design studio

LEL granted Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC) award

/ scupelli

May 24, 2017 5:45 PM

The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center recently approved the lab’s request for supercomputing resources, which will be used for the lab’s research on Creative Workplace Alchemies: Using Computer Vision and Machine Learning to Study Occupancy of Individual Workspaces and Collaboration Hotspots.

Abstract. Much like creative knowledge work environments, studio-based design education environments are changing rapidly to include: multidisciplinary teams, information technology, geographically distributed teams, and flexible workspaces. Factors such as, architectural space design, furniture choices, technical infrastructure features, acoustics, socio-cultural norms, and privacy and visibility of wall-sized displays support or hinder workers in creative environments. The studio has four connected spaces: individual workspaces, collaborative spaces, a kitchen and social café area, and a distance-learning class-room. I analyze a design studio environment through time-lapse photography. This research uses vision algorithms and machine learning to identify locations where people and teams worked. In prior research we noted that teams worked more often in locations that were less visible from other locations, provided greater laptop screen and display privacy, had whiteboards, and electrical outlets. Students did individual work throughout the studio-suite regardless of the function assigned to the spaces.

Last updated: 5:46 pm

Paper presentations @ DRS Conference 2016

/ scupelli

June 22, 2016 1:30 AM

Peter Scupelli presented papers at the 50th Anniversary Design+Research+Society Conference 2016, hosted by the University of Brighton in the UK. The papers featured were:

1) Scupelli & Hanington: Design Studio Desk and Shared Place Attachments: A Study on Ownership, Personalization, and Agency

Abstract:

Increasing numbers of students, limited space, and decreasing budgets nudge many university administrators to shift from assigned design studio desks to flexible workspace arrangements. This paper explores student attachment to the individual desk and shared spaces in a graduate design studio in a Design School in a North American first-tier research university. The studio had four interconnected spaces with: individual desks, collaborative workspaces, a kitchen-social cafe area, and a distance-learning classroom. We explored student perspectives and attitudes on studio aesthetics, functionality, agency, ownership, personalization, and occupancy patterns with four methods (i.e., online survey, student class schedules, interviews, time-lapse study). Perception of ownership, personalization, and agency were greatest for individual desks. Students perceived the individual desk as a primary territory even though the administration said desks were shared hot-desks. Individual work and collaborative work occurred throughout the studio regardless of functional assignment (e.g., spaces for individual work, collaboration, classroom).

2) Scupelli, Wasserman, & Brooks: Dexign Futures: A Pedagogy for Long-Horizon Design Scenarios

Abstract:

The transition towards societal level sustainability requires thinking and acting anew. Traditional design pedagogy poorly equips designers to integrate long- range strategic thinking with current human-centered design methods. In this paper, we describe a three-course sequence: Dexign Futures Seminar (DFS), Introduction to Dexign the Future (iDTF), and Dexign the Future (DTF). The term dexign indicates an experimental type of design that integrates Futures Thinking with Design Thinking. Students learn to engage strategic long time horizon scenarios from a generative design perspective. DFS, online modules, teaches students to critique and deconstruct existing futures scenarios. iDTF situates students to explore futures based themes and apply design methods and research techniques. DTF takes students into a semester-long project designing for 2050. In this paper, we describe lessons learned that lead to a pedagogy for supporting novices as they develop skills and methods for long time horizon futures design.

Last updated: 1:30 am

Design Studio Learning Environment Research

/ scupelli

November 14, 2014 9:00 AM

Studio-based design education is changing to include multidisciplinary design teams, geographically distributed teams, information technology, and new work styles. In this research, we describe the graduate design studio redesign in the School of Design at Carnegie Mellon University. The old graduate studio went from a single room design studio to four interconnected spaces: an area with individual workspaces, collaborative spaces, a kitchen and social cafe area, and a classroom with distance learning technology.

  • Study 1 indicates student satisfaction significantly improved. However, open-ended survey comments suggest that functional needs were met, but some pleasure-related and emotional needs linked to habitation were problematic.
  • Study 2 explores ownership, personalization, aesthetics, function, acoustics, upkeep, and agency in the four connected studio spaces (i.e., individual workspaces, collaborative spaces kitchen and social cafe area, the distance learning classroom). Research methods included an online survey and desk interviews.
  • Study 3 determines student occupancy levels in the design studio spaces via a time-lapse study. One picture is taken every minute to determine where students work in the four interconnected spaces.

Key findings include: (a) users evaluated studio spaces holistically based on functionality, emotional response, and pleasure; (b) owned spaces differed significantly from shared spaces; (c) individual work and collaboration work occurred throughout the studio (e.g., collaboration in quiet individual workspaces, and individual work in loud collaboration spaces). The research approach above informs the study of IDeATE studio-learning spaces.

Principal Contact

Peter Scupelli, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor in IxD
School of Design
scupelli@cmu.edu

Research Team

Bruce Hanington
Associate Professor & Head of Graduate Studies
School of Design

Andrea Fineman
Graduate Research Assistant
School of Design

Xiaowei Jiang
Graduate Research Assistant
School of Design

Frances Yin Wang
Graduate Research Assistant
School of Design

Collaborative spaces and individual workspaces in design studios: a study on ownership, personalization, agency, emotion, and pleasure

/ scupelli

October 24, 2014 9:00 AM

Studio-based design education is changing to include multidisciplinary design teams, geographically distributed teams, information technology, and new work styles. In this talk, I describe the graduate design studio redesign in the School of Design at Carnegie Mellon University. The old studio went from a single room design studio to four interconnected spaces: an area with individual workspaces, collaborative spaces, a kitchen and social cafe area, and a classroom with distance learning technology. Study one indicates student satisfaction significantly improved but some open-ended survey comments suggest that functional needs were met, but some pleasure-related and emotional needs linked to habitation were problematic. Study two used an online survey and a time-lapse study to explore ownership, personalization, aesthetics, function, acoustics, upkeep, and agency in the four connected studio spaces: individual workspaces, collaborative spaces kitchen and social cafe area, and the distance learning classroom. Don Norman’s Emotional Design and Patrick Jordan’s Designing Pleasurable Products books are used as frameworks to explore user needs in design studios.

Last updated: 9:00 am