The aesthetics of our new fictions

Aesthetics are important in creating the appeal of products that underpins their longevity. ,25, In these instances, 'the 'product' would be a fusion of psychological and external 'realities', the user would become a protagonist and co-producer of narrative experience rather than a passive consumer of a product's meaning. The mental interface betwe... See more

Sebastian Deterling:  Whatever we put out there as a piece of design, into the world, has a persuasive component. It tries to affect people. It puts a certain vision of the good life out there in front of us. No matter whether we as designers intend it or not, we materialize morality. We make certain things harder and easier to do. We organize... See more

The Internet and its extensions become a realm of imaginings, visions and fictionings of self. As we traverse the clarinet (the web available to us), we start seeing the digital ether littered with new species. Sure, for many these might be aesthetics, TikTok trends or waves of escapism. However, with individuals creating, embodying and manifesting... See more

Set aside all the academic jargon — these studies are very difficult to read! — and the point is rather stark: our vision and perception are far sharper than is our own awareness of them. We see and understand even when we think we are not. This has major implications for design.

Still, it sounds impossible, doesn’t it? But it is at the root of virt

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As it turns out, much of design is about capitalizing on that gap. In the design of objects, understanding the careful balance of mind-body coordination is what makes for useful ones. A good object is not one that you want to be rid of, nor one that functions best when you are distracted. And yet, in the world of visual media, distraction has been

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“What I’m interested in is deep aesthetics: the universal or near-universal forms that elicit deep, subconscious positive or negative emotional responses. These deep aesthetics are changing, too, but not nearly fast enough to keep pace with rapid technological, political, and social upheaval around us.”

– Lane Rettig, on the importance of studying d

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Such a shift would, of course, encourage a radical rethink in how designers approach their practice. There would be heavy emphasis on rendering images, as opposed to traditional pattern cutting, which could advance design beyond the capabilities of physical manufacturing. “I find the consumption of images very intriguing, as at this moment, designe... See more

Humans are finding new ways to express themselves in both the digital and physical realms in order to join wider communities and reject our most physically distanced era. In other words, the rise of community through visual identifiers is a growing phenomenon. Second, these trends allow people to explore their identity through relative pseudonymity... See more