The following article presents an overview of the design of a design method applied to studio-level projects in the Design program, from its inception in 1995 to 2025 at the University of La Serena (ULS), Coquimbo region, Chile.

The research vacancy focuses on the creation of an author-based method that provides a theoretical foundation and seeks to adapt to the changing needs of design disciplines such as the arts, design, and architecture.

The University of La Serena's School of Design has developed a design methodology that emerges from the intersection of methods proposed by Alexander, Archer, Asimov, Gugelot, and Munari, who agree on five stages: background, synthesis, creativity, formal development, and solution. "Each of these stages sometimes reflects more than one of the aforementioned authors."

The University of La Serena groups them into three categories: background, conceptual proposal, and formal proposal (tangible or intangible). The conceptual proposal consists of a definition of the problem, a statement of objectives, and concepts that generate proposals.

Design method:
Fernández Güell instructs us to gather information, separating it into three models: physical, economic, and social. The physical model requires an analysis of the function, population, and location, how the object (tangible or intangible) interacts, who interacts, and where. The economic model gathers information regarding project financing, whether it is public, private, or mixed, endogenous or exogenous. The social model focuses on observing the needs associated with the act, the interaction of people with the good, and the relationship with social organizations. Fernández Güell proposes the analysis of needs based on Maslow's pyramid. It is here that a profound change is made in the proposal with the sole movement of replacing Maslow with Max-Neef, who, along with his collaborators, defines needs as systemic, that are not satisfied, are experienced, are finite, and universal. The variable lies in the satisfiers that express them, since they are cultural, are modified and updated with the rhythm of the times, and are enhanced by the goods proposed by each culture.

This research is gaining relevance in the field of design, focusing on the learning of workshop students who have applied the ULS design method, their progress, advancement, and correction of the project.

Finally, the research presents results regarding student learning outcomes using this method, including experiences, adaptations, modifications, and possible improvements to the model.

Keywords: Design, concept, learning, project method.