The ideation process is one of the most challenging components of the design process for students in Higher Education. Many students struggle with a lack of inspiration and confidence due to the need for perfection, which demotivates them to share or develop their ideas fully. Traditional ideation techniques often feel repetitive or restrictive, resulting in frustration and disengagement.

This autoethnographic study draws from my personal experience as a design educator and ceramic artist to explore how play-based strategies can help reframe ideation as a joyful and exploratory process. This research is based on reflective practice and classroom observation, drawing on my many years of teaching experience with first-year design students, rather than relying on data collection from students. Through imaginative activities like the ‘What If’ ideation challenge, impromptu sketching, printmaking and clay-based story-telling activities, I observed how students are inspired to take risks, try new things and solve problems. This data highlights the different ways in which playful approaches influence idea generation, creative exploration, and confidence in design thinking.

The findings show that incorporating play into the ideation process leads to more original and varied ideas. Students who engaged in play reported feeling less pressurised to come up with a “perfect” idea and enjoyed the freedom to explore. Play-based methods encouraged students to overcome planned thinking, resulting in new and unexpected results.

This research is framed through constructionist and experiential learning theories (Papert 1980) and supported by the reflective practitioner model (Schon 1983). The research also positions play as a mindset shift that values process over perfection and exploration over fixed results. As a Hindu female artist, majoring in ceramics, I also introduce nature and ritual inspired approaches that integrate cultural knowledge into the ideation process. This study contributes to design education by offering a practical, inclusive and culturally responsive approach to the use of play in the classroom. This provides evidence that play is not just for children but can also be used as an important tool for unlocking creativity at any level. By shifting the focus from fixed outcomes to exploration and discovery, educators can help students develop creative confidence and problem-solving skills that will benefit them beyond the classroom. The findings encourage a rethinking of how ideation is taught, making it more interactive, inclusive, and engaging.

This research has a strong focus on the subtheme of Design and Societal Realities, Impact and Cultural Preservation. Many design students struggle with ideation due to societal pressures relating to the need for perfection and having to deal with rigid educational structures that emphasise results over process. This playful approach can counteract these pressures by creating a more inclusive and exploratory learning environment that encourages risk-taking, collaboration, and creative confidence. By focusing on play as a strategy for enhancing ideation, this research contributes to the larger conversation about how design education must evolve to reflect societal realities, create meaningful impact, and support cultural preservation.