Behaviour arises from the constant interaction between inner states, bodily responses, and environmental cues. Recognising these patterns helps decode the mechanism behind decisions and actions, making complex experiences more tangible and coherent. In this context, design interventions act as catalysts for awareness and change while providing a structured framework for understanding behavioural actions. To translate this into practice, a systematic framework was introduced:
Connection Map
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Activation | Start the process
Patients are guided to build awareness of their emotions, especially in challenging situations. By identifying and naming feelings as they arise, they learn to uncover how primary and secondary emotions interact and reveal the core themes behind their reactions. This awareness links emotions to underlying motives, helping patients channel their responses towards effective problem-solving and healthier behaviour in Type 2 Diabetes management.
Phases
1 | Behavioural Pattern
Phase 1 is purely observational, mapping behavioural patterns and reactions without interference. It establishes a foundation for intervention, identifying unconscious survival strategies to guide health-promoting behavioural change
3 | Selection & Activation
Phase 3 focuses on maladaptive reactions arising from specific problems, closely tied to emotional experience. A key method involves scenographic imagination: reconstructing, recording, and reflecting on the problem context.
2 | Mindfulness & Somatic Focus
Phase 2 is about developing the ability to perceive, identify, and differentiate somatic responses and emotions within their context. Three key sources of information are used: the triggering situation, bodily sensations, and ingrained behavioural pattern.
4 | Psychosomatic Canvas
In Phase 4, the patient experience unfolds on a symbolic canvas: an open yet defined space. Through symbolic translation and structured categorisation, experiences are linked to context and behaviour, enabling deep reflection on the reasons behind somatic sensations and adjacent emotions.
Emotional Embodiment | Unravel the why
Emotional embodiment captures the deep interplay between body and mind, where subtle physical shifts -movement, posture, or tension- unconsciously shape emotions and behaviour. At the core of this process lie somatic marker: implicit bodily signals that continuously evaluate situations and guide attention, decision-making, and self-perception. As internal reference points, they bridge emotional awareness with physiological response, counterbalancing cognitive uncertainty and, through practice, fostering a stable, self-directed mode of regulation.
Sense Principle
Psychosomatic Canvas | Make it tangible
In design practice, the psychosomatic field offers a framework for mapping and connecting situational factors such as context, emotion, and bodily response. It creates orientation through symbolic translation and structured categorisation , linking somatic markers, articulated emotional states, and contextual or physiological data (e.g, blood glucose levels) to form a holistic understanding of individual co-factors, as well as am enhanced mind-body connection.
Visual Identity
The Sense Concept | Make it tangible
Sense centres on the gradual creation of a personalised psychosomatic field that connects emotional awareness with bodily sensations to deepen self-understanding. Micro-interactions act as subtle, context-sensitive prompts that encourage reflection in real-time, while macro-interactions offer structured learning, guidance, and behavioural recommendations. By categorising the underlying motives behind eating behaviours -particularly cravings and impulsive snacking- the framework visualises emotional states, situational triggers, and physical responses. This process help Type 2 Diabetes patients discern between genuine physiological hunger and emotionally driven impulses, promoting more conscious and health-supportive choices.
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