Student Work

Viking art is estimated to have started at the end of the 8th century. It was first developed by the Viking tribes of Scandinavia in territories that we now know as Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Vikings decorated almost everything with elaborate carvings and contrasting super-positioned materials. Currently, Viking art is mostly recognized by runes or…

Full disclosure, I do not like Brutalism. I’d even go as far as to say I detest Brutalism. Even as a child before I knew what aesthetics even meant, I knew I didn’t like what was to me a depressing, obnoxiously plain, and an oddly intimidating way to design structures that ended up seeming like…

It can be hard to nail down a precise definition of Minimalism in today’s cultural landscape. The term has come to have meaning in many different aspects of human activity and creation. Minimalist principles have influenced the way we approach art, literature, architecture, design, even our very lifestyles themselves. However, most usages of minimalist theory…

Video games as an aesthetic. It sounds almost strange to say it—art certainly goes into the development of games, but can a video game itself be a form of art? Movies have certainly been considered seriously as a kind of art in the past, but what about this very new form of entertainment? What would…

  The word “aesthetic”  doesn’t come up often when people describe a sport or an athlete. But I think Dirk Nowitzki has one of the most beautiful and artistic fadeaway the NBA has ever seen. Not only that, Dirk’s playstyle is so unique and effective that he has received countless recognition and praises from his…

The aesthetic I would like to explore for this post is that of drift cars. Drifting is a driving technique in which the driver intentionally oversteers and slides the car, losing traction but remaining in control, steering the car around a corner. This technique originated in Japan around 1960-70, and was foremost pioneered by Kunimitsu…

Low Poly is an interesting and somewhat complex aesthetic with a multi-faceted, if short history that continues to this day.    So what is low poly exactly?  The key tenants of the low poly aesthetic are the geometric subdivision of the scene into triangles and the use of flat shading.  It is very similar if…

Sharp, clean cut geometries. Bold, but coordinated colors. An open space, minimalist look. When thinking about a modern aesthetic, these concepts are what come to mind.  Homes with this aesthetic are becoming more and more common. Consider the home featured below. All of the geometries are very simple with square, sharp edges, but there are…

I wanted to explore the aesthetic of the winter season. With white, blue, and brown color tones, winter gives off a range of emotions, everything from loneliness and solitude to hope and unity. Originating since the beginning of time, the beauty of the winter aesthetic is largely owed to the extreme color contrasts caused by…

Source: Decadence Colorado Delivers Diverse Lineup for NYE 2019 | EDM Identity The aesthetic I am exploring is a raver aesthetic, I will be going into what a rave is, what a raver’s aesthetic consists of, and the history behind it. The reason I chose this aesthetic is that my favorite genre of music is…

There has always been a fascination with outer space amongst humans. However, it wasn’t until 1926 that the first steps were taken to usher in the Space Age. Robert Goddard’s historic launch of the first liquid fueled rocket in Auburn, Massachusetts on March 16, 1926 marked the beginning of a new era of technology. With…

In my opinion, the most beautiful designs have the least number of parts. This goes for anything we see around us, our cars, our pencils, even our houses. The machine with less parts will be more reliable most of the time simply because there is less to go wrong. That is my ideology with aesthetics.…

In my opinion, the most beautiful designs have the least number of parts. This goes for anything we see around us, our cars, our pencils, even our houses. The machine with less parts will be more reliable most of the time simply because there is less to go wrong. That is my ideology with aesthetics.…

Since learning the definition of “aesthetic” in our class, I could not think of a better aesthetic to share and explore than that of the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders. The colors and style of the team is something that surely evokes emotion, and I’ll try to explain a little bit of what that entails. Any fan…

Punk is a aesthetic that is centered around the punk rock movement.  This movement started around the 1970’s and has influenced clothing, music, dance and even politics.  At its creation in the UK, punk was seen as the lifestyle of a rebel.  Those that didn’t fit in with the rest of the community and wanted…

  The Aesthetic that I have chosen to explore is Steampunk. The idea of Steampunk is similar to cyberpunk and the goal is to show modern technology in the form of 19th century industrial machinery and exposed gears. Steampunk was first used in the 1980’s and the term  was first coined by K. W. Jeter…

