thinkering through hands and machines.

This case study marked a shift from traditional design teaching methods—one where sketching and research took a back seat to something far more tactile. For our Level 4 Product Design students, the brief was simple but unusual: start by making. Using a limited palette of materials, students were encouraged to explore form through hands-on model-making, letting intuition and experimentation drive the process.The aim was to introduce them to the concept of "thinkering"—a blend of thinking and tinkering that values material play and open-ended discovery. Inspired by McKim’s emphasis on imagination and Hella Jongerius’s belief in the intelligence of the hands, this approach invited students to embrace ambiguity, weirdness, and personal expression from the start.

To build on this, I brought generative AI tools into the mix, allowing students to push their ideas further—extending physical models into speculative, high-definition digital iterations. While not central to the design process, the AI component offered students new ways to visualize and adapt their work, encouraging broader thinking around application and context. The outcome was powerful. Many students initially found the lack of structure unsettling, but grew to value the creative freedom it offered. Reflections revealed a shift in confidence, a stronger sense of authorship, and a more playful, open mindset. The experience opened up new territory—not just in what students designed, but how they came to think about designing at all.