The Embodied Sensory Approach in Interior Design Education: A Multisensory Framework for Concept Development

Abstract

This article presents the Embodied Sensory Approach (ESA), a structured pedagogical framework developed and refined by the author through nearly a decade of teaching interior design studios. The ESA was created to address the problem of residual ocularcentrism and over-abstraction in interior design by using multisensory engagement as a primary epistemological framework during concept development. Drawing from embodied cognition theory, experiential learning, and multisensory design principles, this framework is intended to address significant gaps in traditional design education by recalibrating the relationship between how spaces tend to be conceptualized during design and how they are actually experienced by users. The ESA is organized into four sequential phases with specific activities that encourage students to engage in structured sensory interactions and then integrate those experiences with design concept development. The method is grounded in existing trends from biophilic design pedagogy, participatory design, and place-grounded design, while extending their insights into a structured series of linked educational activities. Extensive observational evidence from a senior-level interior design studio is presented to demonstrate the implementation and effectiveness of the ESA. Obstacles to implementation, cross-cultural applications, intersections with diverse student learning styles, and future research needs are discussed.