Aesthetics of Power
A set of explorations examining the power structures of design. How does design affect the space it inhabits? How much power does the designer hold?
1. Assemble, Disassemble
Instructional pamphlet2. AI Boss Battle
Challenging AI to a poster design-off3. Coding in Spaces
Photographic study on public and private spaces
1. Assemble, Disassemble
An exploration on the design of instructional pamphlets. How does applying ornament to a minimalist design alter
its communication?“Arguments have long raged about whether ornamentation is a frivolous waste of our time and resources or a beautifying presence that makes life richer.”
-Theo Inglis, “Ornament and Possibility
First, I explored how graphics affect visual communication and tested if I can apply a more maximalist approach and still have the message understandable.
I discovered that despite the addition of purely aesthetic design choices, the instructions are easier to understand. My use of colors both allow certain parts to be highlighted and create a more visually engaging experience for the user.
Next, I tested how much I can take away from the instructions, and how far I can push the design before it become illegible.
2. AI Boss Battle
If AI is fed information on art and design, and it therefore “created for [and by] the game,” how well can it assume the role of a designer?
For this project, I had four steps.
“The player, mindful of the game’s meaning and having been created for the game because he was created by it, plays the game, and by playing it ensures its existence.”
-Pierre Bourdieu, “The Historical Genesis of a Pure Aesthetic”
1. Get design prompt from ChatGPT
2. Create my own design from the prompt
For my designs, I wanted to stay as true to the prompt as I could, and had to hold back from adding additional elements. These designs were created based off of first instinct as quick iterations using only the visual references in my head.
3. Feed prompt into MidJourney visualizing AI
4. Compare
It was difficult to design within the limitations of the prompt, but AI did not follow the prompt exactly. Just as my own inspirations and taste are biased, so are AI’s, as it can only pull from what information it has been fed. AI is a useful tool for quick iterations, but cannot create completed, usable designs.
3. Coding in Spaces
A photographic exploration of the underlying messaging created in both public and private spaces by imagery and design.
“...space is never neutral but always discursively constructed, ideologically marked, and shaped by the dominant power structures and forms of knowledge.”
-Theda Wrede, “Theorizing Space and Gender in the 21st Century”