Embodiment in Design Education: expanding pedagogy to meet contemporary challenges

Abstract

This paper examines two embodiment workshops in design higher education (HE). The workshops form part of a larger research project exploring the use of somatic practices to address dominant challenges impacting design education. Facilitated by a design educator and a choreographer, the workshops guide undergraduate students through four stages: Arrive, Move, Create, and Gather, using movement and creative exercises to bypass cognition and amplify embodied knowing. The study highlights the relevance of embodied practices to contemporary societal and environmental challenges, including student well-being, emotional regulation, and the development of ethical and sustainable design practices. Data collection includes body maps, questionnaires, group discussions, and observational notes. Despite a small data set, findings reveal participants’ receptiveness to embodied practices, emphasising their capacity to deepen self-awareness, regulate emotions, and access creative insights. The study demonstrates the potential of embodied practices to expand design pedagogy and foster critical, responsive approaches to contemporary challenges.