Collaboration

Audra Buck-Coleman

Amy Papaelias
Assistant Professor of Graphic Design
University of Bridgeport

How do 30 undergraduate design students, five professors and a handful of librarians, staff and administrators turn the University of Bridgeport’s outdated library into a 21st century information hub? In August 2007, junior and senior students from three design majors -- graphic, industrial and interior design -- were divided into four interdisciplinary teams and given one semester to collaboratively research, brainstorm, and ultimately, create a holistic vision for the future of the University's library.

The deliverables of the project included a public exhibition and multi-media presentation (including 2D renderings, video and scale models) detailing each group’s overall design concept.

David Shields, Assistant Professor, University of Texas

This presentation examines a studio assignment given to Junior design students at the University of Texas at Austin. This was the first collaborative project the students undertook as part of their studies in the program, and fostered a focused learning experience through collaborative working between the students. It provided for direct interaction with professional practitioners, as well as working closely with a client, and gave real-world experience in using visual and verbal communication skills to present the final proposals.

Cheryl Beckett, Associate Professor, University of Houston

Audra Buck-Coleman, Assistant Professor, University of Maryland, College Park

The rewards are many from collaborative projects, but negotiating the often-rocky terrain and uncharted waters of a cooperative curriculum can be difficult.

What are the benefits from collaborating cross-university, cross-country and globally? What are the challenges of these kinds of projects? Where do you begin? What can design students from different regions offer each other? This presentation will include lessons learned from a multi-university project as well as grounded advice for those considering their own collaborations.

Watch the video of the presentation here: http://www.socialstudiesconference.org/node/237