Subjective Well-Being in Design Education

Students at a table.

Project Goals

This project supported students’ subjective well-being by positioning them as both designers and users of their own projects.

Project Activities

The experience offers a replicable, research-informed strategy for embedding well-being into design pedagogy and provides a model that other schools can adapt to foster human-centered innovation in design education. 

Artifacts created: 

  • Faculty survey 
  • 2 participatory course assignment design workshops 
  • Piloted graduate course, “Design for Emotion and Subjective Well-being.”  
  • Pre/post surveys 
  • Student focus group 
  • Guidebook with suggested teaching practices 

Student Impact

23 students were impacted by this project.

    Project Dissemination

    This project has been shared via a Celebrating Teaching Day poster, a journal manuscript, and a presentation at the Design Research Society conference.

    College

    College of Design

    Course Name

    ID 8803: Design for Emotion and Subjective Well-being

    Faculty Cohort

    2024-2025 Provost Teaching and Learning Initiatives

    Leandro Miletto Tonetto

    Leandro Miletto Tonetto

    “This initiative influenced how well-being is framed in course design. Rather than treating it as an ambient or secondary consideration, the project treated Subjective Well-Being as a legitimate learning outcome–equally as important as creativity, empathy, and iteration.” – Leandro Miletto Tonetto

    “I learned a lot not only about my own well-being from applying theory to our own projects but also seeing what approaches people were taking to improve their own.” – ID 8803 Student Participant

    “The way this class feels, I was immediately like okay, this is a place where I can put my guard down.” – ID 8803 Student Participant