MAXIMIZING COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING WITHIN HIGHER 
EDUCATION DESIGN STUDIOS WITH A MINIMAL OPEN FLOOR PLAN 
 
 
 
Except where reference is made to the works of others, the work described in this thesis 
is my own and was done in collaboration with advisory committee. This thesis does not 
include proprietary or classified information. 
 
_________________________ 
Marise Meredith Evans 
 
 
 
Certificate of Approval: 
 
 
_____________________                                                   
Christopher Arnold                                                 
Assistant Professor                                                    
Industrial Design  
 
 
_____________________         
Paula Frances Peek                                                  
Assistant Professor                                                   
Interior Design                                                          
 
 
 
_____________________         
Shea Tillman, Chair                                  
Assistant Professor  
Industrial Design                                       
 
 
_____________________    
George T. Flowers 
Interim Dean 
Graduate School 
 
 
MAXIMIZING COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING WITHIN HIGHER 
EDUCATION DESIGN STUDIOS WITH A MINIMAL OPEN FLOOR PLAN 
 
Marise Meredith Evans 
 
 
 
A Thesis  
Submitted to  
the Graduate Faculty of  
Auburn University  
in Partial Fulfillment of the  
Requirements for the  
Degree of  
Master of Industrial Design 
 
 
 
 
Auburn, Alabama 
August 9
th
, 2008 
iii 
 
MAXIMIZING COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING WITHIN HIGHER 
EDUCATION DESIGN STUDIOS WITH A MINIMAL OPEN FLOOR PLAN 
 
Marise Meredith Evans 
 
Permission is granted to Auburn University to make copies of this thesis at its discretion, 
upon request of individuals or institutions and at their expense. The author reserves all 
publications rights. 
 
 
 
 
                                                                                        ________________________ 
                                                                                                 Signature of Author                                       
 
 
 
  ________________________ 
                                                                                                 Date of Graduation     
 
 
 
 
 
 
iv 
 
VITA 
Marise Meredith Evans, daughter of Bennie and Anna Evans, was born September 30
th
, 
1981.  In the ninth grade she received an opportunity to study abroad in Ulft, 
Netherlands. This gave her a taste of the world outside of the United States and set in 
motion her love for travel. She graduated from Pike County High School in 2000 as one 
of the top of her class and class president.  In the fall, she enrolled at Auburn University 
and majored in Interior Design.  Junior year, Marise studied abroad for a semester in 
Ariccia, Italy with the College of Human Sciences.  In May 2004 she moved to San 
Francisco to work for two companies. The first was Kwan Henmi Architecture and 
Planning, an architecture firm specializing in education and transportation.  The other 
was Kelly Associates, an interior design firm specializing in residential design.  In May 
2005, she entered the program for a Bachelors degree in Environmental Design.  During 
this time she learned that she had a unique design style and attitude because of her 
education history and travel experiences. She graduated the following year and was 
accepted into the Industrial Design graduate program.  She has participated in corporate-
sponsored studios for national names such as Emerson Tool Company, Broan Nutone and 
Phi Kappa Phi. She has been inducted into several honor societies including National 
Scholars, Delta Epilson Iota and Golden Key.  She received 4
th
 place in the International 
Design Institute Competition in June 2008 for her thesis desk design.  August 2008 she 
graduated with her Masters in Industrial Design with Magna Cum Laude honors. 
v 
 
MAXIMIZING COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING WITHIN HIGHER 
EDUCATION DESIGN STUDIOS WITH A MINIMAL OPEN FLOOR PLAN 
 
Marise Meredith Evans 
Master of Industrial Design, August 9, 2008 
(Bachelors of Environmental Design, Auburn University, 2006) 
(Bachelors of Science in Interior Design, Auburn University, 2005) 
 
93 Typed Pages 
 
Directed by Shea Tillman 
 
 Past research has determined a number of new teaching methods which enhance 
student learning.  Yet most of this research revolves around course content and teaching 
techniques rather than modification of the environment in which the students are 
learning. Changes in the learning environment have been slow to develop due, in large 
part, to budgetary constraints. Many departments on campus find themselves teaching in 
cramped classrooms built and furnished thirty years ago or more.  Schools are often faced 
with the debate of new construction versus retrofitting of the present facilities to meet the 
needs of their students.  
 Within creative majors, industrial design is no exception to the enormous surge of 
technological advances.  In a major where drafting tables, stools and T-squares have been 
used for years, the computer has become the tool of choice.   Detailed hand drawings 
vi 
 
have been replaced with quick sketches that translate easily into exquisite software 
programs allowing students to create near flawless and realistic models of their concepts.  
Creative curriculums that presently require stationary individual workstations are now in 
need of flexible collaborative spaces where students can interact as a team. By requiring 
students to work together on projects, design education aligns itself with the design 
process utilized in the workplace which ultimately will transition industrial design 
students smoothly into the work force. 
 A lack of funding is the main deterrent to updating and integrating the latest 
technological advances into classrooms on most university campuses both public and 
private.   So, how can universities save space, time and money to create a quality 
technologically enhanced educational environment?  This thesis will address one method 
for retrofitting furnishings to educational design studios with minimal square footage in 
order to maximize collaborative problem solving skills and better accommodate emerging 
computerized technology.  
Creative curriculums that once required individual static workstations now require 
more flexibility and collaborative spaces so students can better interact with one another.   
By requiring students to work together on projects, design education models itself closely 
after the design processes employed in the workplace.  The reasons for this seem to be 
two-fold: to better prepare young professionals in adjusting to their future workplace and 
to maximize the productivity for the employer by minimizing the learning curve of a new 
employee.  
vii 
 
 So how can universities save space, time and money on efficient furniture that 
makes industrial design students better employees?  This thesis will address how the 
educational design studio class can be designed to better accommodating computer 
technology and foster collaborative learning with minimal square footage.  
 
 
 
 
viii 
 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
The author would like to thank her parents, Bennie and Anna Evans and her sister 
Molly for their unwavering encouragement and love.  Thank you for all the hugs, kisses and 
listening ears.  To all of my friends that have stuck it out over these past three exciting and 
challenging years. I couldn?t have made it without your advice, kindness and support. To my 
committee chair professor, Shea Tillman, thank you for all the guidance with my thesis and 
for always willing to lend a helping hand to any student. To my committee members, 
Professor Chris Arnold and Professor Paula Frances Peek, thank you for all of the feedback, 
guidance and encouraging words. To all the Industrial Design students who put up with Shea 
and me taking photos, rearranging a studio and asking questions, thank you for your patience 
and positive attitudes. To all the schools that participated in the survey, thank you for sharing 
your collegiate knowledge with me for this study. A special thanks to my post-baccalaureate 
friends, Jacqueline, Mark, and Alex. Without you the past three years would have been 
boring.  The laughs, deep conversations, and late nights are memories that will last a lifetime.  
To Clark, Mary Anne, Randy, Liu, Jarrod, Bret, Tin Man, Rich, Owen, John, David, Chad, 
Sylvia, and Becky, thank you for the knowledge and wisdom that you have shared with me. 
To the industrial design students at Auburn, thank you for your camaraderie and for helping 
me become a better designer.  Many thanks to all of you; I am truly blessed to have such 
amazing people in my life! 
 
ix 
 
Style manual or journal used:           APA Standard Guide, Fifth Edition 
 
Computer software used:                 Microsoft Word 
                                                          Microsoft Excel 
                                                          Adobe Illustrator CS2 
                                                          Adobe Photoshop CS2 
                                                          Rhinoceros 3-D Modeler 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
x 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
LIST OF FIGURES xii 
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION TO PROBLEM 
1.1 Problem Statement 1 
1.2 Need for Study 2 
1.3 Definition of Terms 3 
1.4 Assumptions 4 
1.5 Scope and Limits 6 
1.6 Procedures and Methods 7 
1.7 Anticipated Outcome 9 
1.8 Literature Review 10 
 
CHAPTER TWO: INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH 
2.1 Change in Economics, Education, Lifestyle and Technology 15 
2.2 Design Studio Phases 20 
2.3 Three Places: Work, Home and ?The Third? 22 
2.4 College Life versus the Working World 23 
 
CHAPTER THREE: NATIONAL STUDIO RESEARCH AND SURVEY 
3.1 Study Guidelines 24 
3.2 Figures and Findings 29 
 
CHAPTER FOUR: INTERNAL DEPARTMENT STUDY AND ANALYSIS 
4.1 Auburn University: Facts and Figures 34                         
4.2 Individual Storage Space Survey 38                         
 
CHAPTER FIVE: IMPLEMENTATION AND EXPERIMENTATION 
5.1 Goals of the Change Out 45                         
5.2 What Was Designed and Why 46                         
 
CHAPTER SIX: GUIDELINES FOR THE DESIGNING OF ENVIRONMENTS FOR 
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN STUDENTS 
6.1 Product Development 55 
6.2 Final Concept: How needs were met with the Desk Design: Lighting, Flexibility,  
      Private vs. Communal Space, Collaboration 57
xi 
 
CHAPTER SEVEN: CONCLUSIONS OF STUDY 
7.1 Next Steps: Opportunities for Future Study 60 
7.2 Closing Thoughts 61 
 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 62 
 
APPENDICES 66 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
xii 
 
LIST OF FIGURES 
Figure 1: Three phases of a design studio and their collaboration level 20 
Figure 2: Educational Studio Survey Kit 25 
Figure 3: Educational Studio Survey Questions 25 
Figure 4: Completed Visual/Verbal Educational Studio Survey 28 
Figure 5: Survey Statistics: Public vs. Private 30 
Figure 6: Class hours per week in studio: Public vs. Private 31 
Figure 7: Example High and Low Work surfaces 31 
Figure 8: Lighting in Universities and Institutions 32 
Figure 9: Survey Statistics: Public, Private and Auburn University 35 
Figure 10: Class hours per week in studio: Public vs. Private 35 
Figure 11: Typical design studio workspace height and proximities with  
                 drafting boards and stools at Auburn University 37 
 
