A CREATIVE MIND: DO BOUNDARIES ENHANCE LEARNING IN DESIGN STUDIO COURSES?

Graphic design has always been a field of boundaries due to techniques, technology, expectations of the client etc. Since the letterpress invented by Gutenberg, where the production of the books did have boundaries, or the first TV commercials bounded by the broadcasting limitations, the technology has developed a giant leap, but we still have the similar concern about designing a unique, aesthetically pleasing yet functional products. In teaching design, which is a field where the rights and wrongs now and then becomes subjective or else vague, teaching students to be able to achieve creative end products, is a matter of significancy.

When effects of boundaries on learning design is discussed in details, the importance of giving the message clearly or finalising the project uniquely within carefully determined boundaries is emerged. For example at packaging design course which is a must course for fifth and sixth semesters undergrads at Anadolu University Fine Arts Faculty Graphic Design Department, a project focused on designing a 3D form to carry, protect and present an egg is given to the students every year. One of the main goal of the project is to focus on designing a creative, aesthetic and functional form within some boundaries like using just one type of paper. Another example is a time-based project, given in Bahcesehir University, where students are asked to visualize the meaning of the word in black and white, only using the letterforms that creates the word itself, with the purpose of introducing letterforms in motion.

This paper is based on the observations obtained from the practical courses which are conducted in two different universities. The example projects from such courses are examined as case studies in terms of the impact on the visual vocabulary and learning process of the students. The students’ remarks on the subject are collected and compared with the instructors evaluation to understand the effect of the boundaries.