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Earlier this academic year, OU first-year Interior Design studio students showcased their understanding of design principles through an innovative mid-term project: creating a mobile. This assignment allowed students to explore and demonstrate their mastery of fundamental design principles in a dynamic and engaging way.
The project, part of the fall 2024 midterm for the first-year Interior Design studio class, was led by Associate Professor Chelsea Holcomb and Lecturers Jennifer Shirley and Julie Hornbeek. Students were tasked with designing and constructing a mobile—a type of kinetic sculpture composed of suspended, weighted objects or rods that move in response to air currents or motor power. The two-week assignment culminated in presentations to Gibbs faculty.
Students present their mobile projects.
The mobile was chosen as a medium because it inherently embodies key principles of design, such as balance, harmony, and, most importantly, movement. To emphasize this, students were required to submit a video of their mobiles in motion, demonstrating how their designs interacted with the surrounding environment.
Mobiles by first-year Interior Design students.
During their presentations, students delivered concise “elevator pitches” lasting 30 seconds to a minute, explaining their design concepts and the rationale behind their choices. They also fielded questions from instructors about how their work reflected the design principles studied throughout the semester.
During the Spring 2026 semester, students in Interior Design Studio IV and Graduate Studio IV gained hands-on experience in educational facility design through a semester-long partnership with MA+ Architecture.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture congratulates Dr. Tammy McCuen, Robert E. Busch Professor of Construction Science, on beginning her term as president of the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC), an international organization dedicated to advancing construction education through teaching, research and service.
Following years of contributions to the College’s research and strategic initiatives, Gibbs College shares that Associate Dean for Research and External Engagement Angela M. Person, PhD, will step down from her position at Gibbs College as she moves to Tucson with her family, effective June 30, 2026.
