Sensing beyond sight: sensorial empathy and the language of touch

This presentation offers a case study of a ‘live’ Textile Design project that took place between October 2018 - February 2019 where the brief was set by My Sight Nottinghamshire, the regional charity for people who are blind or visually impaired (previously Nottinghamshire Royal Society for the Blind, NRSB, dating back to 1843). 15 Textile design students worked in 3 groups to produce sensory textile design prototypes in response to the brief, which focused upon tactile designs to enhance touch-based experiences through soft furnishings for the home/interior spaces. An important part of the project was developing and drawing upon sensorial empathy combined with awareness and engagement with the language of touch. The presentation will provide a selective overview of the project, the prototypes, and the key findings. Some of the textile design prototypes were later included in the Sensing Beyond Sight exhibition at New Art Exchange in December 2019, which was put together by My Sight and NTU as part of Disability History Month: http://www.nae.org.uk/exhibition/sensing-beyond-sight/17