ABSTRACT
In China, a new movement has been launched by the central government, the Harmonious Society, which came into being after a significant decision to shift from economic development to sustainable development. Confronting pressing problems while developing visions of society, it is an appropriate moment to promote the design research and action agenda for sustainability in China. Social innovation towards a sustainable lifestyle is one of the keys that can open the door to a sustainable and harmonious society, indicated by both top-down and bottom-up initiatives. Social innovation and design for it are very new issues both in general academia and in the field of design, whose exploration and experiences could inspire further fruitful discussion and research. The chapter offers new information on pilot exploration in this topic at a specific design university, the School of Design, Jiangnan University, which is one of the oldest, largest and top design schools in China.
