THE D+ FRAMEWORK. AN EDUCATIONAL MODEL PROPOSAL TO ADDRESS CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES IN STRATEGIC DESIGN COURSES

Strategic design education faces significant challenges in adapting to the complexities of an increasingly dynamic world. Key among these is the integration of systems thinking, entrepreneurial skills, and innovative practices to prepare students for diverse career paths and enable them to engage with real-world projects introduced by enterprises. This aligns with educational trends emphasizing a "problem-finding" mindset and project-based learning models that empower students to navigate uncertainty, address global challenges, and co-create solutions with diverse stakeholders. By bridging creative, scientific, and humanistic disciplines, design education can train a new generation of designers to become "transformational partners" for organizations and social systems working in a “fourth order design” environment This paper examines the “D+” Strategic Design undergraduate course at (*institution name*) as an educational experiment. The course was based on the “Design Plus” (D+) framework, where strategic design was paired with four key concepts: Value, Innovation, Foresight, and Humanity. Students explored models, theories, and practical tools at the intersection of design, management, systems thinking, and humanistic culture. A key component involved a real-world challenge presented by a multinational manufacturing enterprise. This task emphasized intangible assets, such as organizational culture and brand equity, steering students from product-oriented solutions to systemic approaches to value creation. This circular exploration—from value to humanity and back—encouraged students to adopt transformative perspectives, equipping them to work within and strategically on organizations, addressing contemporary challenges with innovative contributions.