Sustainabilty and how it relates to a second yr design student

I try to walk in to studies class with an open mind - Without this I wouldn't have developed my perception of what design means to me over the last semester. Looking at a new semester's research I think that there is going to be a similar "altruistic" theme that has driven alot of my projects so far.

Being such a "clever" profession industrial designers have alot of responsibilty thrust upon them. They are responsible for the success of the marketing networks that they create around themselves (Starck, Newson) or a brand (Alessi). They are also responsible for the wider social influence of their actions and are often driven by a selfish, materialistic approach to the discipline.

It is a cynical outlook - But I feel that a designer needs to establish a set of beliefs that will drive their practice. These values can change but will always be driven by a fundemental vision.

in my case that "design is a selfless act".

So how does this relate to this semester's focus on sustain?

Applying creativity and logic to concepts that go beyond the immediate satisfaction of your audience or client - Thinking for the need of future users and how your design will effect the environment. As technology and research has given us a better vision of what the future holds our values as a society are shifting towards this vision of a sustainable world.

My plan is to look into "sustainable packaging design". I feel that this is an area where innovation can have a rapid impact on how the public and industry respond to sustainability.

I know this is really broad but I hope it will make sense eventually