There is beauty in something well-made. The fine fit of a tailored suit. The delicate stitching of a vibrant rug. The mechanical elegance of a well-tuned watch, ticking silently. The same aesthetic laws that govern these objects – and innumerable others – apply to the business world, too. There is such a thing as a beautiful, elegant business. Not only in those aspects that might meet the eye – the palpable product, gilded logo, or savvy marketing copy – but in those that don’t: the contours of a business model, the architecture of information flows, the fiber and color of culture. For those willing to look, to study with an appreciative eye, even the seeming mundanity of a B2B SaaS product can possess a kind of aesthetic grace.

Mario Gabriele • Modern Meditations: Danny Rimer

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"Be guided by beauty. I really mean that. I think pretty much everything I've done has had an aesthetic component—at least to me. Now, you might think, "Building a company that's trading bonds? What's so aesthetic about that?" What's aesthetic about it is doing it right. Getting the right kind of people, and approaching the problem, and doing it ri... See more

3-2-1: The key to great relationships, the will to achieve, and beauty as a guiding principle

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3-2-1: The key to great relationships, the will to achieve, and beauty as a guiding principle

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While I was making Sparkle’s website, I realized that this working definition of “quality” wasn’t enough in this new context. A magical experience would show, not tell. It would give you the sense of living in the future and seeing the future happen before your eyes. It required something the people at Every have written a lot about: It required ta... See more

Matter

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YES! YES! YES!

Like many writers before me, I tend to lean on vague hand-waving when the need to define taste, or rather, good taste, arises. A common trope is to use the phrase US Supreme Court justice Stewart famously gave to describe obscenity, a similarly hard-to-describe bedfellow of taste, in 1964: “I know it when I see it.” In design, good taste can be kno... See more

Elizabeth Goodspeed on the Importance of Taste – And How to Acquire It

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In today’s crowded marketplace, we can’t discount the importance of a different kind of AI — aesthetic intelligence. But the broader takeaway for me is that while we should celebrate creativity, aesthetic intelligence, and human-centered design, we shouldn’t go so far as calling any company featuring hip interiors disruptive. They are delightful, n... See more

Sari Azout • Applying the DNVB playbook to consumer services

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We are surrounded by remarkable technological advancements, advanced tooling and infrastructure. However, without accounting for culture or desire, these tools fall flat, lacking the spark that transforms pure functionality into meaningful creations. Successful design goes beyond the superficiality of aesthetics and the pragmatism of functionality—... See more

Designing For Desire

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Code is cheap. Money now chases utility wrapped in taste, function sculpted with beautiful form, and technology framed in artistry.

But what exactly is taste? The dictionary says it’s the ability to discern what is of good quality or of a high aesthetic standard . But who sets that standard? Taste may be subjective, but within a given culture or co... See more

Taste Is Eating Silicon Valley.

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The primary function of visual aesthetics in corporate design, in my view, is to send a costly signal to prospective partners that the company is fit to survive. “We are strong, wealthy, and reliable,” they say to your subconscious. Of course, besides visual aesthetics, a company’s marketing materials need to clearly articulate the product’s value ... See more

Every • DALL·E 2 and the Origin of Vibe Shifts

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