No Lectures,Real Briefs,Reflective Practice,and Relevant Portfolios– A design studio model for learning

Pontus Wärnestål Assistant Professor & Program Director Halmstad University, Sweden @drpontus pontus.warnestal@hh.se

Lessons learned from recruiting. Assessing Design Competence

Design competence needs to be communicated effectively and efficiently.Design competence can be demonstrated with a relevant work portfolio.

Portfolio and Competence

Design education needs to evolve with the field, and not only deal with declarative knowledge, but also the procedural craftsmanship and reflect qualities of design practice.

Theory and Practice

Lessons learned from teaching. Assessing Design Competence

Students need to gradually progress in a safe learning environment, starting from well-understood, tactical routine design to strategic design for ”wicked” problems in complex contexts.

Progression

Students get motivated by authentic design briefs, where they can make a relevant contribution and meet – and learn from – practitioners at the same time.

Student Motivation

Lectures are boring. Student Motivation

After graduating, a student should be able to demonstrate: (a) A work portfolio consisting of at least a handful projects that will spark an interesting conversation with a senior designer in an interview situation. (b) A competence portfolio/diary where the student can see – and confidently verbalize to others – what she has learned and how she has progressed throughout the education. (c) A procedural/practical skillset where sketching and prototyping in a systematic design process is second nature.

Reverse-Engineering the Process

DIALOGUE

CRITIQUEGUIDED REFLECTION

TRANSFORMATIVE, REFLECTIVE,

and COLLABORATIVELEARNING

Facilitator

The Studio

Pedagogical Environment – Collaborative dialogue – Critique – No lectures – Teachers as co-designers – Active design practitioner rather than passive recipient of information

ARTIFACT

Procedural Knowledge

SKETCHING

PROTOTYPING

DESIGN PROCESS

Co-Designer

TEACHER STUDENTTEAM

The Studio

Physical Environment – Always accessible. – Exclusive to course students. – Promotes collaboration. – Good tools and workspace.

What does a five week studio course look like?

Process

Pre-Course Work

Design Briefs Competence Survey Students’ Goals

Course Work

Discovery Interpretation, Modeling Sketching Prototyping Test + Refine Presentation

Finally...

Reflection on Competencies and Goals Publish Work Portfolio Assessment and Grading

How can we leverage the design studio environment to support students in their progress from tactical, well-defined routine design to confidently design sustainable solutions for strategic, “wicked”, and device-agnostic problems?

Progression

1. Web (2nd semester)

4. Sustainability (6th semester) 3. Health (4th semester)

2. Mobility (3rd semester)

Progression & Themes  

Dimension Scale

Design Problem (D1)

Theoretical Base (D2)

Perspective (D3)

Target Platform (D4)

Design Tools (D5)

Service Complexity (D6)

Contractor’s UX Literacy (D7)

Dimension Scale

Design Problem (D1)

well-understood, closed

ambiguous, open, wicked

Theoretical Base (D2)

established within IS/HCI

new ground, cross-disciplinary

Perspective (D3) tactical strategic

Target Platform (D4) given, singular agnostic, multiple

Design Tools (D5) non-existentmature

Service Complexity (D6)

multiple devices, multiple touchpoints

Single device, single touchpoint

Contractor’s UX Literacy (D7)

unfamiliar (design argumentation is harder)

mature (grounded in the field, design mentor possibilities)

Dimension Scale

Design Problem (D1)

well-understood, closed

ambiguous, open, wicked

Theoretical Base (D2)

established within IS/HCI

new ground, cross-disciplinary

Perspective (D3) tactical strategic

Target Platform (D4) given, singular agnostic, multiple

Design Tools (D5) non-existentmature

Service Complexity (D6)

multiple devices, multiple touchpoints

Single device, single touchpoint

Contractor’s UX Literacy (D7)

unfamiliar (design argumentation is harder)

mature (grounded in the field, design mentor possibilities)

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

Dimension Scale

Design Problem (D1)

well-understood, closed

ambiguous, open, wicked

Theoretical Base (D2)

established within IS/HCI

new ground, cross-disciplinary

Perspective (D3) tactical strategic

Target Platform (D4) given, singular agnostic, multiple

Design Tools (D5) non-existentmature

Service Complexity (D6)

multiple devices, multiple touchpoints

Single device, single touchpoint

Contractor’s UX Literacy (D7)

unfamiliar (design argumentation is harder)

mature (grounded in the field, design mentor possibilities)

1 2

1 2

1 2

1 2

1 2

1 2

1 2

Dimension Scale

Design Problem (D1)

well-understood, closed

ambiguous, open, wicked

Theoretical Base (D2)

established within IS/HCI

new ground, cross-disciplinary

Perspective (D3) tactical strategic

Target Platform (D4) given, singular agnostic, multiple

Design Tools (D5) non-existentmature

Service Complexity (D6)

multiple devices, multiple touchpoints

Single device, single touchpoint

Contractor’s UX Literacy (D7)

unfamiliar (design argumentation is harder)

mature (grounded in the field, design mentor possibilities)

3

3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2

1 2

1 2 3

1 2 3

Dimension Scale

Design Problem (D1)

well-understood, closed

ambiguous, open, wicked

Theoretical Base (D2)

established within IS/HCI

new ground, cross-disciplinary

Perspective (D3) tactical strategic

Target Platform (D4) given, singular agnostic, multiple

Design Tools (D5) non-existentmature

Service Complexity (D6)

multiple devices, multiple touchpoints

Single device, single touchpoint

Contractor’s UX Literacy (D7)

unfamiliar (design argumentation is harder)

mature (grounded in the field, design mentor possibilities)

3

3

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

1 2 4

1 2 4

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

“The [mobility] studio was the most demanding course so far. Also the most fun! With real briefs I feel that I as a student MATTER. There’s no better motivation than that.”

Student Reflections

“As it turns out, the most important skill I keep developing in the studio is learning how to learn.”

Student Reflections

“We’ve seen increases in students’ sketching, prototyping, and reflective competencies, as well as confidence in the design process.”

Teacher Reflections

“Teachers become tinkerers. The studio courses have helped staff stay up do date and also change content in other courses that the department offers.”

Teacher Reflections

“It’s like a five week long hiring interview.”

Externals’ Reflection

1. Pedagogical Environment2. Physical Environment3. Progression & Themes

The Design Studio Learning Model

Multidisciplinary student teams. Future Work

Global assignments and connections.

Future Work

Thank you.

@drpontus pontus.warnestal@hh.se www.linkedin.com/in/pontuswarnestal