Challenging the boundaries of knowledge: application of a “queer-indisciplinary” approach in a storytelling design course.

In recent years, the need for inclusive and interdisciplinary educational methods has become increasingly important, especially for addressing complex social and cultural issues. In advanced communication design, particularly immersive storytelling, there is a growing demand for approaches that overcome knowledge fragmentation and transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries. In this sense, “indisciplinarity” questions the nature and usefulness of disciplinary boundaries specifically in the context of solutions to complex challenges. Queer theory, in fact, provides a framework for rejecting rigid categories. By challenging conventional frameworks, “queering” invites diverse perspectives and explores "not-yet" ways of teaching and engaging with the future. The “queer-indisciplinary” methodology presented in this paper focuses on deconstructing and hybridizing skills, in an effort to challenge disciplinary boundaries and promote experiential learning free from strict disciplinary boundaries, supporting innovation and creativity by specifically intertwining Design, Performing Art, Social Sciences, and Digital Technology (DASD). The DASD seminars examined in this study were designed specifically to facilitate students’ design of disruptive communications as part of the indisciplinary queering process to foster critical futures thinking and disrupt hegemonic disciplinary structures. The DASD seminars demonstrated that the “queer-indisciplinary” approach not only fostered an inclusive understanding of knowledge but also developed essential skills for addressing contemporary challenges in immersive storytelling design, blending multiple perspectives to enhance innovation and creativity.