A creative learning space development toolkit: Empirical evaluation of a novel design method

The physical environment in design education can have a significant impact on students' creativity, learning performance, and wellbeing. However, little attention is given to the question, how to design such spaces in a scientifically sound manner and how to involve the relevant stakeholders. Specifically, the future users of the space - students and teachers - might have important insights about the spatial requirements. To support spatial planners, teachers, and students, who want to improve their existing learning spaces or to design them from scratch, we developed a toolkit, consisting of several checklists, card sets, floor plans, and canvases to frame spatial requirements and ideas. The toolkit was tested and evaluated in a workshop at a design school in the UK that was in the process of moving departments to a new building. Hence, this paper presents an action research cycle including the four steps of 1) designing the toolkit, 2) conducting the workshop, 3) observing the workshop and obtaining feedback, and 4) reflecting on and iterating of the creative learning space development toolkit.