The design studio, models of creativity and the education of future designers

The design studio is integral to design education. It plays an important role in the training of future designers, representing a key space for experimentation and creative activity. In contrast to other elements of design education, the studio gives students first hand experiences of the design process and the practical aspects of designing. It introduces them to the concept of creativity and gives them experiences of and knowledge about the creative design process. This paper discusses the problems facing the contemporary design studio through an exploration of its development and its relationship to the 'romantic' notion of creativity. The paper argues that there is a paradox implicit in current educational practice which is due to the design disciplines' continual fascination with the romantic model of creativity; a model which understands creativity as an, innate, spontaneous ability that cannot be taught or assessed.