Design education encompasses various teaching strategies with classes typically evaluated by students at the end of the term. This evaluation is often perfunctory; in contrast, the observational research presented in this paper examines a variety of design classes as they are taught, then analyzes the observations through three perspectives: across instructor comparisons, comparisons across class activities with regard to student behavior and the relationship between manual skill and reflective practice in studio work. While the study has a limited scope, the methods and analytical perspectives suggest new ways to improve teaching and learning in design programs.