Figure 12: Cricket Cage with Shelf 40 
Figure 13: Flat Storage Media in Cricket Cages 41 
Figure 14: Expensive Equipment inside Cricket Cages 41 
Figure 15: Tool boxes being stored in Cricket Cages 42 
Figure 16: The top of the cricket cage being used as a secondary Work Surface 43  
Figure 17: Other Storage Problems and Findings 44 
Figure 18: Old desks being exchanged for new lower desks 46
xiii 
 
Figure 19: New desk layout: in conference table arrangement 47  
Figure 20: 30? work surfaces allowed students to sketch easier 47  
Figure 21: New desk layout: in arrangement set by the students 48 
Figure 22: Upholstered Chairs used during the semester 49 
Figure 23: Individual cricket cages were divided with shelves and the top  
                  covered so it became a community work surface 50 
 
Figure 24: Overhead lights are turned off and incandescent task lights are illuminated 51 
Figure 25: Classroom Configuration for 20 students 57 
Figure 26: Desk Dimensions 58 
Figure 27: Workstation Dimensions 59 
Figure 28: Exterior Picture of Biggin Hall 66 
 
Figure 29: Biggin Fall Floor Plans, Main Floor 67 
 
Figure 30: Biggin Hall Floor Plans, Ground Floor 68 
 
Figure 31: Exterior Picture of Smith Hall 69 
 
Figure 32: Smith Hall Floor Plans, First Floor 70 
 
Figure 33: Smith Hall Floor Plans, Second Floor 71 
 
Figure 34: Exterior Picture of Wallace Center 72 
 
Figure 35: Wallace Center Floor Plans, First Floor 73 
 
Figure 36: Picture of Poster Made with Cricket Cage Survey Results 74 
 
Figure 37: Configuration A 75 
 
Figure 38: Configuration B 76 
 
Figure 39: Configuration C 76 
 
Figure 40: Configuration D 77 
xiv 
 
 
Figure 41: Configuration E 77 
 
Figure 42: Configuration F 78 
 
Figure 43: Individual task lighting at each desk 78 
 
Figure 44: Overhead view of desks in the pedal formation 79 
 
Figure 45: Room in Use 79 
1 
 
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION TO PROBLEM 
1.1 Problem Statement 
Many of the most successful products on the market today have been designed by 
teams of designers rather than individual designers. Working collaboratively, the design 
team struggles to bring a new product through a very specific set of developmental 
phases prior to production. Teaching students to be creative in a collaborative situation 
such as the classroom prepares design students for the ?real? working world.  Balancing 
this teamwork approach while assessing a student?s individual talent is the benchmark of 
the school?s ability to turn out successful graduates.  Creative programs need to attract 
the best incoming students and prepare them for a realistic competitive workplace. A 
symbiotic relationship is established when the best student meets the best educational 
experience.   
Depending upon the educational goals for the course, well designed, flexible 
studio furniture in a classroom can lead to improvements in individual creativity and 
collaborative efforts.    If the workspace supports creativity and learning, it stands to 
reason that it will improve motivation, utilization, skill, and production. The basis of this 
thesis is to help industrial design schools create this supportive space for their students.  It 
will explore how studios can be altered in order to maximize collaborative problem 
solving in order to produce the best graduates for a realistic and successful work 
environment and ultimately the best products for a world market.
2 
 
1.2 Need for Study 
 While the need for increased funding and decreased costs is a constant goal for 
higher education institutions, it must accomplish this within the overall goal of improving 
the quality of education itself beyond the course content.  Universities across the United 
States are becoming more competitive while their purse strings are getting tighter. 
Universities find themselves looking at retrofit construction as one way to accommodate 
much of the new technology that abounds in our world today.  Although advances in 
technology have made the biggest impact on changing today?s education, other things 
affect it as well.  The overall educational environment has a major influence on the 
quality and type of productivity a school can expect from their students.  The caliber and 
experience of the instructor notwithstanding, the classroom site itself is a force of its own 
in determining outcome and success.  Without proper studio space and equipment, 
industrial design students will not reach their full potential. An inviting learning 
environment will lead the creative minds to a productive result.   
Positions in the industrial design field are extremely competitive; any assistance 
which the school can give the students toward a real working world experience will tip 
the competitive balance to their students? favor.  If the educational setting is successful at 
simulating the working world they will create a smooth transition from school to work 
place.  An inviting studio will beckon students to stay and practice sketching, work on 
computer programs or swap ideas with others.   As the old saying goes, ?practice makes 
perfect?, and ?perfect? will become marketable skills for a successful future.   
 
3 
 
1.3 Definition of Terms 
Brainstorming - A conference technique of solving specific problems, amassing 
information, stimulating creative thinking, developing new ideas, etc. by unrestrained and 
spontaneous participation in discussion.  
 
Collaboration ? To work together, especially in a joint intellectual effort. 
 
Contract Furniture ? Furniture leased out by a company to another company.  Many 
contract furniture companies have contracts with their clients for a minimum time period 
as well as the option to change furniture when the contract is renewed. 
 
Control Group - A group of subjects closely resembling the treatment group in many 
demographic variables but not receiving the active medication or factor under study and 
thereby serving as a comparison group when treatment results are evaluated. 
 
Creative Majors ? Any major in college that primarily uses the right side of the brain or is 
fine art based.  
 
Culture ? The behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age 
group. The quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded 
as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc. 
 
Change ? To transform or convert. To transfer from one (conveyance) to another. 
 
Emerging Technologies ? Any technological device or system that is in development and 
has not been released to the general public. 
 
Environment ? The surroundings of a person which affect their mood in any way. An 
indoor or outdoor setting that is characterized by the presence of environmental art that is 
itself designed to be site-specific. The social and cultural forces that shape the life of a 
person. Some synonyms: ambiance, setting, set, atmosphere, feeling, vibe, character, air, 
space, etc. 
 
Higher Education ? Any post-secondary institution/university/college offering a degree 
earned by attending for a minimum of 2 years.  Education beyond high school, 
specifically that provided by colleges, graduate schools, and professional schools. 
 
Learning Process ? The process a person uses to learn. It varies from person to person 
and differs dependent upon the person?s left or right side brain skills. 
 
Lifestyle - The habits, attitudes, tastes, moral standards, economic level, etc., that 
together constitute the mode of living of an individual or group. 
 
4 
 
Private Spaces ? Spaces used by people for alone time, sleep and non-group studying, 
etc.   
 
Public Spaces - Spaces used by the general public for socializing, collaborating and 
brainstorming, etc.    
 
Quiet Pods ? Big chairs, sometimes with desks, which surround a person so they can 
think freely without distraction. Often used during individual brainstorming. 
 
Real World ? The realm of practical or actual experience, as opposed to the abstract, 
theoretical, or idealized sphere of the classroom, laboratory, etc. 
 
Spatially Challenged ? Rooms that are used to their fullest capacity. People in these 
rooms often need more room and come up with creative solutions to their problems with 
storage, desk space, etc. 
 
Technology - The branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical 
means and their interrelation with life, society, and the environment, drawing upon such 
subjects as industrial arts, engineering, applied science, and pure science. The sum of the 
ways in which social groups provide themselves with the material objects of their 
civilization. 
 
Third Place ? Refers to social surroundings separate from the two usual social 
environments of home and the workplace. 
 
Utilitarian - having a useful function; having utility often to the exclusion of values; 
someone who believes that the value of a thing depends on its utility. 
 
Volume Planning - Similar definition as space planning, but used to address the volume 
of the room as cubic feet being used in a space.  
 
1.4 Assumptions 
Several assumptions will need to be made in order to conduct the experiments in 
the study.  Some of these assumptions are opinions from the author?s own professional 
and educational experiences.  The personal history and background of the researcher and 
author of this study may influence the outcome.  The person responsible for this study is 
an industrial design student and has worked in an architectural firm as an interior 
5 
 
designer, a position that was a creative, collaborative job.  The purpose in researching 
this area was to help gather an understanding of the needs of industrial design students 
and teachers in higher education.  The goal of this thesis is to make a list of criteria that 
would be used when designing furniture for industrial design students. 
The assumptions that are made without proof in this study are that human beings 
are basically creatures of habit. It is assumed that creative individuals get bored very 
easily and need stimulation. People are flexible, adaptable creatures and they need a 
space that accommodates different modes of life.  Changing furniture for specific needs 
increases interaction with the furniture and with the other people sharing the space.  
People need personal space and storage, but many utilitarian things can be shared.  If 
students are treated like adults they will act like adults.  They will use tools and materials, 
be willing to share them and put them back in their proper places.  
These assumptions are made because it is believed that students have the right to 
choices.  This includes something as small as more flexibility in a design studio space. 
Creative design atmospheres let go of the strictly ?individual? space and lean towards 
sharing studio space and supplies.  A school?s studio space should be run like a business, 
but still be a learning environment.  If the professor is seen more as a ?design director? of 
a company, the learning becomes more ?work world? realistic. The atmosphere will not 
be as intimidating and it will inspire self-confidence in the student. If treated like an adult 
they will feel like an adult, taking responsibility for themselves and what they are 
learning.  By being given a classroom that mimics a workplace, students will act more 
professional and be more prepared for the workplace when they graduate. 
6 
 
