When is collaborating with friends a good idea? insights from design education

Prior research is split on the relationship between prior friendship and performance. Based on our review of the literature, we highlight areas where further research is needed to achieve greater practical applicability of the results. We then present our study measures and preliminary analysis of data collected from a design studio university course. Our quantitative and qualitative probes suggest a link between teammates’ prior friendship and lower performance outcomes. We also identify four group processes that may mediate the relationship between friendship and performance.