84 Aesthetics In Design

An aesthetic is a means of describing the impact of art and nature on the senses. Aesthetics can be used to describe art, performance art, architecture, gardens, visual design, fashion, music, film, food, drink, product design and anything else that has artistic or creative value. The following are examples of aesthetics that can be used to plan or critique designs.

Abstract

Visualizations of things that exist only as ideas.

Algorithmic

Repeated patterns that appear to be mathematical in nature such as a computer generated fractal image.

Allegorical

Suggests a meaning using an allegory.

Ambient

A gentle mood and atmosphere. Also relates to light that comes from all directions that surrounds a space.

Anarchic

A design that opposes conventional rules and principles.

Angular

The use of odd angles.

Asymmetrical

A design that is unbalanced or unequal in some way. Not necessarily a negative quality as asymmetry can be visually appealing in many cases.

Austere

Plain to the point of being harsh.

Beautiful

A general term for anything that's aesthetically pleasing. Aesthetics is often defined as the philosophy of beauty.

Bizarre

Odd, incongruent or eccentric.

Bright

Intense light or pleasant emotions.

Brutal

A common term used to describe architecture that makes heavy use of exposed concrete or bricks in a functional way resulting in a stark and unfriendly appearance.

Cangiante

A style of painting characterized by substitution of hues when a darker or lighter version of the same hue is expected. For example, a yellow color depicted in shadow might be red instead of a darker shade of yellow.

Chiaroscuro

Strong contrasts between light and dark. Chiaroscuro is typically used to describe art and films that make dramatic use of shadow.

Chromatic

Working in shades and tints of the same hue.

Clean

A design that has been reduced to its necessary parts with nothing ancillary.

Clumsy

A design with obvious and unintentional flaws.

Cold

A logical but emotionless design.

Cool

Colors such as white, blue and green that tend to be perceived as cool to the touch.

Consonance

Music that is pleasing to the ear such as a melody.

Cute

Attractive in a youthful and innocent way.

Dark

The use of black, grey and very dark colors. Also can be used to indicate a design that is gloomy or sinister.

Delicate

An intricate design with fine details.

Dimensional

A design that gives the impression that it stretches into dimensions that don't physically exist in its medium. For example, a 2D drawing of a 3D object.

Dissonance

Music that is harsh and unpleasing that may be used to convey emotions such as tension, grief and conflict.

Distorted

Elements that have been distorted, often by computer generated effects or filters.

Dramatic

A suspenseful build up to something impressive or exciting.

Elegant

A term for good taste. Also used for design that is pleasingly ingenious in its simplicity.

Ethereal

Something that appears to be too perfect or delicate to be real.

Exaggerated

Enlarged or intensified elements such as cartoon characters with large eyes.

Feminine

Themes and colors traditionally associated with women.

Flowing

A smooth and continuous look or user experience.

Functional

Designs that prioritize function over aesthetic appeal.

Futuristic

Designs based on science fiction or original interpretations of the distant future.

Gauche

Unfinished, lacking sophistication or crude.

Geido

A Japanese aesthetic that states that things that are ethical and disciplined are more attractive. Associated with martial arts and arts such as tea ceremony.

Grand

Magnificent and imposing elements designed to trigger a sense of awe.

Grotesque

Things that are so ugly as to become interesting or comical.

Harmony

Simultaneous sounds or design elements such as colors that match.

Hot

The use of colors that are commonly perceived as hot such as red, orange and yellow.

Idiosyncratic

A unique or unusual design that may represent the individual style or approach of a designer.

Iki

A Japanese aesthetic that can be described as refined originality. Iki implies that original styles are most attractive when they are also cultured and disciplined.

Improvised

Created spontaneously without preparation.

Intricate

Extremely detailed.

Jo Ha Kyu

A Japanese aesthetic of starting an action slowly, building to an intense peak and then ending suddenly. Commonly seen in Japanese arts and martial arts. Equally common in western films and advertising.

Jocular

Joking, humorous or playful.

Low Key

Modest and restrained designs that may be functional and pleasing to the eye without being particularly remarkable.

Ma Aesthetic

A Japanese aesthetic that calls for large amounts of negative space in a painting or work of art. Although white space or negative space is also important to western design, there is no single word for this aesthetic in English.

Masculine

Colors and themes traditionally associated with men.

Mechanical

The use of straight lines and geometric shapes as opposed to hand drawn lines.

Melodic

Components that flow together so well as to be perceived as a single entity. In music, a melody is the main tune of a song that is designed to be pleasing to the ear.

Metaphoric

A design primarily based on analogy or metaphor. Commonly used to describe architecture.

Minimal

A design that removes everything unnecessary to its function or aesthetic.

Miyabi

Miyabi is a Japanese aesthetic that is used for extremely refined and ornate designs. It is often translated elegance, or more interestingly, heart-breaker.

Mocking

Copying something so as to make fun of it.

Mysterious

Leaving things out that have to be filled in by the imagination.

Naive

A work that exhibits childlike simplicity.

Neutral

The use of light colors such as beige and gray with little color contrast.

Organic

Designs that look as if they were influenced by nature in some way. The term organic is also used for a hand drawn design.

Painterly

A term used to describe paintings with visible brushstrokes that are often loosely controlled with little sense of line.

Pastiche

A work of art that imitates a style, movement or school without mocking.

Polished

Sophisticated, highly developed or completely finished.

Primitive

Uninfluenced by culture and artistic tradition.

Rational

Rational design decisions such as a clear ordering of elements.

Realistic

Depictions that are realistic such as a portrait that includes flaws.

Refined

A general term for cultured or sophisticated works.

Rhythmic

A characteristic pattern that's repeated.

Rustic

Reminiscent of the countryside or of old fashioned ways.

Sanguine

A type of painting using only red paint that resembles rust or dried blood.

Saturated

Use of color that is intense and bright.

Sfumato

A style of art that is soft, vague and blurred often with the use of shadows. The painting known as Mona Lisa is a commonly cited example.

Shibui

A Japanese aesthetic that might be described as subtle and unobtrusive beauty.

Sophisticated

Complex designs that may incorporate aspects such as culture, logic and emotion.

Stylized

A distinctive appearance associated with a designer, technique, culture, school, movement or period.

Sublime

A term that implies something has reached the peak of aesthetic perfection.

Surreal

Unusual and dreamlike.

Symmetrical

Equal and balanced.

Symphonic

Surrounding, rich and full.

Synthetic

A design that appears manufactured or generated by technology. Synthetic music, or synth, relates to the use of keyboards and other electronic music devices.

Tenebroso

A style of art characterized by dramatic illumination often contrasted with dark and shadow.

Textured

A design with many layers.

Turbulent

Unpredictable and unsettling.

Unified

A sense of oneness to a design.

Wabi Sabi

A Japanese aesthetic that might be compared to the western concept of rustic. Celebrates imperfection such as inexpensive materials, unique flaws and irregular shapes.