 
1.5 Scope and Limits 
Scope of Study: 
This study will cover the design of ?maximizing collaborative problem solving within 
higher education design studios with a minimal open floor plan.?  This thesis will be set 
up as a guideline for industrial design programs in higher education.  This study will 
cover the following: 
1. Space waste 
2. Flexible furniture 
3. The comparison of Industrial Design programs around the United States 
4. A controlled experiment involving one group of students in a studio space that has 
changed and a second ?control group? where the furniture is kept the same. 
Limits of Study: 
1. Location ?Auburn, Alabama is a small town. Would the results be different at a 
different school or a school in a large city?  Perhaps, and how do we take this into 
consideration? 
2. Size of program ? Based on enrollment, Auburn is a medium to large sized 
program yet it has a small space allowance compared to other schools around the 
country. What would be the results in a program with smaller or larger student 
enrollments? What would the results be in a program that had larger space 
available?  
7 
 
3. This thesis will be a guideline. Every space is different, and the individual 
school?s program needs are different.   
 
1.6 Procedure and Methodology 
o Procedure #1: 
? Survey and visually document the current space/furniture setups 
within various industrial design programs around the country. 
o Method:  
? Conduct a survey on different industrial design studios around the 
country (30 different programs, half public, half private in hopes to 
get at least 10 back). 
? Do Library and internet research. 
? Analyze the surveys. 
? Draw conclusion from the surveys. 
 
 
o Procedure #2: 
? Visually document the current space/furniture setups at Auburn 
o Method:  
? Take pictures of current set-up at Auburn and notice student?s 
behavior as a result of the current set up. 
? Analyze the data collected 
? Draw conclusion from the data 
 
 
o Procedure #3: 
? Research space planning/furniture trends in higher education and 
this business category in contract furniture. 
o Method:  
? Collect research and data from the major contract furniture 
companies around the United States (Steelcase, Herman Miller, 
etc.) 
? Do Library and internet research     
? Analyze the research and data collected 
? Draw conclusion from the research and data 
 
o Procedure #4: 
? Determine how higher education and industries create 
collaborations in each of their spaces. 
o Method:  
8 
 
? With all the research and data collected, find links and similarities 
in research and design methods 
? Find differences in the data and determine what can be used and 
learned from them. 
? Design a course of action and guidelines that must be followed in 
order to run a successful studio/design business 
 
 
o Procedure #5: 
? Determine how much storage space a student really needs 
o Method:  
? Take photos of all rooms and cricket cages 
? Determine a percentage amount for the ?fullness? of a cricket cage  
? Analyze the data to determine the actual amount of storage needed 
by students 
? Talk with students about what kind of storage is needed (i.e. ? 
cricket cages, flat files, lockers, etc.) 
? Design alternative storage solutions 
 
 
o Procedure #6: 
? Plan/schedule a research study that probes how an industrial design 
studio works 
o Method:  
? Build/purchase the furniture needed to be installed for the study 
? Install the new set of furniture, storage and lighting 
? Survey and interview the students and faculty throughout the 
study; including before, during and after to get their thoughts and 
feelings on what makes a good design studio, what they liked and 
disliked about the space.  
? Tie visual/verbal data to patterns and themes 
? Change the room up (i.e. ? move people?s chairs around and see if 
they go to their chair and are territorial or don?t mind sharing their 
space) 
? Develop design implications for the patterns and themes 
discovered. 
? Synthesize all data from the study 
? Create a document that visually and verbally explains the problem 
definition/need for research, research methods, research 
findings/patterns, and design implications. 
? Using the design implications developed from the study, design a 
series of furniture, storage and lighting concepts that promote 
collaboration and creativity within a ?spatially challenged? 
industrial design studio 
9 
 
? Complete the documentation of the research study, patterns, design 
implications, and design solution examples. 
 
1.7 Anticipated Outcome 
The aim for this thesis the generation of design criteria for use when design 
schools are looking to start or update their studio spaces.  With this guide, schools would 
decide what guidelines fit their specific program, needs and space allowance.  There are 
some consequences in this project that could happen within a long term period.   
 The first problem that is foreseen is Auburn University?s Industrial Design 
program.  This is a research project used to help guide schools, not a project aimed at 
improving Auburn University.  Auburn?s Industrial Design program needs improvement; 
there is always room for improvement including all other industrial design programs 
around the country.  Yet, that is not the focus of this project.  Building new furniture for 
the school once the project is completed would require additional resources.   
 Another problem is the change in teaching style and curriculum.  Thirty years ago 
a teacher would stand at the front of the classroom giving a lecture and the students 
taking notes, not on a computer, but by hand.  Today the best teaching gets students 
involved in interaction with the teacher as a guide.   The teacher is encouraged to sit back 
and let the students think for themselves instead of ?force feeding? information which is 
then regurgitated on a test.  So what lies in the future for teaching and technology? We 
only have ideas, not definite facts and we can only hope our new flexible furniture system 
can accommodate the future.  
10 
 
A problem that can arise as a result of a program?s success is an even larger lack 
of space.  For a program confined to small spaces, a growth in the number of students 
would tax an already tiny building.  
This thesis? outcome will be to create a guideline for industrial design schools 
across the country.  It will help studios to run to the best of their abilities and help the 
students to become collaboratively ?work world? ready when they graduate.  
 
1.8 Literature Review 
 The current spaces provided at Auburn University for industrial design students 
have both positive and negative qualities.  These assets and liabilities in studio spaces 
have a direct effect on the student?s quality of work and life.   
 Research has shown that altering class layout and furniture can cause the class to 
have different outcomes as a result.  
?Studies suggest that the same group, given different learning environments 
and tools, will achieve different results? (Learning Environments, 2000). 
 
There have been research studies done on how college students act, study, play, relax and 
sleep.  All of these studies seem to come to one conclusion; that students need a well 
rounded mix of public spaces and private areas.  Public spaces are for socializing, 
collaborating and brainstorming.    
?Social spaces keep minds, voices and project moving? (Creating 
Collaborators, 2006).  
 
Private spaces are used by students for alone time, sleep and non-group studying.   
11 
 
?People want a place in the workplace to call their own and a lot of work 
and product knowledge is being focused on allowing them to do that is 
new ways? (The State of the Cubicle, 2005). 
 
Higher education programs, especially public universities, are lacking the space needed 
for a well rounded education regarding both of these areas.   
 Contract furniture companies have done studies on higher education and creative 
majors, such as industrial design, and their needs.  They have formed space plans using 
the furniture the company manufactures.  Unfortunately, most of these furniture plans call 
for large open structures where the ?walls? are actually part of the furniture system.  Most 
public universities are somewhat outdated in regard to their buildings.  By the time public 
universities have determined their changing needs for instructional space and have 
initiated proposals, and secured funding for a finished building the proposed space is 
practically out of date with emerging technology and teaching needs.  Current buildings 
on campus do not have large, open floor plans but are strapped with ?make do? situations 
such as smaller rooms with structural walls separating the spaces.  With university 
budgets tightly guarded there is simply no room for construction of new buildings.  So 
what are public universities, to do?  How can they make the best use of the facilities on 
hand and make work space available for the changing needs of students, products and 
emerging technologies?    
?Since the teaching process and learning process has changed, the space 
that supports the process must change? (Cornell, 2003). 
 
If the buildings cannot be changed, then the way that we work, the type of furniture and 
the style of education must change in order to make it more conducive for students, 
allowing an easier transition into the working world.   
12 
 
 There are several principles which professors could apply to improve their lecture 
halls and studios with only a minimum amount of effort.   One of these is the transition of 
individual schoolwork to collaborative group projects.  Collaboration in the world of 
industrial design is imperative and this principle should become a much larger part of 
industrial design education.   
?Time was, if we ?collaborated? while learning, it was called cheating.  
Now, we realize the value of, in fact the need for, collaboration among 
learners of all ages.? (Learning Environment, 2000).  
 
Designing, developing and installing a collaborative work space for students, which 
fosters their combined creative energy is an essential part of design stimulation and 
learning.  Collaborative design spaces must be incorporated as an essential part of 
learning and creativity in the industrial design curriculum.   The challenge is found in the 
types of furniture used to help promote this behavior.  An example would be the use of a 
rectangular table.  Psychologically rectangular tables make people feel less cohesive as a 
group than a circular table which allows the designers to sit near each other and share 
ideas with ease.  People sitting at a rectangular table traditionally look to the ?head? of the 
table for guidance. For design purposes, all members of the team should feel comfortable 
in submitting their ideas as equals.  The shape, size and mobility of the furniture should 
reflect that principle.  
?New learning environments simply provide more options? (Learning 
Environments, 2000). 
 
By having easy, flexible furniture that easily moved around it can accommodate current 
and emerging needs. 
13 
 
 Industrial Design is a complex major.  It requires grueling hours of work which 
does not allow much social time with friends outside of the building.  It is not uncommon 
for students to come in early in the morning and stay well past midnight, never leaving 
the building except perhaps for meals.   For this reason, it is important that industrial 
design departments include areas similar to the working worlds such as ?break rooms.?  
This area could be incorporated within the studio itself or as additional space within the 
building where students can both mentally and physically remove themselves from a 
project for rest and refreshment.  However, particular care needs to be paid that 
distraction to other work areas is not a problem. As is seen in all art careers, design fields 
also tend to immerse all areas of life.  The break room space should be an excellent 
source of inspiration through rest, refreshment and socialization and the savvy school 
needs to mindfully assign space which will allow that to take place.   
?Education, work and life activities are becoming integrated.  Increasingly 
they will become ?fused? (Cornell, 2004).   
 
Cornell?s comment shows the need for such environments.  Providing spaces which 
support the formal, informal and social actions of life is a significant part of the learning 
process.  In another reference he comments on freedom of choice for the user: 
?The environment should allow greater end user flexibility, permitting 
people freedom of choice? (Cornell, 2005).  
 
