Abstract
Feedback plays a pivotal role in design education, particularly within the dynamic context of studio critiques. While critiques aim to foster design skills and professional identity, many students struggle to process feedback, navigate emotional responses, and make informed design decisions. Unstructured critique processes can heighten stress and uncertainty, hindering effective learning. This study investigates how critique culture impacts beginner design students and explores structured tools that support more confident engagement with feedback. Guided by the question, “How might we empower students to make more confident and informed decisions based on the instructors feedback in studio classes?”, this mixed-method study, comprising classroom observations, surveys, and interviews with design undergraduate students on a North-American university, examines the emotional challenges of critique, types of feedback, and barriers to acting on it. Findings highlight that feedback is most impactful when students have timely opportunities to apply it in environments that support clarity, reflection, and dialogue. By addressing a critical gap in design education, this project contributes to a more holistic understanding of critique. It underscores emotional awareness, reflection, and empowerment as essential components in shaping confident, capable designers. Aligned with the conference theme of design education and societal change, this work advocates for user-centered, inclusive, and empowering critique practices that equip students to navigate complexity with creativity and responsibility.
Keywords
Design education; Student empowerment; Feedback; Studio critique
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.535
Citation
Chen, Y.,and Mouchrek, N.(2025) The Role of Feedback in Design Studio Critiques: An Exploratory Study, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.535
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 12 - Design Education
The Role of Feedback in Design Studio Critiques: An Exploratory Study
Feedback plays a pivotal role in design education, particularly within the dynamic context of studio critiques. While critiques aim to foster design skills and professional identity, many students struggle to process feedback, navigate emotional responses, and make informed design decisions. Unstructured critique processes can heighten stress and uncertainty, hindering effective learning. This study investigates how critique culture impacts beginner design students and explores structured tools that support more confident engagement with feedback. Guided by the question, “How might we empower students to make more confident and informed decisions based on the instructors feedback in studio classes?”, this mixed-method study, comprising classroom observations, surveys, and interviews with design undergraduate students on a North-American university, examines the emotional challenges of critique, types of feedback, and barriers to acting on it. Findings highlight that feedback is most impactful when students have timely opportunities to apply it in environments that support clarity, reflection, and dialogue. By addressing a critical gap in design education, this project contributes to a more holistic understanding of critique. It underscores emotional awareness, reflection, and empowerment as essential components in shaping confident, capable designers. Aligned with the conference theme of design education and societal change, this work advocates for user-centered, inclusive, and empowering critique practices that equip students to navigate complexity with creativity and responsibility.