Spatial Experience Design

Sex sells. In a hyper-sexualized society, sex is used as a marketing tool to sell products and grab attention, reducing it to a purely physical and perfectly framed experience. Despite its pervasive presence, addressing concerns about pleasure remains an uncomfortable topic to some, while only a handful of people have access to pleasure education. The lack of comprehensive sex education in Spain, particularly regarding pleasure, contributes to the misinformation and discomfort surrounding the subject.

By viewing ourselves as perfect by-products of pleasure in regards to sexuality, we place a lot of pressure and walls that let us fully explore what sex has to offer.

“Sexual performance anxiety is extremely common, especially among men. There is a great deal of pressure in society to perform in sexual situations, as a person's ability to do so is judged as a part of their personality.” (Abraham)

“Coming to My Senses” is a spatial project based on a self-discovery exploration to gain insight into cultivating the foundation of pleasure-based sex education. Situated in the heart of Madrid, “El Parque del Retiro,” between Palacio de Velazquez and Palacio de Cristal, both culturally essential locations.

Aiming to create an open and inclusive space for everyone to access free of charge, prioritizing safety, hygiene, and auditory guidance. In order to encompass an expanded understanding of how the foundation of pleasure in relation to sexuality is a symbiotic relationship of sexual and sensual pleasures, giving more emphasis on sensuality.

Thus, it highlights that all one needs to seek the foundation of pleasure concerning sexuality is through the senses, so a rather sensual focus on body and mind. The project offers a unique approach to sex education by encompassing pleasure exploration through an introspective journey and shared experiences.

Lastly, “Coming to My Senses” is built upon an open-source platform, laying the foundation for its potential growth over time into a vibrant community-based initiative. In that way, the project recognizes the power of collaboration, and shared experiences foster a deep sense of belonging and connection.

The process of my final design capstone project started in January 2023. The beginning marked an intensive and in-depth research investigation of the historical, present, and future state of sexuality and its relation to pleasure. For centuries the realm of pleasure, specifically sexuality, has been an intriguing notion. Yet, after years, we still live in a world where humanity finds themselves stuck and often ill-equipped. The conclusive statement of “Coming to My Senses” is not that we do not talk about sex and pleasure; it is that we talk about it too much without a sophisticated educative base making everything related to its realm seem ‘dirty,’ uncomfortable, and weirded out. These sentiments come from a place of not fully understanding the nature of sexuality and pleasure, which this project aims to solve.

It incorporates techniques studied and researched extensively used in sex therapy, somatic practices, and alternative forms. It draws attention to a rather holistic approach to an erotic experience that can be understood as one that sparks curiosity, gaining a profound understanding of the pleasure sensation on the body.

This journey is an auditory guided exploration enabling individuals to discover and understand their erotic selves through activating the senses. While the current focus is on individual experiences, there is a future potential for group exploration.

The project manifests itself in a counter-sexual evolution based on theories from Spanish philosopher Paul B. Preciado, sex educator Emily Nagoski, sex therapist Esther Perel and philosopher Jean-Jacques Rosseau. Therefore, the following paper makes an academic critique of sociocultural contexts such as private and public affairs, the perfection industry understood as Westernized capitalist frameworks, religious dogmas, and overfocus on the genital approach.

This was an individual project. Final Capstone Project of Bachelors in Design at IE University.

Tutor: Cristina Goberna Pesudo