From Sustainable Product Design student to inspiring sustainability leader
22 July 2024
Charlie Clarke is a rising star in the world of sustainability. Since graduating from Falmouth’s Sustainable Product Design BA course in 2019, he has forged an impressive career working with people and organisations to develop more responsible business and design practices, and has recently rejoined Falmouth’s creative community – this time as an online tutor on MA Sustainable Fashion (Online).
A master’s graduate himself, Charlie found the experience of studying sustainability to postgraduate level to be invaluable, telling us: “Sustainability is incredibly complex and far-reaching, and it’s not possible to be an expert in every aspect of the subject. Studying it to master's level allowed me the opportunity to really dive into the specialisms of distinct interest to me and spend time learning about these elements. For me, combining the design element of sustainability with sports, fashion, events and business was of interest, and I am now able to approach many of my projects with a design-centric mindset to tackle sustainability-driven challenges.”
With passions for sport and design emerging for Charlie early in life, he first encountered the idea of sustainable design while studying at Falmouth. “From my first day on the course, I learned that my love of sport and design could converge through fields such as sportswear, fashion, product and events, all linked by sustainability,” he told us, adding: “Being at Falmouth provided me with a safe space to learn and experiment with new approaches to both personal and professional life, and one of the standout lessons was the selection of live industry projects and contacts I gained – I made sure that I collaborated on live projects with companies I wanted to work with in the future, and so finished the course with a portfolio of real, tangible projects. This created a career pathway for me, backed up by key skills and a network of experts and practitioners in the creative industries.”
That network has certainly stood Charlie in good stead; he has gone on to hold a wide array of different sustainability-focused roles and is currently Sustainability Manager for the Professional Triathletes Organisation – a position which is varied and dynamic. He told us: “My job ranges from developing a sustainability strategy, to working with charities at events, to educating young people about healthy lifestyles. It’s a great role in a rapidly evolving industry, where I can make a real impact through my knowledge of the sports industry and sustainable development.”
Particularly passionate about empowering others to channel their creativity towards positive change, Charlie is relishing being part of Falmouth’s online Sustainable Fashion community as a tutor, telling us: “It’s fantastic to be able to share ideas and develop projects with a talented group of students questioning the systems behind the fashion industry. I really enjoy seeing how they develop an understanding for a particular niche, and then use creative thinking to develop potential solutions and interventions to these issues. The energising and inspiring community within the course has an infectious quality, and I gain a lot through our dialogue.”
Beyond his impact on the master’s and in his current role, Charlie also works as a freelance designer and consultant, and is proud to be part of the changing tides around awareness of the environmental challenges we face. As he puts it: “As I learned more about sustainability through design and wider contexts, it became clear that there is a fundamental lack of knowledge and accountability from key decision-makers across industry. But being a sustainability specialist empowers not only the organisations you work with, but the industry you are a part of. The knowledge and experience you gain can be shared with stakeholders, and eventually disseminate into a more informed community.”
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