Scaffolding visualization and mental rotation in designing and crafting

Abstract

This chapter discusses visualization of shapes, specifically mental rotation, during design and craft practice and how this can be scaffolded with external aids. We present and discuss an autoethnographic case of a wood carver who temporarily lost parts of her mental visualization and rotation ability due to a brain tumour. We show how such a loss influenced the wood carver and how she used scaffolding techniques to support her lost ability. In this process, she also learnt that this ability is something that can be trained, thus we reflect on the implications of this for design and craft education.