Shape as Experience: Analysis of the Application of the Expressive Categories Map as a Facilitator Way in the Configuration of Objects and Spaces

Configuration of a design solution combine aspects of surface, volume, contour, space, and point of view, promoting a sensorial experience that determines the perception of the shape with a visual utterance that stimulates the production of meaning. Following this, this article addresses the educational field of design, analyzing facilitating strategies to synthesize expressive concepts and the configuration process during the project practice in class. With a cross-sectional exploratory methodological focus, that includes participant observation and documental analysis, it examines the outcomes of applying the Map of Expressive Categories Map (MEC) and the concrete experimentation with didactic tools in the scope of Fashion Design, Interior Design, and Production Design formation. The analysis noted that the students integrated aesthetic, ergonomic, and technical requirements in the articulation of the shape syntax of objects and spaces, fostering the perception of the shape as an objective and subjective experience. Furthermore, the evidence confirmed the effectiveness of the MEC as a way to organize project thinking and communication in collaborative environments.