Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Emptiness is the foundation of infinite possibilities.
—
Daisetsu T. Suzuki, author and scholar
10. Japanese Aesthetic Principles to Consider
Exposing ourselves to traditional Japanese aesthetic ideas—notions that may seem
foreign to many of us—is a good exercise in lateral thinking, a term coined by Edward
de Bono in 1967. “Lateral Thinking is for changing concepts and perception,” says de
Bono. Thinking about harmony in design by exploring the tenets of the Zen aesthetic may
not be an example of lateral thinking in the strict sense, but doing so is a good exercise
in stretching our minds and really beginning to think differently about visuals and design
in our everyday professional lives.
The Zen aesthetic principles found in the art of the traditional Japanese garden, for
example, have many lessons for us, though they are unknown to most people. The
principles are interconnected and overlapping; it's not possible to simply put the ideas in
separate boxes. Thankfully, Patrick Lennox Tierney, a recipient of the Order of the Rising
Sun in 2007 in Japan, wrote a few short essays elaborating on the following concepts.
This list covers only ten of the design-related principles that govern the aesthetics of the
Japanese garden and other art forms in Japan. Perhaps they will stimulate your creativity
and get you thinking in a new way about your own design challenges.
1.
Kanso ( ):
Simplicity or elimination of clutter. Things are expressed in a
plain, simple, natural manner. Reminds us to think not in terms of decoration, but in
terms of clarity—a kind of clarity that may be achieved through omission or
exclusion of the nonessential.
2.
Fukinsei ( ):
Asymmetry or irregularity. The idea of controlling balance in a
composition via irregularity and asymmetry is a central tenet of the Zen aesthetic.
The enso (Zen circle) in brush painting, for example, is often drawn as an
incomplete circle, symbolizing the imperfection that is part of existence. In graphic
design, too, asymmetrical balance is a dynamic, beautiful thing. Try looking for or
creating beauty in balanced asymmetry. Nature itself is full of beautiful and
harmonious relationships that are asymmetrical yet balanced. This is a dynamic
beauty that attracts and engages.
3.
Shibui/Shibumi (
):
Beautiful by being understated, or by being precisely
