Abstract
This paper presents a studio-based course in a higher education setting that explores the pedagogical potential of the Critical Making (CM) approach. The course was designed to investigate how B.Sc. level industrial design students could integrate critical thinking and material exploration within the design process. It aimed to cultivate students’ abilities in three interrelated areas: articulating social criticism through design, employing interactive technologies to support critical expression, and engaging in personal inquiry into design processes. Structured at the intersection of art and design, the course employed studio pedagogy supported by class exercises and coding workshops. These activities encouraged students to critically examine materiality and explore the affordances of interactive technologies through hands-on making. To evaluate the outcomes, data were collected through pre-course interviews, weekly blog reflections, post-course interviews, and studio observation notes. The findings demonstrate how students developed skills for the critical engagement of technology by combining reflection, material experimentation, and social critique. This research offers a methodological example for design educators interested in fostering critical making practices that connect technological inquiry with social relevance and personal expression. Keywords: critical making, critical thinking, interactive technologies, studio pedagogy, course design
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drslxd.2025.141
Citation
Dilek, Ö.(2025) Intertwining The Materiality and The Criticism In The Critical Making Studio, in Clemente, V., Gomes, G., Reis, M., Félix, S., Ala, S., Jones, D. (eds.), Learn X Design 2025, 22-24 September 2025, Aveiro, Portugal. https://doi.org/10.21606/drslxd.2025.141
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Full Paper
Intertwining The Materiality and The Criticism In The Critical Making Studio
This paper presents a studio-based course in a higher education setting that explores the pedagogical potential of the Critical Making (CM) approach. The course was designed to investigate how B.Sc. level industrial design students could integrate critical thinking and material exploration within the design process. It aimed to cultivate students’ abilities in three interrelated areas: articulating social criticism through design, employing interactive technologies to support critical expression, and engaging in personal inquiry into design processes. Structured at the intersection of art and design, the course employed studio pedagogy supported by class exercises and coding workshops. These activities encouraged students to critically examine materiality and explore the affordances of interactive technologies through hands-on making. To evaluate the outcomes, data were collected through pre-course interviews, weekly blog reflections, post-course interviews, and studio observation notes. The findings demonstrate how students developed skills for the critical engagement of technology by combining reflection, material experimentation, and social critique. This research offers a methodological example for design educators interested in fostering critical making practices that connect technological inquiry with social relevance and personal expression. Keywords: critical making, critical thinking, interactive technologies, studio pedagogy, course design