Thirteenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

Present day design students have a partial understanding of design, but sometimes they do not grasp enough to articulate responses. It has been observed over the period of time that students often struggle to translate in-depth understanding acquired through lectures into a usable form required by the practice. Thinking-through-making can help students explore new ideas and concepts through an active process of hands-on exercises. Design knowledge is always context driven, which is acquired through analytical thinking, experiencing challenge, and involvement in real-world situations. More emphasis should be given on concepts to a physical form with carefully sequenced steps to enhance students’ design thinking ability. It is becoming increasingly common in design schools to investigative case studies, practice methods, and problem-based learning, replacing traditional teaching methods. Thus, learning outcomes through critical thinking and problem-solving has become increasingly important which can be achieved by engaging students in various large-scale multidisciplinary hands-on projects. A well-thought design activity and assignment not only allow students to acquire foundational knowledge but also helps them think through the process. The investigative learning assignments help students understand design research, allow them to value assigned work and understand its relevance application to real-life situations. Design innovations are rarely found among young design students who respond directly to assignment requirements due to lack of genuine curiosity, exploration, and reading habits. The paper reviews class assignments based on student work created as part of thinking-through-making.