This week marked the beginning of our new project, Full Stack Development for Sustainability. The brief requires us to select one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals and design a prototype that addresses a specific issue within that goal. We began by researching three key areas related to our chosen goals: what is currently being done, what is not working, and what emerging solutions exist.
I initially explored Goal 6, Clean Water and Sanitation, and Goal 15, Life on Land. Through a combination of independent research and group discussion, I realised I had a stronger understanding of these topics than I expected, particularly in relation to local environmental issues and how they scale to global sustainability challenges. Listening to other students present and discuss their chosen goals broadened my perspective and helped me better appreciate the scope, complexity, and real-world relevance of sustainability-focused design.
This research phase was particularly motivating, as it highlighted how full stack development can be applied to meaningful, real-world problems rather than purely technical or theoretical exercises. It reinforced the idea that digital products can play an active role in supporting social and environmental change, which increased my enthusiasm for progressing into the technical development stage of the project.
Alongside this, we began developing a personal planning folder focused on employability. I found this especially valuable, as it introduced strategies such as speculative applications, which encouraged a more proactive approach to career development. This is something I plan to apply when pursuing graduate roles or schemes in the future, as it has helped me think more confidently about how to present myself to potential employers.