The Snoezelen or Multi-Sensory Environment (MSE) is a unique concept that was developed in response to the limited range of relaxation and leisure activities available for children and adults with sensory processing difficulties, such as autism spectrum condition and Alzheimer’s disease. The environment is furnished with the sensory props, designed to stimulate the primary senses, which are fundamental to the Snoezelen® experience.

Based on the author’s own subjective experience of working in an MSE, this MPhil by practice combines historical research into the evolution of the design of the MSE with an experiential account of current practice. The research suggests that the future of the MSE needs to include textile designers if it is to be fully multi-sensory. The research is interdisciplinary, integrating ideas from occupational therapists, educationalists, designers, architects and new media artists, who have explored the areas of sensory stimulation, environmental wellbeing, leisure and play. This interdisciplinary approach is used to generate the knowledge which informs and guides the author’s textile practice, bringing her experience of working in MSE’s to inform her approach to the theory and philosophy of multi-sensory play environments.

The research aims to inform health care practitioners of the important role that sensory design plays in the education of people with sensory processing difficulties, positively maximizing an individual’s experience. The author offers a series of design outcomes developed through her textile practice, and asks whether the design of the MSE can benefit a wider user group, and expand into the design concepts for work, play and domestic environments for those both with and without sensory processing difficulties.