Pedagogy Within the Generative AI Studio - Wharton Generative AI Labs

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The Pedagogy Behind the Studio

July 29, 2026 •︎ Laura Zarrow

What if we stopped defining it simply as a tool, and instead approached it as a creative medium, using the time-tested methodologies of art and design education to do so?

We see a growing call to action for the practice of enduring skills like judgement, creativity and critical thinking, sparked by the recognition that AI agents will need to be managed well. But we haven’t seen a pedagogical approach that would develop these skills in a manner that could unlock generative AI’s wild potential, and the economic and human value that could come with it.

Generative AI can produce stories, images, music, video, interactivity, and stir human emotions. It is vast in its variability, and using it effectively requires an understanding of its nuances and idiosyncrasies. What if we stopped defining it simply as a tool, and instead approached it as a creative medium, using the time-tested methodologies of art and design education to do so?

The Generative AI Studio emerged from this premise: a pilot built on time-tested methodologies from art and design education, oriented toward the new problems and possibilities of working with generative AI.

We prioritized individual creative exploration, and turned to the critique as a method to develop discernment, and leverage the team’s interdisciplinary skill set. This was complemented by the use of the charrette to develop a productive creative process, put their growing technical skills to work, and facilitate effective collaboration.

Together, these processes enabled our students to produce an unexpected array of unique, AI-driven experiences.

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Cite as:

Zarrow, Laura, Enduring Methods for an Emerging Medium: The Generative AI Studio (July 29, 2026). Available at https://gail.wharton.upenn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Studio-Pedagogy-Article-LZ-7-29-26.pdf

Learning From the Arts

As designers and artists strive to make the imagined real and continually advance their craft, they work through recurring cycles of individual making and collaborative critique, supported by a culture of experimentation and invention. It’s a disciplined practice of observation, experimentation, critique, revision, and aesthetic judgment that serves to develop creative ideas.

Three practices in particular – the studio structure, the critique and the charrette  have long been central to how art, design, and media are taught and pursued. When it comes to working with generative AI, these practices have value for the same reason. They develop judgement and give students a process for testing and refining ideas before they commit to the build process. In our case, they were pivotal to shifting how we approached generative AI, moving past its use as a tool and instead embracing it as a creative medium for developing new experiences, products, and services.

The Studio Structure

Participants work on individually-driven projects with no “right” answer, but the potential to serve a need or create a meaningful human experience. Our weekly three-hour sessions include the introduction of essential concepts along with demonstrations and experiments, and substantial time devoted to concurrent individual and collaborative hands-on work.

Criteria for Success

We develop and evaluate each project on the following:

Intrinsic AI

A clear, essential role for generative AI, without which the project would lose its distinct value.

Aesthetic Elements

The effective use of aesthetic elements, including image, color, typography, composition, time, motion, and sound.

User Interface

A logical user experience that serves the project goals and maximizes the distinct value created by generative AI.

IT Architecture

A logical and efficient digital infrastructure.

Data Security & User Safety

Security and safety regarding data, privacy, and unintended consequences on others.

Ethics

Ethics regarding the use of images, music, video, and text produced by generative AI, or other creators.

The Crit

Essential to this process is the development of discernment, which is where the critique, or crit, comes into play.

Crits center on the assessment and discussion of creative output. Their purpose is to help the student clarify their own goals and identify ways to build on what is already strong or potent within the project. They are anchored in the idea that each project has its own trajectory toward being fully realized. There is not necessarily a right or wrong answer. The question is how to help the project become what it can be: how to effectively bring its potential to life.

Crits can be conducted 1:1 or with a group. Either way, we begin with the student presenting the work and inviting feedback from everyone in the room. The student explains their intention, the process they used, what they discovered along the way, what new...