Defining an aesthetic can sometimes be challenging. Especially when trying to describe a sport. With something as broad as sports, hockey included, defining one individual player’s aesthetic makes it a bit easier to define a sport’s aesthetic since there is so much individuality in the world of sports. For hockey specifically, one player comes to…

Solar cells have been a topic of interest since the photovoltaic effect was first discovered in 1839 by Edmond Becquerel a French physicist. Nowadays the world witnesses solar power plants and solar farms addressing large energy requirements in many places. One of the recent application of solar panels has found its way to the rooftop…

Car design has been a constantly evolving beast, and it plays off many of the requirements and wants set by the designer and audience, after all some cars these days are thought of “art pieces on wheels” such as the McLaren Sienna and many other designs are influenced more by the tasks they will perform…

In a reaction to zoom schooling and the ever progressing price of the newest generation of consoles many gamers, engineers, and people in pursuit of power have turned to the world of modern personal computers. In todays consumer market long passed are the days of the dull dell desktops you may see in ECCR 141…

Before researching into this aesthetic, I always called it “Miami Vice”. I think this stemmed from a combination of seeing reruns of Miami Vice and the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City which each took advantage of the color palate and nostalgic feeling that is often incorporated into this aesthetic.          …

The aesthetic that I would like to explore is Bauhaus because it reflects my own tastes and emphasis of functionality and minimalism, along with a strong embracement of technology. Bauhaus started at an early 20th century German art college from which the style is named after. The students and faculty embraced an ethos of constant…

In 1965 the Hobie cat entered the sailing scene. The Hobie cat is a small sailing catamaran that is manufactured by the Hobie Cat company. The Hobie Cat was designed and built by Hobie Alter for the wavy rough waters of California. Though I have never had the chance to sail one in the ocean…

What is cottagecore? Cottagecore is a recently popularized aesthetic which romanticizes western agricultural life, skills, and crafts. At the root, the aesthetic is centralized around living harmoniously with nature and indulging only in simple pleasures. Typically, cottagecore aesthetics include areas such as open fields, woods, gardens, and farms; however, even in locations not grounded in…

The subway system aesthetic is one built around service to the masses but also defined by the people who use it. You may not notice the little details while you’re hopping from train to train, or even consider how you contribute to the aesthetic while you wait behind the yellow line, but there is a…

I chose to explore the academia aesthetic. This aesthetic embodies a very intelligent look and feel and has mostly historic English architecture. It includes lots of earth tones like brown, black, tan, navy and green. The University of Oxford in England campus was a large contributor to the aesthetic, this was founded in the 2nd…

Ahead its Time | Out of this World | A Vision from the Future [  This aesthetic explores what products, clothing, and artifacts might look like if they were sent back in time from 2097  ]   This interior design by Tétris perfectly captures the hyper-modern aesthetic. The abstract elements and shapes and life to…

Picture this, you are hiking up to Sky Pond in Rocky Mountain National Park. As you crest the ridge line and the lake comes into view, you catch a red tail hawk, soaring effortlessly through the peaks and troughs of the exposed ridgeline above you before it delicately sets down across the glassy water on…

Rock climbing is a sport that depends on a rather beautiful balance between extreme full-body strength and flowy, delicate technique and creativity. I believe that it is the sport itself, and the movement that it creates, combined with the incredible breathtaking natural settings that it brings its athletes to that create the overall aesthetic. Joes…

Patchwork Aesthetic Exploration The Patchwork Aesthetic ranges from professionally made, highbrow, works of art to strictly utilitarian pieces. Often it is a mix of both, providing something with tangible uses while still being aesthetically pleasing. At its core, the Patchwork Aesthetics relies highly on sewing which can be traced back to around 25,000 years ago.…

The aesthetic I have chosen to discuss is Craftsmen houses and how they are being restored today. I chose to discuss this aesthetic because growing up a big influence in my design tastes was from hearing my mom talk about Craftsmen houses and the type of intricate workmanship that goes into them. Now, owning a…

Tutor style? Tooter? Wait, it’s Tudor? Okay, I guess I never really knew the right name for those houses with white panels and large dark wooden beams through them, but I always knew that I liked the style. In reality, the specific aesthetic that I enjoy is called half-timbering, and that is what creates the…