 In the working world, companies are becoming increasingly more liberal with their work 
environment.  Offices are allowing employees to arrange and decorate the office as they 
please. Some companies are providing furniture like ping pong tables and ?quiet pods? in 
an effort to tap into the relaxed creative mind.   An industrial design firm, IDEO, recently 
14 
 
allowed their employees to buy an airplane nose for the office, in Palo Alto, California, 
for mere decoration and amusement.  
?Enlightened companies are discovering that making work more like life 
actually makes work more productive? (Metro and Jump LLC, 2003). 
 
Companies which have adjusted the work environment by allowing their employees to 
become more comfortable have found that the quality as well as the quantity of the work 
produced has improved.   This improved quality and quantity of work is directly 
measureable in the profitability of the company.  
?We will seek out those environments that are not only conducive to 
learning but provide community and human interaction.  This will provide 
opportunities for informal learning, which by its nature is unplanned and 
fortuitous.  The physical environment can do much to enhance or impede 
this process? (Cornell, 2004). 
 
So, by allowing fun to take place in an educational setting spontaneous learning will take 
place as well.  This concept has been utilized by kindergarten teachers for decades.  
There is every reason to believe that spontaneous learning can take place when the 
physical environment has been deliberately enhanced in order not to impede the learning 
process.  Assessing the current facilities with this concept in mind is very important for 
the success of design education.  
 In doing research for this thesis, a tremendous amount of information was found 
on how to improve learning in higher education.   Some articles address modern 
approaches to teaching while others point out building accommodation ?needs? for the 
twenty-first century.  The gaping hole in all of this research is how to achieve better 
education in the space that already exists.
15 
 
CHAPTER TWO: INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH 
 
2.1 Changes in Economics, Education, Lifestyle and Technology 
 
 Change, a word that is thrown around often and something that happens every 
minute of every day, sounds so ominous that it almost seems startling.  But change is for 
the better; especially when it applies to education.  By evaluating where we have been, 
we will have a better chance at planning where we are going.  Fifty years ago educational 
techniques and course content were very different.  Today, what we know about how 
students learn has changed dramatically.  Unfortunately, the environment in which 
students learn has not changed very much.   The evolution of the classroom has been 
slow to catch up to other aspects of our ever evolving world of education. 
 With ever-tightening budgets, private institutions and public universities are 
seeking more efficient use of existing and newly designed spaces in an effort to minimize 
costs when faced with reduced funding.  Despite their tight budgets, universities find 
themselves in the position of needing to keep up with new construction and technologies 
on campus in order to attract the best students, faculty and secure future funding.  
 ?Competition for the best and the brightest among students and faculty is a  
 reality? (Efficient, effective and inspirational, p.7).
16 
 
Educational reform is no longer in the future but is very much with us in the 
present.  The institutions that are best at implementing educational reform become cutting 
edge competitors for the best students.  Colleges and universities are constantly 
contending for corporate and government funding that is rewarded for outstanding 
research and teaching.  Potential students and their parents are ?educational consumers? 
and have started shopping for colleges.  It has become increasingly important for colleges 
to make the right impression.   
?Education is the number one non-residential buildings market for both new and 
renovation projects? (Not your parents? campus).  
 
 In 2005, $13.9 billion was spent on new construction on campuses, and another $14.5 
billion began in January 2006.  One of the major problems with new buildings and all the 
money being spent on them is that the structures are technologically out of date before 
they are even finished.  
Technology is the leading dynamic in the change of today?s world.  Pens and 
paper are now replaced with laptops; PowerPoint presentations on projection screens 
replace chalkboards.  Papers and tests are now submitted electronically.  In the last eight 
years the average amount of time a student spends on the internet has quadrupled.  In an 
age where classroom teaching methods are evolving, the spaces in which they are taught 
are prehistoric at times.  Structures are being retrofitted to accommodate the 
technological devices being used.   A clear cut example is the rising need for more power 
outlets in a space.  Classrooms designed years ago have an average of three to four wall 
outlets per room.  With the growing popularity of electronic devices, such as laptops, the 
17 
 
demand for electrical outlets within easy access has grown in direct proportion to the 
technology in use.  
 Another change has been in our culture.  Culture is defined as the quality in a 
person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, 
letters, manners and scholarly pursuits (dictionary.com).   Twice as many students are 
attending college today as compared to twenty years ago.  The large boom in college 
attendance started after World War II when President Roosevelt passed a bill declaring 
that all returning soldiers were allowed to attend college free of charge as compensation 
for the their service in the military.  College enrollment numbers have continued to 
increase due to many other factors including: financial aid, scholarships, more women 
and minorities going to college, adult generations returning to college, population growth 
and economic status in conjunction with a college degree.  Different environments need 
to be provided to support the varying learning styles, generational and cultural 
differences and preferences. 
 A college degree, in many social circles today, is seen as a rite of passage.   
?The need for learning is a basic fact of life, a fundamental rule of business and a 
critical element of success? (Learning Environments, Steelcase, pg. 17).  
 
 Higher education is no longer a luxury but a necessity in the achievement equation for 
today?s society. 
 The lifestyle of Americans is becoming increasingly casual.  This does not stop at 
table manners or how we dress, but in our educational practices as well.  Lifestyle is 
defined as the habits, attitudes, tastes, moral standards, economic level, etc., that together 
constitute the mode of living of an individual or group (dictionary.com).  Boundaries 
18 
 
between the classroom and life outside the classroom are blurring.  Study areas are not 
limited to the library now but include coffee shops, dorms, student unions and outdoor 
settings.  Once condemned to a life of monotonous lecturing, teachers are now serving as 
facilitators and mentors in the classroom.  Paul Cornell acknowledges this as the shift in 
teaching methods from the ?Industrial Age? to that of the ?Knowledge Age.? 
?From Industrial Age Model: 
- Students as passive receivers of information 
- Instructors as leaders 
- Memorizing facts and Content 
- Learning everything in advance and then applying it 
- Learning as an individual act 
 
To the Knowledge Age Model: 
- Students as actively engaged and accountable 
- Instructors as facilitators and mentors 
- Learning facts and processes 
- Learn some things in advance and others just in time? (Cornell, Formal 
Learning) 
 
While the need for increased funding and decreased costs is apparent for higher 
education, there is also the effort to improve the quality of education itself beyond the 
course content.  In recent years new research into how students learn has altered teaching 
methods in universities.  Still, configuration and technology shifts in the learning 
environments have been slow to catch up, due in part to a lack of funding.  Many 
departments on campus find themselves teaching in conventional environments 
established fifty to sixty years ago.  In some cases, students are required to work in 
conditions that professionals in comparable environments would find totally 
unacceptable. There is a clear desire by higher education to advance learning not only 
19 
 
through course content and ?real world? collaborations, but also by giving students a 
?real world? physical environment. 
 As with any complex design issue; the cost, revenue generation and improvement 
of educational process constitute tradeoffs in what can be accomplished.  Nevertheless, it 
seems clear that both contract furniture companies and institutions of higher learning can 
mutually benefit from a closer, more collaborative relationship with each other. 
Developing cost-effective, efficient environments that promote creative thought and 
collaboration in higher education is the ultimate goal to be achieved through:  
? Competition for the Best and Brightest Students and Faculty 
?  Support of Diverse Teaching, Learning, and Working Styles 
?  Reducing Expenses 
?  Accommodating Fluctuating Numbers of Students and Faculty 
?  Shrinking Endowments 
?  Dated Architecture with Inflexible Infrastructure 
?  Global Reach 
Institutions of higher learning take on a responsibility both noble and tremendous in 
preparing students for the challenges of the increasingly global and interconnected human 
experience.  The particular design and planning of the physical environments that support 
teaching and learning will come to shape not only buildings and classrooms, but also the 
very culture and distinct values of the community each university seeks to both build and 
serve. 
 
 
20 
 
2.2 Design Studio Phases 
 
 Unlike lecture classes, there are no tests in a design studio.  Everything done in a 
design studio revolves around developing a product concept.  To achieve the end product, 
the studio is divided into three distinct phases.  Each of these phases differs in 
collaboration needs, types of work and end deliverables expected from the student 
(Figure 1).  
  
Figure 1: Three phases of a design studio and their collaboration level 
The first phase, termed ?Research and Concept Generation,? is the most critical 
for collaboration and colleague feedback.  Research is divided among the students 
working together in groups.  Information is gathered on a number of subjects such as user 
research, company background information, consumer reports, major competitors and 
21 
 
branding.  The majority of the time is spent in the studio discussing the client?s needs, 
brainstorming ideas, building user scenarios and sketching multiple design ideas.   
Sketches are placed on the tack space, discussed and critiqued by the professor 
and fellow students.  Once the refined concepts are chosen, students meet with the clients 
who sponsor the studio project.  Through presentations, concepts are chosen 
collaboratively by the client, professor and students for further development in the next 
phase according to which concepts best fit the needs of the company.    
The next phase is identified as ?Concept Development.?  The concepts chosen are 
further developed through full scale sketching, volume studies, testing and pre-prototype 
models.  This phase starts out collaboratively and slowly tapers.  This tapering of 
collaboration is due to more individual work as the concept progresses and more time 
being spent in the studio since full scale models are being built in the workshop.  When 
testing the model, attention to size, mechanics and ergonomics must be made to ensure 
the product is accurate.   
The final phase, ?Concept Refinement,? has the least amount of collaboration.  
Most of the studio time is spent in the workshop building an appearance model.  Students 
have major mechanics and form figured out by the end of the second phase and now the 
focus is attention to design details.  Particulars such as how the product will be 
manufactured, product color, finishes and graphics must be decided. The studio space 
becomes a storage space for supplies and an escape when needing a break from the shop. 
 
