Tiziana Proietti, assistant professor of Interior Design and Architecture and director of the interdisciplinary laboratory Sense|Base, recently presented her research at the 2023 Interior Design Educators Council Southwest Regional Conference. She was recognized with the Best Presentation award for her project, Vision Training for Designers.
Proietti presented her research regarding new pedagogical methods that aim to develop the sensorial abilities of young designers. According to Proietti, many architectural education programs focus on aesthetics and the use of certain shapes and proportions universally considered to be beautiful. However, this method of design ignores the larger issue regarding how certain qualities of objects are perceived and affect the overall experience of the built environment.
In her presentation, Proietti emphasized the importance of human perception in design education. She encouraged the use of innovative pedagogical formats, such as the Theory of Pure Design by Arthur Wesley Dow and Denman Walso Ross. This approach focuses on physio-psychology and relies on empirical studies to determine the visual appeal of various design forms.
Learn more about Proietti’s research here.