Customization and Autonomy : Characteristics of the Ideal Design Studio Instructor in Design Education

Design studio is a unique type of course in architecture and interior design education, in which learning is based on student-instructor interaction and learning by doing; yet little research has been conducted on student perceptions of the ideal design studio instructor. The purpose of this paper was to identify characteristics of the ideal studio instructor from student perspectives. Three award-winning design studio instructors' studio activities were observed, and the three instructors and their 40 students were interviewed. As a result, characteristics in four categories were identified. The author argues that providing customized feedback and allowing student autonomy are the two distinct characteristics that students value in design studio as compared to students in other fields or type of courses. The findings provide valuable insights to design educators who would like to strengthen their teaching studios by listening to student voices.