A design studio is the place where artists, designers, and artisans create new products. It is also known as the drawing office. Design studios provide the necessary space and resources to develop new products and create new designs. There are several kinds of design studios. These include: drawing offices, product design studios, and art-oriented studios.
Contexts of design studios
The material space of design studios consists of the built environment and its working culture. This material space enables and entails the five core activities of a designer’s practice: Making, Meaning, Enabling, Backgrounding, and Disciplining. This material space includes a space for making and testing design ideas. It also includes the built environment and its physical infrastructure. The activities that take place within this material space confer meanings and values.
Although most research on CDS has been focused on the design process and creative design practices, little has been done on context-generated design studios. However, there is evidence to support the potential of contextual-generated design studios, and this concept is not yet fully addressed in most scholarly literature.
The study’s findings also point to the potential of digital technologies to support the design studio context. While the studio setting is unique, digital technologies can support the learning process. By adopting a pedagogic framework that takes advantage of digital technologies, designers can meet the particular needs of their future architectural learners.
Tools used in design studios
Design studios need a variety of tools to perform various tasks. Some of these tools are used for the creative designing process, while others are used to support teaching and learning in the studio. These tools can be either manual or digital. The following article will highlight some of the tools used in design studios.
One of the most common tools used in design studios is the Apple iMac. These computers can be expensive, but they are a staple in any design studio. The iMac range has been redesigned since 2012, and features Apple’s clever M1 chip. The iMac’s 24-inch display is a great size for generating ideas. There are a variety of colour options available, too, so you can find a computer that suits your style.
A recent literature review revealed that conventional design studios are different from non-conventional studios. Although both kinds of design studios are a hybrid of creative and pedagogical practices, their physical environments differ significantly. Conventional design studios (CDS) are generally located within a university environment and feature fixed physical environments. They are designed to engage students in creative activities and utilize all design tools. The CDS environment is difficult to replicate outside the institution setting.
Pedagogical practices in design studios
Pedagogical practices in design studios should aim to extend design education beyond the classroom and incorporate real-world experiences. Currently, design studio activities typically take place in classrooms with computer-aided design (CAD) software. These studios offer limited opportunities for students to observe the urban environment and gain hands-on experience.
Pedagogical practices in design studios involve the use of juries. Juries are special days in architectural education where student proposals are presented to expert critique. Jury members are chosen from the external community in order to gain a critical perspective on student outputs. The purpose of midterm and final juries is to make student outputs more accessible to externals and to facilitate student learning.
Design studio research has primarily focused on the design process. Few studies have looked at the creation and application of design studios in contexts other than the academic setting. While many scholars have examined creative practices and pedagogical practices in design studios, few have focused on context-generated studios. In this study, we will examine two CDS contexts: the conventional design studio and the virtual/blended/online design studio.
Impact of CDS on design studios
The material space of a design studio is defined by the built environment and its working culture. According to Corazzoa (2019), this space enables students and teachers to collaborate more effectively. It also serves as a backdrop to all activities that involve design. It also contributes to the sculpting of design culture and discipline.
Various pedagogical practices and creative design practices are essential for a design studio’s context. In this article, I will focus on two major themes in the design studio context literature: material space and pedagogical practices. Both of these factors are critical for understanding the impact of CDS on design studios.
A study of the literature on CDS shows that there are a number of unorthodox approaches to design studios. One of them is the creation of an open environment in which students are able to practice their creative practices. This approach has the potential to transform design studios. However, the concept of a context-generated design studio is not discussed in most of the scholarly literature.