‘Onderzoekende voorlichting’ (translation: Investigative SexEd) is a sequel to the outcomes of Sexual Healing 2.0 in which Nienke conducted a scientific study on the role of relaxation in arousal, together with Prof. Dr. Ellen Laan and Dr. Stephanie Both at LUMC (Leiden University Medical Center).

In this collaboration with social design studio Sociaal Centraal, we recreate a more experimental version of the scientific study. Onderzoekende voorlichting is a workshop/experiment about sexuality and relaxation, in which the participants provide analogue data throughout the experiment, whilst gaining knowledge.

Science collaborations are an increasingly popular approach for designers, wether to achieve innovation or impact supported by data. With designers projects focus on more complex matters, their impact is more easily claimed than proven. When using science to increase the impact of design, or prove the existence of the impact, the fairly conservative scientific world and the approach of many and rapid experiments used by designers are often difficult to reconcile.

In search of good methods for collaborations in the future, this project includes the research participants into the why of the experiment. During the Investigative SexEd project we combine teaching students about the role of relaxation in arousal, with collecting data to see if we can derive useful findings from this and make an immediate impact.

This project is supported by Kunstloc. The workshop in the photos was supported by Parktheater Eindhoven, Cheex, Cycle.care, Aia, and the Pleasure Society. The students participating in the photos are from Fontys Pulsed.