Aesthetic Rules

Aesthetic Qualities

Our opinions on aesthetics are driven by an initial subjective impulse.

As a group we came up with a list of aesthetic qualities we liked and aesthetic qualities we didn’t like when analysing images and work.

The qualities we liked were:

-                Clean

-                Crisp

-                Simple

-                Detail

-                Elegant

-                Subtle

-                Powerful

-                Clear

-                Legible

-                Structured

-                Sophisticated

-                Balanced

-                Striking

-                Intricate

-                Intriguing

The qualities we didn’t like:

-                Cheap

-                Tacky

-                Over-coloured

-                Illegible

-                Crammed

-                Busy

-                Tasteless

-                Generic

-                Overpowering

-                Messy

-                Unclear

-                Common

-                Chaotic

-                Overworked

-                Underworked

-                Garish

From these lists of aesthetic qualities we separated into pairs and came up with a list of aesthetic rules that define what we perceive to be a good aesthetic and what we perceive to be a bad aesthetic.

§  All visual components must work together and not jar.

§  Should have a high level of professionalism once completed.

§  A selective use of colour – it must be effective and appropriate.

§  The aesthetic should be structured so that it is legible, readable and able to clearly communicate its message.

§  The aesthetic must be audience appropriate and appeal to its targeted audience.

§  The aesthetic should not be overworked/overcomplicated or underworked so it becomes illegible and does not communicate the message wanted.

I then chose what I perceived to be some of the most important of the rules, slightly rewording and changing them.

1.    The aesthetic should have a simple structure and layout, providing clarity and an ease of understanding.

2.    The aesthetic must be legible and readable so the message can be understood correctly.

3.    The work should use selective, effective and appropriate colours.

We then picked other peoples chosen images and evaluated them against our own aesthetic rules.

The first image I chose to look at I liked but unconventionally. It is piece that is supposed to give ‘designer friends’ migraines. For example it breaks a lot of rules in terms of structure, layout and alignment. It also ignores a lot of typographical laws as well. For example in some areas there are spaces where there shouldn’t be in others there aren’t spaces where there should be. The lines are also at various widths and alignments, both vertically and horizontally.

The image is very simple and theoretically has a simple structure, although not always followed.

The main point of the image is to irritate the designer by purposefully placing the letters and the words so it is not the easiest to read. Although it is not the easiest to read, it is still legible and readable.

The work only uses black type on a white background, which is simple, very powerful and very effective.

The second image I chose I did not like, originally due to the colour, but also due to the style.

The aesthetic of this work is not very simple. There are a lot of different components that jar with each other; the colours are the main jarring element, yet the layering and positioning of text also jars. The piece has a relatively structured layout, however, although the majority of the text is in another language, its point size, positioning and layout does not make it easily readable.

Some of the text is so small that it is neither legible nor readable. The readability is also limited by the positioning of this extremely small text at angles that are difficult to read.

This image does not have a selective, effective or appropriate use of colour. The image uses five very powerful and bright colours and a variety of their mid-tones. All of the colours clash with each other making the work unattractive, whilst also prohibiting legibility and readability. 

  

Rule 1:           The aesthetic should have a simple structure and layout, providing clarity and an ease of understanding.

3 Works of graphic design that fulfill this rule and 5 works of none graphic design that also fulfill the rule.

Graphic Design

This piece is a simple design using only shapes and type. The main shape and focus is a circle containing different shapes and colours. The colour and shapes are manipulated and changed to present a different country.

Other Disciplines

 

This edited photograph has a simple structure, where the important and required information is very clear.

 

Damien Hirst’s spots have an extremely clear and formulaic structure, following a strict grid system. This makes each spot clear, with a large area of negative space in between each spot.

This final image shows a collection of memory drives that have a simple yet strict structure.

Rule 2:           The aesthetic must be legible and readable so the message can be understood correctly.

3 Works of graphic design that fulfill this rule and 5 works of none graphic design that also fulfill the rule.

Graphic Design

The first work is extremely simple, yet extremely readable. Although there is only a small amount of type, it is legible. This is through the hierarchy, the choice of font and the layout.

The second piece, although in another language, is legible and readable and if I was fluent in that language, clear and understandable. There is a clear grid structure with key information being highlighted through changing the weight of the font or the size.

Other Disciplines

 

Although there is a lot going on in this advert it is still legible and readable. The silhouetted images are clear and legible and the progression from large to small makes it easily readable.

 

This photograph, although very simple, is extremely clear, legible and readable. It has a powerful impact and even though some of the type is hidden by the car it is still readable due to its size.

This is the most simple, clear, legible and readable product out there. The type is in a very simple and legible, made clearer by the size of the font, reads only what the item is, in this case ‘medium brown bag’.

Rule 3:           The work should use selective, effective and appropriate colours.

3 Works of graphic design that fulfill this rule and 5 works of none graphic design that also fulfill the rule.

  Usually, the fewer colours on a piece the more powerful the impact, however this is not always the case. This work has several different colours that then are separated into mid-tones. Although in some colours this could be overbearing it is not hear as all of the colours work together.

 

A simple use of three colours highlights the important features of the design, whilst at the same time showing the individual elements to the design.

 

 

Black and white are very effective and powerful colours and work with any shade of grey in between. These handkerchiefs are effective through the addition of one bold colour that stands out against the others. This is also an effective method in design when the designer desires to pick out or highlight certain areas.