I have always been captivated by the warm and cozy feeling that a cabin in the woods gives me. The embrace and calmness of a fireplace in the living room and the smell of woodfire smoke make you feel like you are away from civilization and all responsibilities. Even looking at the deer mount on…

I wanted to explore the rainy day aesthetic, because I think the contrast of tones and emotions is beautiful, and I find that it represents a widely universal feeling of comfort, safety, and melancholy. I think that this aesthetic has developed for a very long time in human history, and represents a safe haven of…

The aesthetic I have chosen to discuss is tropical. I chose this aesthetic because I think that it captures a feeling of relaxation and fun that I enjoy. It is used very commonly in modern clothing and architecture, as well as art.  It is difficult to say exactly when the tropical aesthetic was created. I…

Skiing is a winter sport used for both leisure and competition, common in Colorado as well as various states and countries around the world.   Skiing utilizes a simple concept which relies on gravity and the inclination at which the slope of the terrain is situated. The mission is simple: go fast and don’t crash.…

Top 5 Constraints Size The size of the box is difficult to grasp. It cannot be to big, otherwise it’s purpose as a desk toy does not work. Plus an increase in size means an increase of resources.  AestheticThe specific Aesthetic theme is hard to nail down. The difficulty is how the top of the box…

UpCycle Project summary: I chose an aesthetic and used recycled products to build something reminiscent of that aesthetic.  I started to make a sun-catcher out of recycled mirror and colored glass, but the project morphed into a candle holder/cover made from recycled Christmas ornaments.  Final Project summary: I took the opposite route of the UpCycle…

  Blog 14: Final Project Report Part 2: Why and What Next? Reflection on the semester. Compare your original project intent to what you ended up with. What did you learn from your project, and from the class? What will you do next with the project? What do you wish you had done differently?  …

When I started this class, I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect. To me, aesthetics was just how things look. As I progressed through each class, and worked on the two projects that we were assigned, I realized there was so much more to aesthetics than how something looked. It was about how it was…

  What a roller coaster of a semester! This class definitely took me out of my comfort zone as I am not normally one who has a knack for artistic ability. I learned that the word aesthetic has actually a vastly deeper meaning than just “what looks good”. My final project was the cardboard grabber,…

Final Project   Final Project 2.0 This is the second version of the Final Project. I removed the desk toy aspect. It was too complicated and the lack of tools and resources made it too difficult to work consistently. I am refitting the box to hold jewelry. I plan to buy foam for the box…

Inspiration My initial inspiration came from when professor Hertzberg spoke about the final project and said that it needed to have a dynamic component. When I was a student in Heat Transfer Professor Knutson always mentioned and showed the class these little machines that operated off of a small heat differential called a stirling motor.…

My favorite design video is “A Robot Shoots Me When I Get Shot in Fortnite” by Michael Reeves on YouTube. Michael Reeves is a self taught programmer that uses his skills in programming and designing for silly and unorthodox projects such as this one. He adds a lot of satirical humor and comedy that makes…

Featured Image credit: Artist Shigeru Miyamoto: https://www.polygon.com/nintendo/2019/10/5/20900178/kirby-character-name-nintendo-lawyer-john-kirby-obituary This post serves as an anthology of my work for the course Aesthetics of Design, taken in the Spring of 2020 at CU Boulder, under Professor Hertzberg. Upcycling Project Description: “Create an artifact that conforms to an aesthetic, either the aesthetic you researched, or one that someone else…

Logistics With the current COVID-19 outbreak, all of the university resources and wood shops have closed. This has forced me to become a little more resourceful when fabricating my project.  Luckily I have already purchased all the materials I will need for Home Depot. Also, fortunately, my dad has many tools that I can use…

Everything was recorded/midi mapped in Ableton Live 10.  All drum sounds were royalty free, one-shot drum samples from the sampling service “Noiiz.”  Anything external was recorded with a Sennheiser MD 421 microphone and all the guitar was played on an Ibanez Stratocaster copy from 1983 or so, run through a Marshall tube amp.  All live…

My main project inspiration was first being Fibonacci Sequence, since I have always been a huge fan of those spiral design. But eventually, I opted for a hedgehog inspired design for my final project, because I thought it’s interesting to utilize the mimic the spikes on the back of the hedgehog into a functional design.…

