Abstract:

In these challenging times where competition for a single position in the design industry is at an all-time high, students require a post-secondary education that bridges the requirements of academia and the rigors of the professional work environment. Preparation of students for the demands of the contemporary workplace requires skills that include the ability to work in teams and an understanding of how they may immediately contribute to projects of various scales.

This research is based on a current case-study of collaboration and peer-mentoring within a combined design studio (interior design major) comprised of ten teams with two students - one each from a 3rd year and a 4th year class. This shift in the typical design education paradigm, from a mere solitary and introverted design activity to a more constructive and engaging process of teamwork, requires the senior student to provide leadership and critical feedback to their junior project partner through the course of a shared, semester-long studio assignment that offers both combined and individual challenges and outcomes.

Beginning with the initial project stage of collaborative research and decision-making, students are introduced to the notion that the “whole is greater than the sum of its parts” [Aristotle]. Each individual may bring with himself or herself unique experiences and characteristics, but when grouped together, the outcome can become something greater.

Keywords:

Design, education, experiential, critical-thinking, mentoring, paradigm, leadership.