Abstract Book of the 9th International Conference on Teaching, Learning and Education
Year: 2025
[PDF]
New Analytical Approaches to Interior Design Instruction
Liam Colquhoun, Pornprapha Phatanateacha
ABSTRACT:
In response to an observation that was made regarding a tendency on the part of the Interior Design undergraduate students toward unsupported or speculative ideation, and in contrast to traditional Interior Design instruction, a new pedagogical methodology was developed that ‘borrowed’ principles of Service Design and Human-Centered Design to embed a more analytical approach to the creative process of their Sophomore-level studio class. Instead of being given ‘open’ time for generative creative process, the students were taken through an orchestrated series of tasks and studies that had them focus on user experience and the potential value interactions a designed environment can provide. Previous instruction revealed that students are often most comfortable with undetermined parameters to their process and, while the notion of ‘blue-sky thinking’ is often intrinsic to design pedagogy, this often leads to divergence between the objectives of the design student and the theoretical needs of an end user. Placing the students in the unfamiliar role of analyst before creator and introducing them to tools and methodologies such as mapping, diagrams and storyboarding, helps them consider and organize intangibles that are otherwise difficult to define and often lacking elsewhere in the curriculum – behavioral science, environmental psychology and human-centered design. This proposal details how a new project sequence was delivered to Sophomore-level Interior Design students and coordinated with other classes to challenge the student to operate in unfamiliar areas and prioritize the users and experience before defining the space itself. Additionally, the supports that were utilized to help facilitate the projects are examined and assessed on their comparative successes and failures with a view to how they might inform future versions of the project.
Keywords: Interdisciplinary Design, Pedagogical innovation, Service Design, Human-Centered Design