Inspiration My inspiration for this project came from a few sources: the first being the vast amount of laser cut mandala art that exists on the internet.  I have always been fascinated with how machines can allow us to create products of complex geometries that are perfectly symmetrical with ease, and I wanted to use…

For the final project, I decided to make a radial engine powered by 8 solenoids. Before COVID-19 restricted our ability to use campus resources, I planned to machine all of the custom parts for my project. However, once we began quarantine, I settled on making a few high quality renders and motion studies of my…

What are neural networks? Biologically speaking, a mystery. Mathematically speaking, also a mystery. This video is helpful, though. This entire channel is. I think that there is something to be said about the quality of education you can find on youtube for free. I also watched a lot of various Adobe After Effects videos throughout…

It certainly was an eventful semester. I learned a ton about how aesthetics influences our everyday lives. Additionally, this course showed me the societal divide between the arts and engineering, and I made my best effort over the semester to bridge the gap and incorporate both artistry and engineering within my projects. In future personal…

Check out my final presentation: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdIACt75A70&w=560&h=315] In this section of my final report, I will detail exactly how I made my industrial/rustic aesthetic wedding arch. Shown below is a flow chart highlighting my design, iteration, and creative problem solving journey in order to complete this project. Each block represents about a week’s worth of…

My final project for the Aesthetic of Design course was entitled COVID Apparel. This project consisted of making dynamic clothing to encourage social distancing by flashing addressable LEDs red when contact is detected. All posts relating to this project can be found below: Project inspirations: https://www.aesdes.org/2020/02/19/main-project-inspirations-wearable-technologies/ Project aesthetics: https://www.aesdes.org/2020/02/26/main-project-aesthetic-flat-design/ Project constraints: https://www.aesdes.org/2020/03/04/main-project-top-5-constraints-6/ Project design review…

Timeline My timeline for this project was similar to as initially planned but varied due to circumstances involving the Covid-19 quarantine – my adjusted timeline is pictured below: Due to the displacement from campus, I lost about a week of time to work on the prototyping of the initial sculpture designs initially, which pushed my…

Project Outcome After I poured the resin and went over it with a heat gun, I let it cure overnight.  I came outside the next morning and almost cried as I saw cracks formed in the resin.  The issue that I did not think about is that the resin needed to be cured in room…

Inspiration My initial inspiration from this project came from a sculpture that I saw in the VAC, it was a concrete sculpture that used some sort of epoxy to replicate a river. It looked very similar to this image which is a similar project that I found online. I wanted to do something with concrete…

For my project I ended up creating a set of interactive psychedelic kaleidoscopes, all from repurposed material. The ‘aesthetic’ direction would be described as psychedelic rainbow as well spacecraft/future. This idea from the beginning was to make a spectacle worth experiencing, it was only a matter of time before I stumbled into what I would…

The fabrication process for my final project was fairly simple, and I was able to complete most of it over spring break. Since I was staying at my parent’s house for the week, I was able to use their tools in the fabrication process. The pieces that required specific manufacturing were the wooden base, and…

While this project had some significant changes due to COVID-19, I still feel that I ended up with a good final result. While I was originally going to build a speaker enclosure in the woodshop, I ended up having to make a render and detailed construction plans instead. In this post I cover what my…

Timeline As an overview, my project (COVID Apparel) involved developing interactive apparel that encourages social distancing during the COVID-19. The project timeline went largely as expected. The only noticeable changes were larger shipping times for electrical parts. COVID Apparel timeline The week of the Design Review will (3/09 – 3/15) was designated for ordering prototyping…

In this post I’ll be detailing how the algorithm works and what tweaks I applied to create the different images shown in my presentation. Since I was a little confused on the topics of the final blog posts, most of my schedule stuff got put into last week’s blog post. So the “How” will be…

For the “how” behind this project, I initially wanted to go with the route of laser cutting the outline (as shown above) based off of a 3D Solidworks model to increase the accuracy of the cutout, along with manufacturability of the piece. However, due to COVID-19 and the loss of University resources, I had to…

Timeline Fabrication I initially had the following timeline in mind for my fabrication: After COVID hit, I realized that I would not be able to fabricate my project in any way that would look half decent as I was relying heavily on the lathe and laser cutter, and my family have nothing more than a…