Abstract
This paper introduces a design framework—Action, Reflection, and Transformation (ART)—that supports embodied ideation and articulates somatic knowledge in interaction design. Building on prior work in embodied interaction and soma design, the framework provides a structured yet flexible means for designers to engage in a first-person bodily experience, co-create through reflective practice, and translate movement-based insight into expressive form. In a multi-session workshop with undergraduate design students, we explore how ART principles can scaffold somatic sensitivity, collaborative articulation, and design transformation. The study highlights how bodily exploration, shared enactment, and per formative critique serve as generative methods in design education. We reflect on its pedagogical value, acknowledge contextual limitations, and consider its potential to foster long-term somatic sensibilities—particularly amid shifting technological paradigms. By re-centring the soma as both method and material, this research advocates for a more humane, reflective, and experientially grounded approach to designing technology.
Keywords
Embodied Design; Somatic Knowledge; Interaction Design; Design Education
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.223
Citation
Hur, Y., Markopoulos, P.,and Bruns, M.(2025) Scaffolding Somatic Design: Action, Reflection, and Transformation in an Educational Workshop, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.223
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 12 - Design Education
Scaffolding Somatic Design: Action, Reflection, and Transformation in an Educational Workshop
This paper introduces a design framework—Action, Reflection, and Transformation (ART)—that supports embodied ideation and articulates somatic knowledge in interaction design. Building on prior work in embodied interaction and soma design, the framework provides a structured yet flexible means for designers to engage in a first-person bodily experience, co-create through reflective practice, and translate movement-based insight into expressive form. In a multi-session workshop with undergraduate design students, we explore how ART principles can scaffold somatic sensitivity, collaborative articulation, and design transformation. The study highlights how bodily exploration, shared enactment, and per formative critique serve as generative methods in design education. We reflect on its pedagogical value, acknowledge contextual limitations, and consider its potential to foster long-term somatic sensibilities—particularly amid shifting technological paradigms. By re-centring the soma as both method and material, this research advocates for a more humane, reflective, and experientially grounded approach to designing technology.