This paper introduces the special issue of AI EDAM on the role of gesture in designing. It starts with the context of the papers submitted and a summary of the papers accepted. We then introduce gesture studies, one of the two main domains with which this Special Issue is concerned. We do not introduce design research: we suppose the readers of AI EDAM are familiar with this domain. After this general introduction to the domain of gesture studies, we provide an overview of gestures in design, that is, the research environment of the papers in this Special Issue. We then discuss some dimensions on which these papers differ, as well as some on which they are related.