A design studio course in application development: Lessons learned

Degree programs in practice-based disciplines such as architecture, industrial engineering, graphic design, and the fine arts often include design studio experiences for their students. These studio courses are intended to provide students with an opportunity to practice skills and apply knowledge gained from curriculum courses following a more traditional format. They are also intended to provide a forum for both peer-to-peer and instructor-student communication and critique around student work. In this paper we report on lessons learned from the first three years of a design studio program in the College of IST at Penn State University. We provide a short overview of the design studio concept and explain how the idea was adapted to the domain of modern application design and development. The paper is intended as an experience report, giving the rationale and initial design for the course, outlining lessons learned in delivery, and describing some of the experimentation and redesigns carried out to mitigate identified challenges and leverage emerging opportunities.