Reflections on the Somatic Core of Ideation

Veronika Mayerboeck; Kristina Höök; Alé Duarte

doi:10.54337/ojs.jos.v11i2.10201

Authors

Veronika Mayerboeck ALLES oder Licht :: Design.Education.Research. / MeiCogSci Program University of Vienna https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1985-102X
Kristina Höök KTH Stockholm, DIVISION OF MEDIA TECHNOLOGY AND INTERACTION DESIGN https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0002-4825
Alé Duarte

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54337/ojs.jos.v11i2.10201

Abstract

The proposed discussion centers on the somatic core of ideation within creative processes, drawing on diverse perspectives from Somaesthetics, Embodied Design Theory, Interaction Design and Design Education, Embodied Learning, the Hermeneutics of Play, Child Development and the Neuro-Evolutionary Foundations of Infant Minds. We suggest a virtual open dialogue, grounded in the participants’ pedagogical and academic expertise in facilitating ideation. A pre-structured set of topics aims to facilitate a coherent and focused discourse while allowing space for spontaneous exchange. Key topics include:

What is the deeper connection between self-agency and self-regulation in ideation processes?
How does early neuro-affective development shape the ability to perceive and create specific aesthetics?
What are key mind-body interconnections in ideation, and how are they linked to the somatic dimension of long-term Gestalt processes?

Kristina Höök is a professor of Interaction Design at KTH Stockholm. Her research spans affective interaction, somaesthetic design, the Internet of Things, and design methodologies. With Soma Design, she advocates for a slower, body-centered design process that foregrounds perception and human values. Her influential work has helped shift Interaction Design toward more experiential, embodied, and sustainable practices across the whole design and use cycle.

Alé Duarte is a somatic educator, certified in Somatic Experiencing and Rolfing, and creator of the KidSoma Method—a body-based framework supporting children’s self-regulation, ideation, and expression. With over 30 years of experience in trauma-informed education, embodied paedagogy and neuro-affective development, he has worked in 30+ countries. His workshops foster physiological attunement, relational coherence, and dynamic group engagement.

Veronika Mayerböck is an architect/ lighting designer, dancer and educator. Across her works in Media Art, Interaction Design and Lighting, she researches the interplay of space, light and movement through the lense of the sensing body. Her Sensing Space method fosters ideation through perceptive resonance and kinesthetic awareness. It has proven effective in 10+years in Architecture/Design education (TUGraz, HS Wismar, KTH, HAW Hamburg, IALD, Moving Boundaries Nordic with Galen Cranz and Sarah Robinson).

References

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Reflections on the Somatic Core of Ideation

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