Exploring Creative Thinking and Practice through Gestaltung: A Case Study of Spatial Design Learning in Art and Design Departments

This study explores the development of creative thinking and practical ability in spatial design learning through the concept of Gestaltung. Focusing on learners in art and design departments, the research examines how creative ideas are generated, transformed, and realized through hands-on spatial creation processes. Using a qualitative case study approach, this research analyzes students’ learning experiences, design processes, and completed works to investigate the relationship between creative thinking, material practice, and spatial formation. The findings indicate that creative thinking in spatial design learning is not a linear process but an iterative interaction between conceptual imagination and practical execution. Through continuous experimentation with materials, forms, and spatial relationships, learners gradually construct personal creative strategies and design logic. The concept of Gestaltung serves as a critical framework that integrates thinking and practice, enabling learners to perceive spatial creation as a dynamic process of formation rather than a fixed outcome. This study contributes to art and design education by highlighting the pedagogical value of process-oriented spatial creation and offers insights into how creative thinking can be effectively cultivated through integrated design practice.