reducing the burden on communities.
• Community Action Programme and Plan Bee- Schemes to encourage community participation and educate individuals on the importance of biodiversity and the environment’s upkeep.
• Environment Action Plan- As part of the RIIO GD2 plan, which runs from 2021 to 2026, SGN aims to reduce carbon emissions and waste pollution, switch to a renewable energy source, increase environmental biodiversity, and reduce destructive ecological impact.

Impact of Global Climate Change 

The rise in global temperatures results in numerous unprecedented issues, which pose a threat to human existence. This sudden change in global climate is mainly attributed to the disrupted intervention by humans to the environment. This change is called The Great Acceleration. The temperature on Earth is estimated to have increased by 1.1°C from the pre-industrial era. This, in turn, led to an increase in ocean temperatures, the melting of glaciers at the poles and the rise in ocean level. Furthermore, the biosphere is regarded as heading to its sixth mass extinction at an alarming rate. Mass extinction of species is further catapulted by human intervention when habitats are lost, and animal biodiversity falls. One strategy currently employed by many researchers is the One Health approach. It involves looking at different systems as one system, rather than treating each system with a different strategy. This is a cross-disciplinary effort to address many issues by treating it as one main issue.

Written by Susanna Cherian

Published on 28/01/2021