08/16/2026
The Open Digital Studio launched on August 2. Made possible with a grant from the Michigan Architectural Foundation, the Open Digital Studio is a self-guided design station built around a 13" iPad Pro with Apple Pencil and Sketchpad Pro Drawing Frame. This interactive display invites patrons to try their hand at digital design - sketching, 3D modeling, and architectural drawing. It is a passive program, with no appointment, sign-up, or experience required.
Users will draw two cards, a "Make" card and a "Rule" card. Combined, these cards provide the core of the exercise, consisting of an interesting drawing task and an amusing constraint. The iPad contains several apps, along with descriptions of their functions, and patrons will decide which one is right for their task. A catalog of design ideas and instructions, inspired by the experimental Fluxus art movement of the 1970s, offers inspiration to anyone who interacts with the display