Teaching Approach & Design Culture

Teaching Approach and Design Culture

SoAP postgraduate degrees are an integrated suite of courses that emphasises creative thinking, proactive research, experimentation, and applied learning. Many of the courses are tightly linked, with projects moving from one course to another as different sets of issues are introduced, and a repertoire of diverse skills is built. Students are challenged to develop their own approaches and working methods and apply the knowledge from one course to projects to another. Much of the learning comes from peer interaction through critical analysis. This education is more about generating open questions than definitive answers.

Studios provide the opportunity to imagine and create with the conviction that design matters, has consequence, and is relevant in the varied contexts in which students work. Studio work is a partnership between students and lecturers based on research, analysis, provocation, and iteration. The work is dedicated to developing design abilities while critically engaging matters of cultural, environmental, and architectural significance. The values learned in studio become the guiding principles for professional conduct.

Studios are design laboratories and the site of investigation into techniques, forms, and assumptions that are continually evolving. Thus, studios reward initiative, creativity, productivity, and risk-taking. They are focused on issues that do not have single fixed solutions. Frequently, multiple solutions are employed to develop in students a critical perspective, allowing them to become increasingly independent designers and thinkers. They provide a variety of learning modes, from informal conversations to formal presentations, individual desk crits to group reviews,

S. Vally Polygraph 2014

short exercises to comprehensive design projects.

Studios provide a place to combine, compare, and experiment with different techniques, tools and methodologies of learning and working ranging from the engagement of research to physical model making, drawing, drafting, photography and material studies. Experimentation in and development of multiple methods is encouraged. A productive studio culture is dependent upon the open sharing of approaches. It relies on a willingness to respond to constructive criticism. Dialogue among students within and across studios and support courses is crucial to the success of learning. It is essential that this dialogue takes place in a climate of mutual respect and support and with recognition for a diversity of views, backgrounds, values, and perspectives.

Critiques are expected to be directed to the design work, products or process and should be respectful and constructive.

H. Tarmahomed Hambani Kahle 2020

Reviews are for students and instructors to step back from production to gain perspective, evaluate the state of the work objectively, and decide next steps of exploration. Reviews are public events viewed as a collaborative, not adversarial, part of design process.

Students will find that collaboration and discussion with peers outside of class is important. Student-to-student learning should not be undervalued, nor should the productive momentum and moral support gained by working with a group of peers. Thus, it is strongly suggested that all students work in the studio space as much as possible so that their work will be available for constructive feedback and advice throughout the design process.