The d.studio in the UBC Sauder School of Business does more than teach students the concepts of design thinking; it also provides a space where they can do so.
A physical d.studio space will launch in fall 2011, upon completion of Sauder’s renovations.
Finding a home for the d.studio represents a remarkable commitment by Sauder to the evolution of its learning model. To effectively implement a studio learning style, a lecture course just wouldn’t cut it, said Moura Quayle, professor and champion of the d.studio.
“You need a space that students can work in,” she said. “They work, often in teams, and they need visual space. It isn’t just sitting at a desk together. They need to see their ideas on the walls.”
And in the room in the Henry Angus building, students will have space to do just that.
When in small group-mode, twenty-four students will be arranged into pods of four to facilitate teamwork; otherwise, the studio serves as a seminar room with whiteboard walls. To make the transformation to small group-mode, whiteboards open out of the walls to create spaces for the tables. These enable teams to engage with as much visual space as possible. This configuration creates a thick wall for storage of markers, post-it notes, books and any other materials required to get the students’ creativity flowing.
Despite its modest size, having a physical space for the studio truly shows the business school’s dedication to integrating design thinking into the curriculum through studio learning. Quayle pointed to the humble origins of Stanford’s thriving design school as an example of what the future might have in store for Sauder. “They started out in trailers,” she said.
Although there was no studio space to be found on campus for the pilot class despite an extensive search by the d.studio team, resourceful use of portable “tool” kits and easels has made studio learning possible for the flagship class.