 
22 
 
2.3 Three Places: Work, Home and ?The Third? 
 Industrial design students spend most of their college years inside their building.  
Studio classes run several hours, and it is not uncommon for students to spend long hours 
in the studio space at night and early morning in the classroom working on projects.  It is 
found that people typically live in three places; home, work and a ?third place.?  This 
?third place? could a church, a local bar, bowling alley or any other social surrounding 
that is separate from the two usual social environments of home and the workplace. 
?The less time that we spend in home places and third places, the more we begin 
to see vital signs of the rest of life appearing at work? (Metro, Familiar Places in 
New Spaces). 
 
Since students rarely see home, seldom go out elsewhere and the studio is their 
workplace, the studio needs to serve as all three areas.  The ?third place? is defined by 
Oldenberg as:  
Neutral Ground ??places where individuals may come and go as they please, in 
which none are required to play host, and in which all feel at home and 
comfortable. 
 
Conversation is the main activity ??the talk there is good; it is lively, 
scintillating, colorful, and engaging.? 
 
Accessibility and Accommodation ?One may go alone at almost any time of the 
day or evening with assurance that acquaintances will be there.? ??Traditionally, 
third places have kept long hours.? 
 
The Mood is Playful ?Here joy and acceptance reign over anxiety and 
alienation.? 
 
A Home Away from Home ?The third place is often more homelike than home.? 
(Oldenburg, 1989). 
 
Fostering a place that serves so many responsibilities requires flexibility and multiple 
options.  Though most design studios have open floor plans, the furniture is often static 
23 
 
and hard to move once in place.  To help achieve the most flexibility and meet the needs 
of home, work and a ?third place,? furniture must be provided that can move to suit the 
needs of the students.  
2.4 College Life versus the Working World 
Companies have been recognizing the need for interdisciplinary teams that use 
collaborative spaces.  While experts have identified research labs and residence spaces as 
needing shifts in design criteria, little has been done to mirror the creative, collaborative 
spaces which are being created in professional business.  
?Students need a workplace where people could work in the same way that real 
world business teams do? (Creating Collaborators, pg.1).   
 
Yet designing a space that mimics professional life can be challenging with the 
current furniture provided.  The new ?collaborative design themes? which are being 
integrated into research labs on campuses nationwide are creating an edge in gaining 
corporate and government funding and grants for universities. So how should a product 
development design studio be reworked to be considered ?collaborative? and 
?interdisciplinary?? If the furniture is reconfigurable it makes the environment more 
livable and more collaboration can occur amongst the students.  
?Enlightened companies are discovering that making work more like life actually 
makes workers more productive? (Metro, Familiar Places in New Spaces, p.2). 
 
By providing an environment that students want to work in and if that environment 
mimics professional life, students will be better prepared for their first jobs. 
  
 
 
24 
 
CHAPTER THREE: EXTERNAL RESEARCH AND SURVEY 
 
3.1 Study Guidelines 
  
 To better understand the needs of industrial design programs across the country a 
verbal and visual survey was developed.  By asking faculty of thirty prominent 
universities and colleges across the United States to answer questions and take pictures of 
their existing spaces, it was possible to monitor the condition of existing spaces and the 
furniture used within them.  This tool helped to pinpoint exact needs, trends, themes and 
differences among the varying design programs.   Thirty schools were chosen out of a 
possible fifty according to a number of factors including: national ranking, duration of the 
program, public versus private institutions, the age of the program and geographical 
location of the school.  The ultimate goal was to have as diverse a representative 
population as possible.   
Surveys were sent to the following Industrial Design Programs and Departments: 
 
Auburn University, Arizona State University, Carnegie-Mellon University,  
Cranbrook Academy of Art, Kendall College of Art & Design, University of Cincinnati, 
The Ohio State University, University of Notre Dame, University of Illinois-Urbana 
Champaign, University of Kansas, Purdue University, Illinois Institute of Technology, 
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, Pratt Institute, Rhode Island School of Design, 
Syracuse University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, The University of the Arts, Georgia 
Institute of Technology, North Carolina State University, University of Louisiana-
Lafayette, Art Center College of Design, Brigham Young University, California College 
of the Arts, California State University - Long Beach, San Jose State University, 
Savannah College of Art and Design, University of Houston, Art Institute of Fort 
Lauderdale and Academy of Art University in San Francisco. 
25 
 
In the Fall of 2006, the faculty members of thirty industrial design programs 
across the country received a mailing tube that contained a tape measure, a disposable 
camera and a survey entitled The National Educational Studio Survey (Figure 2).   
 
Figure 2: Educational Studio Survey Kit 
 
Each school was asked to take pictures of their spaces and measure certain components of 
their classrooms, i.e. desks, chair heights, etc.  The survey also asked questions about 
their existing space and classroom dynamics (Figure 3).  
 
Figure 3: Educational Studio Survey Questions 
26 
 
The following is a list of questions asked in the National Educational Studio Survey.  
Name of institution:_______________________ 
 
Public or Private (circle one) 
 
What is the key strength of your industrial design program? 
 
How long have you been teaching industrial design studios? 
 
Total number of industrial design students in your program:  ____ 
 
Typical number of students in each industrial design studio:  ___ 
 
What level industrial design studio do you teach? 
 
Class time hours per week in studio? 
 
Does your studio space have afterhours access for students? (circle one) 
key      swipe card     retina scan     security guard     other______     no access 
 
How do you use computers in your industrial design studio space?  
(Circle all that apply) 
Not used in studio 
1 centralized presentation computer 
Individual student laptops ________ how many? 
Separate computer lab 
Do not use computers in coursework 
 
Studio hardware checklist: 
_____projector 
_____projector screen 
_____chalkboard 
_____whiteboard 
_____table (heights up to 30?) 
_____drafting board (heights above 30?) 
_____chairs 
_____stools 
_____tack space 
_____faucet/sink 
_____spray booth 
_____lounge seating 
_____refrigerator  
_____other_____________________________ 
27 
 
Does your studio space include any type of storage options? 
Cricket cages (rolling lockers) 
Stationary wall lockers 
Desk drawers 
Attached closet 
Wall mounted pegboard 
Flat files 
Other_____ 
 
If storage is not in your studio space, where is it?_______ 
 
Type of lighting: (circle all that apply) 
Natural/windows 
Fluorescent recessed 
Fluorescent pendant/surface mount 
Incandescent recessed 
Incandescent pendant/surface mount 
Other 
 
Common workspaces: 
Cutting table 
Meeting table 
Presentation table 
Other 
 
Do graduate students share studio space with undergraduate? (circle) Yes   No 
 
Is there a specific brand of contract furniture brand that has been purchased by 
your institution for you use? If so, what brand? (Contrast public versus private versus 
firms) 
 
Does your space dictate any unique student rules or policies? 
(ex. No aerosol spraying, shirt and shoes required, etc.) 
 
Rate your studio space? 
Collaborative?????????????.Individual 
Rational???????????????...Creative 
Organized??????????????..Messy 
Digital???????????????Physical 
 
 
What is your studio spaces? greatest attribute? 
 
If you could change one thing about your studio space, what would it be? 
28 
 
Approximate dimensions your studio space: 
 length_______ width_______ ceiling height________ 
 
Approximate dimensions of student work surfaces: 
depth_______ width_______  height________ 
(Include measuring tape in photo) 
 
Approximate height of student seating: 
height________ 
 
 Once the survey was completed and the disposable camera used, respondents 
were asked to mail the information back to Auburn University for review.  Once 
received, the disposable cameras were processed and the photos attached within the 
survey booklet in the designated places (Figure 4).  The data provided by the schools was 
entered into a spreadsheet document so the survey answers could be compared and 
averages could be determined.  
 
Figure 4: Completed Visual/Verbal Educational Studio Survey 
29 
 
Two-thirds of the universities asked to participate in the study responded, 
allowing a diverse set of data and a comprehensive look at industrial design schools from 
across the United States.  
 The information gathered provided a foundation upon which a study was built, 
showing how to develop both environmental and furniture recommendations based on 
educational trends in active learning.  
Although several major contract furniture companies have published studies on 
how furniture and space planning affects learning styles, most have not addressed the 
issue of reduced square footage as a constraint.  This study intended to discover active 
learning solutions that could be achieved in environments with limited square footage. 
 
3.2 Figures and Findings 
 
The following is a summary of the key findings (Figures 5 & 6) from the National 
Educational Studio Survey: 
 
Average studio space area  
1389 sq/ft Public 
1607 sq/ft Private 
   
Typical number of students in studio space:  
16.9 Public 
17.5 Private 
  
Studio space per student breakdown:  
82.1 sq/ft Public 
91.8 sq/ft Private 
 
 
 
 
30 
 
Computing 
44% public studios use laptops (10.75 out of 17.5 students in the classroom) 
69% private studios use laptops (9.1 out of 16.9 students in the classroom) 
In no studios were computers completely absent.  
 
 
 
Figure 5: Survey Statistics: Public vs. Private 
 
 
Class time hours per week within studio space:  
10.0 hours Public 
11.4 hours Private 
31 
 
 
Figure 6: Class hours per week in studio: Public vs. Private 
 
Workspaces 
Approximately half of the educational studio spaces used standing height work 
surfaces (above 30?) as their primary work surfaces for students (Figure 7). These 
workspaces are usually in the form of some type of drafting board and stool 
combination. 
  
 
Figure 7: Example High and Low Work surfaces 
 
 
32 
 
Lighting 
All but two studios have some form of natural lighting. 
Fluorescent lighting was present in all 22 studios (Figure 8). 
 
