What is learning through making?

What is learning through making?

Studio assignments range from small exercises with more predictable outcomes to long-term, self-directed projects. For example, early on in a design program a student may be given a week to respond to a tightly controlled problem, such as arranging forms or text on a field to explore concepts of rhythm and pattern, or writing basic HTML to explore repetition or input. For some students, conceptual projects that don’t seek a known outcome are new territory. Whether physical or digital, such projects allow students to make small (or big) discoveries along the way while providing technical practice and evidence of mastery.

An advanced student may tackle designing a publication, ad campaign, or digital product and address everything from choosing the platform and distribution to curating the content. These projects are similar in that the outcome is not predetermined, and the learning is expanded and more complex, adding method and theory to concept and technique.

How can a project break down into parts that can be handled individually? How does changing one part affect the others? When talking about the project, what are some things to say that help people understand the connection between the intent and the outcome? How can a student assess their own talents and interests to frame problems that are neither too easy nor too hard?