7 Japanese aesthetic principles to change your thinking

Exposing ourselves to traditional Japanese aesthetic ideas — notions that may seem quite foreign to most 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. Beginning to think about 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 ourselves and really beginning to think differently about visuals and design in our everyday professional lives. The principles of Zen aesthetics 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 overlap; 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) has a few short essays elaborating on the concepts. Below are just seven design-related principles (there are more) that govern the aesthetics of the Japanese garden and other art forms in Japan. Perhaps they will stimulate your creativity or get you thinking in a new way about your own design-related challenges.

Seven principles for changing your perception
Kanso (簡素) 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 non-essential.

Fukinsei (不均整) 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 beauty and harmonious relationships that are asymmetrical yet balanced. This is a dynamic beauty that attracts and engages.

Shibui/Shibumi (渋味) Beautiful by being understated, or by being precisely what it was meant to be and not elaborated upon. Direct and simple way, without being flashy. Elegant simplicity, articulate brevity. The term is sometimes used today to describe something cool but beautifully minimalist, including technology and some consumer products. (Shibui literally means bitter tasting).

Shizen (自然) Naturalness. Absence of pretense or artificiality, full creative intent unforced. Ironically, the spontaneous nature of the Japanese garden that the viewer perceives is not accidental. This is a reminder that design is not an accident, even when we are trying to create a natural-feeling environment. It is not a raw nature as such but one with more purpose and intention.

Yugen (幽玄) Profundity or suggestion rather than revelation. A Japanese garden, for example, can be said to be a collection of subtleties and symbolic elements. Photographers and designers can surely think of many ways to visually imply more by not showing the whole, that is, showing more by showing less.

Datsuzoku (脱俗) Freedom from habit or formula. Escape from daily routine or the ordinary. Unworldly. Transcending the conventional. This principles describes the feeling of surprise and a bit of amazement when one realizes they can have freedom from the conventional. Professor Tierney says that the Japanese garden itself, "...made with the raw materials of nature and its success in revealing the essence of natural things to us is an ultimate surprise. Many surprises await at almost every turn in a Japanese Garden."

Seijaku (静寂)Tranquility or an energized calm (quite), stillness, solitude. This is related to the feeling you may have when in a Japanese garden. The opposite feeling to one expressed by seijaku would be noise and disturbance. How might we bring a feeling of "active calm" and stillness to ephemeral designs outside the Zen arts?

LINKS
• Read more about The Nature of Japanese Garden Art by Patrick Lennox Tierney at Bonsai Beautiful dot com.
• Japanese Aesthetics (Stanford Encyclopedia).
• Enso: Zen Circles of Enlightenment (book)

Comments

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thanks!

[Ineta]

Beautiful, will have to go through it in detail. Thanks also for the extra links

[Gian Antelles]

Read Edward de Bono's. "Lateral Thinking is for changing concepts and perception," in the 1970's and went on to read all of his books. "Lateral Thinking" influenced every aspect of my life. Your design precepts here are simple, in the deepest sense, and powerful.

[Harisenbon]

7 aesthetic principles, and you don't mention the two that Japanese consider the epitome of Japanese design: wabi and sabi?

It's always amusing to me to see how the meaning of Japanese words change when they enter the english language.

Thanks for an interesting article!

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Goods and thanks.

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Great interpretation... it shows us a different aspect of the 7 concepts. Thanks a lot.

[Judy Murdoch]

I love Japanese design for it's subtly and simple elegance. When I can I like using Japanese design elements in my own work.

There's a contradiction in Japanese culture I find interesting: beautiful almost stern simplicity paired with totally goofy, bubble gum pop culture. I'm sure there's a link in there or an explanation if only the need for relief in starkness.

Are there Zen elements in the Powerpuff Girls?

[@Takuya_Hikichi]

Among these words, fukinsei, yugen, dastuzoku were new words to me even I am a native of Japan. I learn from you a lot, Garr - I appreciate the way you articulate our culture.

[Adrian]

Thanks for this post. The style of traditional Japanese minimalism is indeed missing in many of today's designs (graphically or otherwise). I'll be passing this link on to my other friends in design and marketing.

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what about wabi / sabi? わひ" / さひ"

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The Japanese are very diciplined people and seem to have a very insightful outlook on life.
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Thank you Garr - this is a really inspiring and useful article. It provides a very simple but comprehensive and multidimensional way to change one's perspective and trigger a stream of creative ideas.

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however some philosophies have common things in all cultures, just descibed differently. There is a good chinese saying, that all roads go to the same moon.

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