Lately, I have been thinking a lot about design research and learning. I am focusing on implementing experiments that can be done directly in the field, while simultaneously researching and disseminating design itself. As a result, I naturally find myself frequently thinking about what constitutes new learning and how designers should grow in the present era. Without a grasp of technology, it is difficult to produce results that exceed the expectations of the current times. New technologies, such as AI, constantly change design methods and standards. The problem lies in the fact that change is too rapid and there is too much to learn. As you try to keep up, confusion eventually builds up.
What is needed to control this chaos? How can I ensure that the changes of the times become favorable conditions for me, rather than an unfavorable pressure?
Technology is constantly changing. Tools change, platforms change, and the way we work changes as well. However, those who create outstanding designs are not easily swept away by the changing times. They quickly grasp trends but do not rely on the trends themselves. Even amidst change, they judge what they need to do and act accordingly.
I believe that design aesthetics lie at the heart of that solidity.
The word "aesthetics" sounds difficult. It feels philosophical, abstract, and far removed from everyday life. However, every designer carries the seed of aesthetics within them. They possess a sense of what forms are good, what flows naturally, and what experiences are better. They simply haven't been able to put it into words.
At first, you can work sufficiently relying solely on instinct. You can distinguish between what you like and what you don't, make intuitive choices, and produce results. However, at some point, you reach a limit. There comes a time when your standards themselves begin to waver as the context changes, the scale of the work grows, the number of collaborators increases, or you grow as a person.
What is needed at that time is verbalized aesthetics.
A designer is someone who looks closely at what they feel with sensitivity and conveys it in a form that others can experience. An excellent designer is someone who defines what they consider to be 'good' and continuously pushes toward a better good.
Becoming an expert is akin to having a concrete understanding of what is good. You must be able to explain why something is good and recreate that goodness in different contexts. It is not a matter of sensory coincidence, but the ability to reproduce it repeatedly. Only then does design transcend personal taste and become a standard.
Therefore, I believe the term 'aesthetics' is more important than 'taste.' Taste tends to remain limited to what I like. On the other hand, aesthetics encompasses why I feel something is good, under what conditions that goodness operates, and even how it can be conveyed as an experience to others.
Establishing your own aesthetic is different from simply collecting many images you like. Storing a lot of references can be helpful, but that alone is not enough. If they do not remain as a structure in your mind, they quickly evaporate. If you have seen a lot but cannot explain it, or collected a lot but cannot apply it, then it is not yet your aesthetic.
Interpretation is more important than collection. You must organize what you liked, why you were drawn to it, in what context it worked, and what principles you wish to use again. As such organized language accumulates, you will develop standards that remain unwavering even amidst change.
There was similar confusion during the growth of the web and mobile. The same was true when cloud computing and SaaS became widespread. Whenever new technology emerged, designers had to re-evaluate what they needed to learn and what would be valuable in the future. I believe the reason I was able to find my direction each time was ultimately because I consistently put into words what I believe constitutes good design.
The same is true today. AI is changing the speed of design, tools are making it easier to produce results, and the average level of quality is rising rapidly. In this era, while knowing more tools is important, having a standard for judgment is even more crucial. You must be able to explain for yourself what you are creating, why you must create it that way, and what kind of experience you would consider superior.
Aesthetics is the pillar that holds together chaos. Even as technology changes, if you know what good you pursue, change becomes material rather than a threat. New tools do not shake you, but rather become means that allow you to experiment with the good you desire more quickly and broadly.
I believe this work is most important in times like these. It is the foundation for establishing my own standards amidst change and designing something better based on those standards.