 
Figure 8: Lighting in Universities and Institutions 
 
 
It was found that private institutions provided more space for each student and 
were more likely to have lower work surfaces (below thirty inches).  This could be due to 
higher tuition revenue and private donations allowing them to procure larger spaces with 
more modernized furniture and equipment.  Private institutions were also found to have 
more ?loft like? atmospheres that were built with the design programs in mind.  Public 
university design schools, on the other hand, were often housed in spaces originally 
occupied by other programs or disciplines.  Because these buildings were older and 
originally designed for programs other than industrial design, they had to be retrofitted to 
meet the design program?s needs. A good example of this is Auburn University?s 
Industrial Design program.  Over a span of sixty years the design program has been 
33 
 
located in three different buildings on Auburn?s campus (See Appendix A).  All of these 
buildings have had previous tenants and therefore did not meet all of the specific needs of 
the program and had to be retrofitted. While it may be unreasonable to expect major 
universities to dedicate entire building designs to small programs, like industrial design, 
these programs nonetheless require working space which meets the unique needs of their 
projects and workflow in order to provide an adequate education to their student 
population. 
 
 
34 
 
CHAPTER FOUR: INTERNAL DEPARTMENT SURVEY AND ANALYSIS 
4.1 Auburn University: Facts and Figures 
 
 As data was collected from the national survey, it was analyzed and used to 
compare Auburn University to other industrial design programs around the country 
(Figures 9 &10).  A few key points show surprising differences and similarities between 
Auburn University and the other design schools participating in the survey is as follows:  
      
     Average studio space area  
1389 sq/ft Public 
1607 sq/ft Private 
 531 sq/ft Auburn University 
  
 
Typical number of students in studio space:  
16.9 Public 
17.5 Private 
16.0 Auburn University 
  
 
Studio space per student breakdown:  
82.1 sq/ft Public 
91.8 sq/ft Private 
33.2 sq/ft Auburn University 
 
 
Computing 
44% public studios use laptops (10.75 out of 17.5 students in the classroom) 
69% private studios use laptops (9.1 out of 16.9 students in the classroom)  
43.75% Auburn studios use laptops (7 out of 16 students in the classroom) 
35 
 
 
Figure 9: Survey Statistics: Public, Private and Auburn University 
 
 
Class time hours per week within studio space:  
10.0 hours Public 
11.4 hours Private 
10.5 hours Auburn University 
 
Figure 10: Class hours per week in studio: Public vs. Private 
 
 
 
36 
 
Challenges with workspaces at Auburn University. 
 
Auburn was recently ranked as one of the top design schools in the country 
(Design Intelligence, 2007).  That being said, Auburn is faced with a very difficult task of 
accommodating a large number of students in a minimal space. One conclusion drawn 
from the analysis of the survey data is that while the student population of Auburn?s 
educational studio is similar to others schools across the country; students and faculty 
operate with less than half the space of other schools.  This makes collaboration between 
students and teachers somewhat more difficult to achieve due to the lack of 
reconfiguration options with furniture that requires maximum efficiency in a static 
arrangement.  This presented the researcher a unique opportunity to design furniture for a 
studio with limited square footage and still meet all the needs of the students in the space.   
Like many of the other schools, Auburn?s studios use high workspaces with 
elevated stools for each student.  These workspaces are typically large and heavy making 
it difficult, if not impossible, to modify or adjust the room layout during the term. Studios 
are generally set up at the beginning of the term and remain the same throughout.  In 
addition, none of these workspaces employ rolling casters that could make them more 
mobile. 
Auburn?s industrial design program has also witnessed a shift in gender 
demographics. When Auburn?s industrial design program began in 1947, there were very 
few females in the program.  Today between thirty and forty percent of the students in the 
industrial design department at Auburn are female.  Yet these higher work surfaces and 
37 
 
seating do not adequately accommodate the needs of female users or use of mobile 
computers (Figure 11).   
 
Figure 11: Typical design studio workspace height and proximities with  
drafting boards and stools at Auburn University. 
 
In addition, Auburn is one of only two schools in the survey that do not have 
windows in the studio.  With all classrooms being on the inside of the building the only 
access to natural light would be to install skylights, which are both expensive and still do 
not give access to natural surroundings. Interestingly, when asked where they find their 
inspiration, many students would say from nature.   
The studio spaces in which students are asked to perform their ?real world? 
projects fall far short of what is used in the workforce today.  Many professional design 
offices and studios incorporate multi-use furniture and spaces, while school studios are 
relatively static.  Auburn?s studios are often industry sponsored collaborations that 
involve actual corporate projects. This collaborative effort between design school and 
industry affords students critical industrial experience by working with corporate 
professionals on specific design projects. This collaboration may even lead to students 
having their products manufactured before they graduate. 
38 
 
4.2 Individual Storage Space Survey 
Based on a review of the use of Auburn?s studio spaces and the challenges 
surrounding the lack of square footage, an assessment was made of the use of student 
storage spaces.  Auburn?s current method of individual storage in studios includes large 
rolling metal boxes with the front being a wooden panel serving as an access point to the 
items inside.  Holes in both the top and side panels serve as finger holes for lifting as well 
as a location to place a lock for security.  These boxes are lovingly called ?cricket cages? 
due to the perforated metal sides which appear to mimic smaller cages that store these 
insects.  Auburn students claim that these storage spaces provided lack the amount of 
storage needed for their belongings. Yet, upon further investigation it was discovered that 
these cricket cages were seldom used to their full potential. In fact they were seldom used 
at all.  
To better understand how much space was being wasted by the bulky cricket 
cages a survey was conducted.  All ninety cages across six studios were included in the 
study.  The study included opening each cage and photo-documenting the contents.  Once 
this was done the allotment of space was measured and approximated.  It was found that 
seventy-four percent of the allotted space was being wasted inside the cricket cages.  So 
why is it that the students were complaining about lack of storage space when there was 
clearly enough? This was probably due to the fact that there indeed was enough storage 
space, but the space was not readily usable. 
Observations made during photo documentation and conversations with students 
were as follows. 
39 
 
Access Points:  Cages can currently be accessed from the top or from the front by 
way of wooden doors.  The front wooden panel has a hole cut for one?s finger to pull the 
panel upwards.  The panel does not stay in the up position on its own accord so students 
must hold it while retrieving an item or take the panel completely off.  The height of the 
boxes is such that it forces the student to squat down to see inside or lean over in an 
extreme position; both of which are neither comfortable nor natural to the human body.  
Students who regularly use their boxes usually take the panel off while working and 
replace and lock it before they leave.  The cages are shorter in depth than the desks in 
use, so students must pull the cages out past the depth of the desks in order to open them. 
 Shelf space: most students complained that if there was a shelf inside the cage 
they would be more likely to use it. Yet, on inspection of the photos most cages with 
shelves were not used anymore than cages without shelves (Figure 12). 
40 
 
 
Figure 12: Storage Cage with Shelf 
 
Need for flat media storage: In design based majors posters are printed out for 
discussion on tack space or mounted on foam core for presentations.  It was found that 
these posters were often crammed into the lockers at odd angles and were often too large 
for the space which made them stick out of the cages (Figure 13). An area where the 
students could lay the posters flat would ensure they were not damaged.  This problem is 
also attributed to a lack of tack spaces in studios due to drafting boards blocking wall 
space. 
41 
 
          
Figure 13: Flat Storage Media in Cricket Cages 
Protection for hardware: A number of students used the cages for temporary 
storage of expensive equipment such as laptops and power tools (Figure 14).  
   
Figure 14: Expensive Equipment inside Cricket Cages 
42 
 
Box in Box: Many students use toolboxes and need a place to store them.  They 
are large, bulky and take up most of the space in the cricket cage (Figure 15). 
     
Figure 15: Tool boxes being stored in cricket cages 
 
Secondary counter top: Often cages were used primarily as a desktop extension.  
Papers, drawing utensils, food containers, etc found their way onto the surface.  When 
desks became too crowded or when students had something that might make a mess (i.e. 
? food, drinks, paint, etc.) they placed it out of harm?s way (Figure 16). By having items 
on top of the cage it eliminated one way of accessing the items inside the cricket cage.  
Using the cages in this manner further reduced their mobility.  
43 
 
 
Figure 16: The top of the cricket cage being used as a secondary work surface. 
 
Other problems that were found: Some of the wooden panels have warped over 
time making it virtually impossible to open them; others have locks on them from 
previous tenants; therefore, the current students have no way of accessing them (Figure 
17).  Some students have addressed their storage problems in creative ways such as 
putting in plastic trays and drawers so that things can be in separate compartments 
44 
 
(Figure 17).  Also things such as aerosol cans, which are not permitted to be used in the 
studio space, are stored in the cages (Figure 17).   
        
Figure 17: Other Storage Problems and Findings. Inside of cage was not used due to a lock being on the 
cage from previous student use (left). Some students came up with their own solution to the storage 
problem (middle). Spray cans are stored in the cricket cages though they are not allowed to be used in the 
studio (right). 
 
A large poster was made to document the findings and displayed in the industrial 
design building so that students were made aware of the waste of storage space (see 
Appendix B).  An interesting side observation was that students looking at the poster 
often could not tell which storage locker was theirs.  This is thought to be because they 
do not look at them from eye level but from a downward angle.  
For the study?s purpose it was found that the amount of storage space was 
adequate, but the type of storage did not fit the student?s needs.  This lead to the 
conclusion that storage space needed to be redistributed instead of expanded.  An 
opportunity arose to rethink design furnishings to be used wherever restricted amounts of 
open floor space were available. 
45 
 
CHAPTER FIVE: IMPLEMENTATION AND EXPERIMENTATION 
5.1 Goals of the Change Out 
In the Fall of 2007, after review and analysis of the national survey results, it was 
decided that a furniture change out for one industrial design studio was needed to better 
understand student behavior. This would allow observation of student?s habits and 
behavioral changes.   It would also offer concurrent monitoring and response to their 
specific needs in a new environment.  
Some of the characteristics would be: 
1. Study how the studio responds to less individual space and more shared spaces. 
2. Install options that allow the studio to adjust and adapt through each phase of the 
design project. 
3. Create improved conditions for individual computing (laptops). 
4. Observe how lower work heights affect work in the studio. 
5. Maximize use of collaborative wall spaces and tack board. 
Guidelines for the studio included: 
1. The project would run for one semester before it would be changed back to the 
original furniture. 
2. The studio would try to encompass characteristics of a work environment as well 
as that of a ?third place.? 
46 
 
3. This experiment would take place in an Auburn Industrial Design studio. Auburn 
was selected because of the thesis proximity and because of its low space per 
student ratio.  If it was successful in minimal square footage it would be successful 
in most other universities and intuitions around the country.   
  
