Ringling College students illustrate vision for collaboratory

Ringling College students go right to the point. Give them an assignment; they grab hold of it and make it their own.

Recently, a graphic design class at Ringling offered students a chance to “imagine” space for the new Collaboratory -- one that will become the epicenter of bringing the transformed art and design student experience to life. They were given the outline of a big, oddly-shaped room, their design learning, and three weeks to see what they could conceive. (The photo above is not an actual concept for the space)

The results demonstrated that the students’ visions for collaborative “space” and a work environment that would cultivate creativity is way beyond anything the rest of us had thought about. There were four groups working independently, and four amazing and totally different ideas.

What they had in common was the flow from reflective space, where individuals could contemplate and consider and sketch, to integrative space, where groups could engage in dynamic discussion.

What they had in common was open-ness, and the use of natural elements and a lot of natural light.

What they had in common was furniture that was changeable and moveable -- desks that turned to tables that turned to seating, cushions that could be pushed into a circle for discussion or piled into a comfy heap for cloud-gazing.

What they had in common was the excitement of new materials, color, flow, and an interior space that would be immediately recognizable as fresh, different, engaging. It was “just” a class project, but the students showed their extraordinary gift for transformative thinking.

That is the gift that will drive the Collaboratory. Ultimately, the Ringling College students will create a space that communicates the message of transformational learning.