Dealing in Dialogue: exploring card‑based approaches for reflective practice
In September 2025, we travelled to the University of Aveiro in Portugal to explore how structured dialogue can support reflective practice across creative contexts. Andy Walters and Jo Ward took part in DRS LearnXDesign— a three‑day international conference on design education, practice and pedagogy — presenting collaborative research developed with Jesper Falck Legaard from Kolding School of Design.
Our presentation centred on a case study entitled Prompting Reflective Learning Through Card-based Approaches, which explores how dialogue‑led prompts can support reflective practice across creative contexts. Drawing on two card‑based tools — Cards of Doom (C.O.D.) and CO:RE cards — the case study examines how applying these approaches beyond their original settings can create space for meaningful discussion, shared reflection and collaboration in both academic and industry environments.
Across workshops and conversations, three themes emerged as being central to reflective practice: tension, psychological safety, and dialogic interaction. Rather than avoiding challenge or uncertainty, our findings highlight how carefully facilitated tension can prompt insight — particularly when participants feel safe to contribute openly and build on each other’s perspectives.
Reflecting on the collaboration, Jesper said:
“It has been an exciting and enriching experience to engage with PDR’s community of creatives and collaborate with such insightful and good‑humoured colleagues. The Cardiff sessions, especially the card play day, stood out as both productive and genuinely enjoyable.”
Alongside presenting our work, we spent the conference listening, learning and exchanging ideas with educators and practitioners from around the world. This included workshops and discussions with colleagues from Design Council and Kolding, as well as participation in an interactive research project exploring what makes a design studio a distinctive and sustainable pedagogic space. Led by Cròna O’Donoghue (UTA), this work has already opened up conversations around potential future collaboration on sustainability‑focused creative industry projects.
The LearnXDesign 2025 conference proceedings are now available via the DRS Digital Library, offering a deeper look at the research and ideas shared across the event.
Collaboration is central to how we work at PDR — from engaging with communities, to working with industry partners and academic collaborators. If you’re interested in exploring design‑led approaches to research or industry collaboration, get in touch — we’d love to hear from you.
