Abstract

The pedagogic design studio is a complex environment where students perform two tasks simultaneously—active design and design education. The experience of the interior design studio project represents a complex experience involving learning the stages of the project recognized in the fields of architectural and interior design within a framework for organizing specific knowledge and skills. This study examines the effects of a project process strategy as an educational approach to the pedagogic interior design studio, using a qualitative method. Individual and group discussions of student participants in the residential project were explored and analyzed across project stages. The study highlights the importance of developing a common framework between instructors and students to ensure that the studio functions to develop critical and creative thinking skills and promote student independence. The study results show the effectiveness of this strategy in achieving positive learning outcomes in terms of both high grades and the quality of project outcomes as evaluated by jury members. Further, the results inform an applied follow-up procedure for residential pedagogic interior design studio projects. Ultimately, this study informs interior design theory and practice by presenting methodologies for key points at each stage of a residential project.