In the digital age, sensory engagement and material literacy in arts and design education are in gradual decline. This study addresses the tension between technological acceleration and human intelligence by positioning letterpress printing as a form of slow media. Its creative rhythm, material resistance, and embrace of imperfection challenge the instantaneity and superficiality of digital workflows.

From 2022 to 2025, the research team collaborated with Tokyo-based Letterpress Letters to run immersive, intergenerational workshops involving more than 120 participants. The methodology combined ethnographic observation, reflective interviews, and analysis of student works. Typesetting and printing revealed how participants experienced the weight of metal type and the tactile impression on paper. The embossed mark was perceived not only as visual beauty but also as a lesson in patience, respect for material, and the temporal discipline of slow craft.

Findings indicate that such embodied practice cultivated design awareness beyond speed and mass production. Participants re-evaluated the role of error, rhythm, and material constraints as resources for creative reflection. They also reported that engaging with traditional craft in tandem with digital tools allowed cultural memory to be extended into contemporary design practice.

This research demonstrates how sensory ethics can ground hybrid arts pedagogy. By transforming cultural insights into future-oriented design actions, it proposes a sustainable framework for cross-disciplinary arts education that bridges material heritage with pedagogical innovation.

Authors:
Jiaye Wu, Shih Chien University, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Jiaye Wu, a cross-disciplinary designer and researcher in fashion, brand visuals, and curation, focuses on integrating historical resources into immersive teaching, with plans to merge digital technology for multi-sensory, embodied learning.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Wednesday Schedule

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