5.2 What Was Designed and Why 
Prior to the start of the Spring 2007 semester all of the tables and seating were 
removed from a third year studio (Figure 18).   
 
Figure 18: Old desks being exchanged for new lower desks. 
 
The following were key adjustments made during the change out: 
Shifted from 16 individual drafting boards to 4 large, shared tables. This allowed 
more face to face interaction between students by changing their orientation and reducing 
their proximities (Figure 19). 
47 
 
 
Figure 19: New desk layout: in conference table arrangement. 
Lowered work surfaces to standard 30? table height. The desks were lowered to thirty 
inches.  This allowed students to sketch more easily at arm?s length (Figure 20). 
 
Figure 20: 30? work surfaces allowed students to sketch easier 
48 
 
Casters attached to tables.  This allowed the tables to be reconfigured from one large 
conference table, to four smaller tables accommodating four students each. By placing 
the desks in the center of the room it opened the vertical tack space in the studio.  One 
hundred percent of the tack space was able to be accessed compared to the two-thirds 
before when drafting desks were in place. This also made the tack space community 
space that had to be equally shared.  It also allowed the arrangement of the room to 
change throughout the different phases of the design project (Figure 21). 
 
Figure 21: New desk layout: in arrangement set by the students. Cricket cages are located at the lower left 
hand corner of the room. 
 
Shifted from elevated work stools to lightweight upholstered side chairs.  This 
allowed a more comfortable work posture for longer periods of time in the studio and 
avoided the ?perching? posture of stools.  It further aided in making the studio a more 
49 
 
friendly ?third space? by offering the back support and comfort of more home style 
furniture (Figure 22). 
 
Figure 22: Upholstered Chairs used during the semester 
Reduced and consolidated individual storage. Each student was given one-half of a 
cricket cage which was shared with another person.  This enabled the floor plan of the 
room to open up slightly and accommodate the larger tables. Once these storage cages 
were grouped together, it created an overflow community work surface on top 
(Figures 21 & 23).  
50 
 
 
Figure 23: Individual cricket cages were divided into two by the use of shelves.  The tops were covered 
with MDF and the cages were grouped together to create community overflow work surface. 
 
Integrated power strips into tables. Power strip outlets were incorporated into each 
table as a convenience for accommodating technological uses such as laptop 
computers, pencil sharpeners, etc. Only one power cord ran from the table to the outlet 
avoiding the typical tangled mass that would have been created by multiple individual 
users.  They were placed in a cut underneath the table to avoid tangled wires and 
accidents (i.e. ? spilled drinks and dust in the outlets). 
Integrated incandescent task lighting into tables. This allowed students and faculty 
to change the lighting and mood of the studio to several different levels rather than the 
single on/off switch of the overhead fluorescent fixtures (Figure 24). 
51 
 
 
Figure 24: Overhead lights are turned off and incandescent task lights are illuminated 
The decision was made to equip this studio with furnishings completely different from 
any other studio space currently in use at the school of Industrial Design at Auburn. This 
moved the work space from being entirely individual to being entirely communal. It was 
felt that by changing the furnishings to a completely opposite style,  it help uncover both 
the  positives and negatives aspects of both spatial scenarios.  A middle ground could 
then be found for the proposed design.  
The Results of the studio change out: 
When the room was placed in the conference table mode the mood of the students 
differed dramatically from when the tables were rolled apart. With personal space of only 
ten to twelve inches in conference mode the work surface was not productive for much 
beyond discussion.  Once the tables were separated into individual groups it allowed for 
52 
 
ease in drawing and more personal space. While the conference style set up was in use 
students were more attentive to individuals talking than with the original individual 
desks.  It was noted that when the overhead fluorescent lights were off and the 
incandescent lights were turned on student?s voices tended to lower.  The room also had a 
much more attentive feel with the incandescent lighting than it did with the florescent 
fixtures.  
Interviews with the students provided feedback about their working arrangements.  
What have you liked about the studio space? 
?Feels more like a real job.?   
?I feel like an adult.? 
 
 
What have you disliked about the studio space? 
?Need more space during class, but at night it is great because I have plenty of space.? 
?Tables are too narrow.? 
?Tripping on power plugs on floor and disconnecting cords.? 
 
 
Keeping with the current studio format, are there any changes or adjustments you 
would make? 
?Take out the hole in the middle of the table.? 
?Put power strips somewhere else.? 
?We don?t use the middle area.? 
 
 
Are there any adjustments or changes you would make to the workspaces? 
?Modular, smaller pieces that come together and break apart.? 
?Shift tables slightly higher.? 
?Tables need more width, don?t like having someone directly across from me.? 
?Tray bottom is too low (hits knees) and too small for paper. Maybe divide into four 
sections with lockable panels.? 
?Rethink leg placement?not enough leg room on the ends.? 
?Wish they were adjustable.? 
 
 
Are there any adjustments or changes you would make to the seating? 
?Love having upholstered seats.? 
53 
 
?Wish they had wheels.? 
?Wish they were adjustable.? 
 
 
Are there any adjustments or changes you would make to the shared surfaces? 
?Liked having an island cutting board to ?work around?.? 
?Trash can needs to be closer to the cutting board.? 
 
 
Are there any adjustments or changes you would make to the storage areas? 
?Wished lockable areas were higher, so you don?t have to bend over and hold the door 
up.? 
?Have it accessible from the top.? 
?I don?t like sharing storage space, but the person I share with doesn?t use it.? 
?Cricket cages just need to leave.? 
 
 
Are there any adjustments or changes you would make to the lighting? 
?Did not like having to ?share? a light.? 
?Needs a small amount of ambient light when overhead lights are off.? 
?Lights are poorly mounted and get in the way.? 
?Would rather have suspended lights.? 
 
 
Have you become aware of any changes in the way you work through this studio? 
?More likely to come up to studio later at night so I can spread out.? 
 
 
Has this studio affected your time spent in it? If so, how? (quality of time, amount of 
time, etc.) 
?Come in earlier to ?stake out? my spot and have lots of space.? 
 
 
If you could create your ideal studio space to work in, what would it be? 
?Windows, windows, windows. Lack of natural light is detrimental to our creativity.? 
?Larger room?a room like the one used for second year?s studio only with the number 
of people in the third and fourth year studios.? 
 
 
At this point in the term would you prefer the studio to be switched back to the 
individual drafting boards or stay as it is? Or something else? 
4 students - drafting boards 
4 students - stay as is 
4 students ? something else 
54 
 
 
 The students were split up evenly when asked if they wanted to keep the current 
formation of furniture or if they wanted to go back to the drafting boards.  Four of the 
students said they liked the studio and wanted it to stay as is.  This was because they 
liked the collaborative environment and the professional feel of the studio.  The students 
that wanted to return back to the original drafting boards wanted to do so because they 
missed having their own individual space.  Four students wanted a combination of the 
two studio set ups.  It is from this feedback that a design was formed that met the needs 
of the individual while also making the studio collaborative.  
55 
 
CHAPTER SIX: GUIDELINES FOR DESIGNING ENVIRONMENTS FOR 
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN STUDENTS WITH A MINIMIAL OPEN FLOOR PLAN 
6.1 Product Development 
The start of the design process began by taking into account what desk shapes would 
promote collaboration.  Table shapes that have curves or rounded edges, i.e. circles, 
octagons, pentagons, etc., evoke a sense of community and everyone being equal.  
Rounded shapes are also easier to work and walk around.  Tables that are rectangular in 
shape might make the people sitting on the ends seem more important. Example: When 
your grandfather sits at the head of the dining room table and a boss at the end of a board 
room table, they are looked to as the leaders.  
With all of the studies conducted and opinions gathered guidelines were formatted to best 
suit the needs of the students in design schools.  The needs are as follows: 
1. Encourage face-to-face interactions for collaborative team work. 
2. Elevate collaborative learning above teaching  
3. Provide furniture that can go from both shared to individual work areas.  
4. Simulate the professional workplace. 
5. Facilitate active learning and collaborative problem solving. 
6. Foster a ?third place? atmosphere where students will want to spend time. 
56 
 
 
7. Have flexible lighting options in order to create different moods and 
environments. 
 
8. Design desks to be configured to meet the needs of the class as well as the needs 
of the individuals. 
 
9. Design the furniture so that the desks are used in the center of the room so that the 
walls are freed for use. These uses include tack space, white boards and 
communal computer stations. 
 
10.  Have electrical power available at each desk for electrical device use and 
charging. Examples: Laptops, cell phones, pencil sharpeners, External Hard 
drives, MP3 players, drawing tablets, etc. 
 
11.  Create a desk that can easily go from laptop use to hand drawing use. 
12.  Provide ample storage for student?s materials. This includes tool boxes, flat 
media and other materials. 
 
13.  Place every piece of furniture on locking casters for easy reconfiguration when 
necessary.   
 
14.  Allow for a standard 30? door width as the design standard through which all 
furniture must be able to fit. 
 
15.  Design furniture so that students have the option of privacy. 
16.  Design furnishings capable of supporting the needs of 20 students within a 
minimal open floor plan.  The average class size nationwide is 17 students. 
 
