To learn to feel: developing tactual aesthetic sensitivity in design education

DS 59: Proceedings of E&PDE 2009, the 11th Engineering and Product Design Education Conference - Creating a Better World, Brighton, UK, 10.-11.09.2009

Year: 2009
Editor: Clarke, A, Ion, W, McMahon, C and Hogarth, P
Author: Sonneveld, Marieke H.; Schifferstein, Hendrik N. J.
Series: E&PDE
Section: DESIGN AND EMOTION
Page(s): 442-447

Abstract

Through touch we are in physical contact with the material world, to explore and manipulate that world. Touch is the basis for our understanding of the materiality of the world. In addition, touch is a communication channel for affection: it is through touch that we feel accepted or rejected. Touch is therefore essential to our well-being. Design education should develop students' awareness and sensitivity for the tactual experience in human product interaction and the skills to design for touch. But touch is a tacit experience, difficult to access. To develop a course addressing the tactual experience we first need to get access to that experience. At Delft University of Technology, Department of Industrial Design, we developed a set of tools, methods and exercises, presented to the students in the course 'Tactility'.

Keywords: Tactual experience, aesthetic sensitivity, tactual design skills

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