Implementing clay sculpting as an ideation strategy in teaching product form design to first-year industrial design students

This study investigates the use of clay sculpting as a hands-on ideation strategy in teaching product form development to first-year industrial design students. A qualitative, studiobased approach was employed involving 17 students, from which 5 were purposively selected to represent diverse form outcomes. Data were collected through observations, photographic documentation, and analysis of clay models and sketches. Using open coding and visual analysis, the study identified three key themes: (1) clay sculpting encouraged exploration of unconventional product forms beyond typical walkie-talkie archetypes, (2) subject matter inspiration supported structured abstraction and meaningful form translation, and (3) the physical-to-visual sequence improved students’ understanding of proportion, usability, and design refinement. The results indicated that clay sculpting expanded students’ form exploration and strengthens their ability to interpret inspiration sources and apply them in a clear design direction. It also promoted creative risk-taking, reduces design fixation, and strengthens form reasoning in early design education. Overall, this study provides evidence that tangible ideation effectively supports the transition from abstract exploration to functional product concepts, offering practical value for foundational design education.