The design limitations for product development were: the size found in the study of 
thirty industrial design schools which was twenty-two feet by twenty-five feet.  If the 
desks could work in the smallest space available they will reasonably work for the largest 
as well.   Thirty inch doors are standard interior doors which puts constraints on the width 
of the furniture designed.  Both public universities and private institutions need furniture 
that has a long, cost efficient life.  Materials such as aluminium are more expensive, but 
57 
 
have more design possibilities.  Steel is more cost efficient and stronger, but has 
limitations to its use.  Using a combination of the two materials would provide a strong, 
durable desk leg with the aesthetic appeal lacking in current classroom furniture.  
 
6.2 Final Concept: Determining and meeting needs with the Desk Design: Lighting, 
Flexibility, Private vs. Communal Space, and Collaborative Needs 
 
The concept desk was designed in the shape of an enlarged pentagon capable of 
seating five students in a circle.  A circle of five was chosen because it allowed the 
maximum amount of personal usable space in conjunction with the average number of 
students in a design school classroom which is seventeen.  If the desks had been designed 
with a foursome configuration this would have allowed only sixteen students to be 
together and an odd student left out. With five, each configuration can easily seat students 
in a minimal open floor plan space of twenty-two feet by twenty-five feet which denotes 
the smallest studio space identified in the national survey (Figure 25). 
 
 
Figure 25: Classroom Configuration for 20 students 
58 
 
 
Figure 26: Desk Dimensions 
Three of the four sides of the desk are equal lengths (Figure 26).  This allows the 
desks to be configured in many different patterns (See Appendix C).  A workstation 
tower was designed to accompany the desks when they were in a circular formation 
(Figure 27). The tower, which has five sides, corresponds with the width of the desk?s 
three equal sides for maximum configurability.  The tower was developed to house the 
electrical and storage needs of the students.  In addition it also has tack space, lighting 
and glass partitions for privacy.  When a combination of sketching and computer work is 
needed the students can use their laptop, then when finished close it and slide the laptop 
back into the workstation to free their desk space for sketching.   
59 
 
 
Figure 27: Workstation Dimensions 
 
Having the furniture as small individual pieces instead of large conference-like 
tables allows for more configurations to be formed when moving the pieces around.  The 
smaller pieces allow students to have individual workspaces they desire while also giving 
them flexibility needed to run a collaborative studio with minimal square footage. 
60 
 
CHAPTER SEVEN: CONCLUSIONS OF STUDY 
 
7.1 Next Steps: Opportunities for Future Study 
This thesis presents a process for designing furniture in higher education design 
studios with a minimal open floor plan. It contains a set of steps which can be adapted to 
the redesign of any classroom.  Further development of this study would be to build the 
proposed desk design and have a trial run in a studio for a semester. This would allow 
any miscalculations in size to be discovered and further development of the design to be 
done.   
This thesis presents a unique opportunity for other studio pieces to be rethought 
for design schools with limited floor space. Other pieces which are in need of redesign in 
order to meet the specific needs of industrial design students in higher education include: 
storage, tack space, white boards, flooring, lighting and seating.  Color studies should 
also be done to understand how paint colors affect student mood and productivity.   
Classrooms are not the only room that could be improved upon in the design 
education community.  To further develop the idea of a ?third place? other areas of a 
building could be studied such as break rooms, gallery space, computer labs, conference 
rooms, shop spaces, and even professor?s offices.  All of these spaces collectively make 
up the environment from which students extract their educations.  Given the guidelines
61 
 
within this thesis, it is hoped that opportunities will be taken to improve furniture design 
which will benefit the education of many future industrial design students. 
 
 7.2 Closing Thoughts 
The study for this thesis began with the identification of a need to promote 
collaboration amongst industrial design students by redesigning furniture for higher 
education design studios with minimal open floor space. It was determined that a set of 
guidelines needed to be established to help public universities, private institutions, 
teachers and designers create the best and most flexible classroom configurations 
possible.  By attending to these needs, students become more attentive, absorb more 
knowledge and are better prepared for the professional world.  
62 
 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 
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Adjaye, David (2006). Making Public Buildings : Specificity, Customization and 
Imbrication.  
Bleedorn, Berenice (2003). An Education Track for Creativity and Other Quality 
Thinking Processes. Lanham, MD.: Scarecrow Press. 
 
Bothwell, Stephanie E. (April 12-14, 2002). Windsor Forum on Design Education: 
Toward an Ideal Curriculum to Reform Architectural Education. Coral Gables, 
Florida: New Urban Press. 
 
Brand, Jay (2005). New Metaphors for Office Design. Haworth Inc. 
 
Brand, Jay (2005). Physical Space and Social Interaction. Haworth Inc. 
 
Bredeson, Paul V. (2003). Designs for learning : a new architecture for professional 
development in schools.  Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. 
 
Brenner, Pam (2003). Workplace Diversity: Supporting Work Styles.  Steelcase 
University: Steelcase Inc. 
 
Bu?rdek, Bernhard (2005).  Design: History, Theory and Practice of Product Design. 
Boston: Birkha?user-Publishers for Architecture. 
 
Business of Color, The. (2005). Steelcase University: Steelcase Inc. 
 
Cornell, Paul (2003). Formal Learning. Steelcase University: Steelcase Inc. 
 
Cornell, Paul (1999). How and Why Teaching Methods are Changing. Steelcase 
University: Steelcase Inc. 
 
Cornell, Paul (2005).  Space to Learn: We?re In It Together.  Steelcase University: 
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Cornell, Paul (2004). The Growth of Informal Learning Environments. Steelcase 
University: Steelcase Inc. 
63 
 
Creating Collaborators - Higher Education Gets It Together. (2006). Steelcase 
University, Steelcase Inc. 
 
Cross, Nigel (2006).  Designerly Ways of Knowing. London: Springer. 
 
Dubbs, Dana (2005). Unlocking the Brain: for Better Architecture and Design. Steelcase 
University: Steelcase Inc. 
 
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Experience of Color. (2001). Herman Miller Inc.  
 
Gorman, Jean (2003). Healthy Settings for Learning. Steelcase University: Steelcase Inc.  
 
Gorman, Jean (2003). Here Comes the Sun: What a Difference Daylight Makes. Steelcase 
University: Steelcase Inc.  
 
Hamp, Brenda (2004). The Privacy Factor. Steelcase University: Steelcase Inc. 
 
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Feasibility Study.  Thesis (M.S.)--Auburn University.  
 
Howie, G. and Tauchert, A. (2002). Gender, Teaching, and Research in Higher 
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Kinkead, Joyce (2003).  Valuing and supporting undergraduate research. San Francisco, 
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Kupritz, Virginia (2005). Design Features Supporting Group Work. Haworth Inc. 
 
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Lighting in the Workplace. (2001). Herman Miller Inc.  
 
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Ludwig, Corin M. (2005). A Guide for the Standard Structure of the First Year of 
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Metro and Jump Associates LLC (2003). Familiar Places in New Spaces. Steelcase 
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Overview of Higher Education. (2006). Steelcase University: Steelcase Inc. 
 
Potter, Norman (1969). What is a Designer: Education and Practice; A Guide for 
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Propst, Robert, (1968) The Office: A Facility Based on Change. The Business Press 
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65 
 
Thousand, J., Villa, R., and Nevin, A. (2002). Creativity and Collaborative Learning: 
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www.appa.org ? Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers 
 
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66 
 
APPENDIX A 
The three different buildings the Industrial Design Department has been located 
inside since its origin at Auburn University. 
 
Biggin Hall 
 
SIZE: 52,716 square feet  
BUILT: 1951  
FLOORS: 4 
 
 
 
Figure 28: Exterior Picture of Biggin Hall 
 
 
67 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 29: Biggin Fall Floor Plans, Main Floor 
 
 
 
 
68 
 
 
 
 
Figure 30: Biggin Hall Floor Plans, Ground Floor 
 
 
 
 
69 
 
Smith Hall 
 
SIZE: 17,316 square feet 
BUILT: 1908 
FLOORS: 2  
 
 
 
Figure 31: Exterior Picture of Smith Hall 
 
70 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 32: Smith Hall Floor Plans, First Floor 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
71 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 33: Smith Hall Floor Plans, Second Floor 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
72 
 
Wallace Center 
SIZE: 41,131 square feet  
BUILT: 1984  
FLOORS: 2 
 
 
 
Figure 34: Exterior Picture of Wallace Center 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
73 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 35: Wallace Center Floor Plans, First Floor 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
74 
 
APPENDIX B 
 
 
 
Figure 36: Picture of Poster Made with Cricket Cage Survey Results 
 
75 
 
APPENDIX C 
Different Furniture Configurations 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 37: Configuration A: Traditional Classroom Set-Up with Towers in the Center 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
76 
 
 
 
 
Figure 38: Configuration B: Tables Set-up for Group Collaboration 
 
 
 
Figure 39: Configuration C: Four students share a storage unit and a table surface. Also 
removable glass partitions are installed for more privacy. 
77 
 
 
 
Figure 40: Configuration D: Class set-up if a lecture is needed or for a presentation. 
 
 
 
Figure 41: Configuration E: Petal formation of the desks helps promote one on one or 
three person collaboration because the tables can be surrounded on three sides. 
78 
 
 
 
Figure 42: Configuration F: Furniture can be configured in random patterns to meet the 
needs of the students. 
 
 
 
Figure 43: Individual task lighting at each desk.  
 
79 
 
 
 
 
Figure 44: Overhead view of desks in the petal formation. 
 
 
 
Figure 45: Room in Use