Negative Capability in Beginning Design.

This article explores the relevance of John Keats' concept of negative capability in relation to teaching foundation design studios. Keats' notion of negative capability has a direct correlation to what design researchers Meinel and Leifer refer to as The Ambiguity Rule, which states: 'Innovation demands experimentation at the limits of our knowledge, at the limits of our ability to control event, and with the freedom to see things differently.'1 As design educators, we can provide a structure or platform for students to experiment on their own, but how can we create a studio environment that encourages risk-taking, allows for error and teaches students to acknowledge and tolerate states of ambiguity; how can we teach them to hone their skills in negative capability?