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**What is Aesthetics in General?**
[|Aesthetics] is the branch of the philosophy of art that is being applied to the visual aspect of images and products in an environment. It is linked to how the visual impacts of a topic can have on the viewer on an emotional level. For instance, the emotional senses that come along with viewing a "beautiful" piece of art. Although what is exactly beautiful? Do people have different definitions of what is beautiful? If the answer is yes, which is what is the case at most of the times, therefore, concludes that Aesthetics can be very subjective.

Aesthetic Judgement and Symbolism in Design
Most people fail to see the symbolic representations that come along with with the appearance of the final version or hi-fi prototype of the designed products and how they also have effects on the final production by the designers seeking to fulfill the users experiences and impression towards their product.

Symbol becomes a messageà Message is a brand à Communicated through more than form à Communicated through formal allusions

__Designers, Symbols and Products__: Products reflect their creator ( in form and symbol) à Take on the image of the creator à Give character to the user à Affect behavior

//“Thus, designer, artefact, and user influence each other in two-way interaction and become one with the emergent symbolic qualities or meanings that the product subsequently manifests”// (138).

__Source:__ [|http://facultypages.scad.edu/~jkolko/_IACT435_InteractionDesignStudio/IACT435_04_ProductSymbolismOfGandhi.pdf]

**Aesthetics as being Subjective**
Two people looking at the same work of art can have completely different opinions and judgments about it. One person may see it and say it strikes a feeling of sorrow, while the other might say the artwork links to a feeling of freedom. These different emotional connections to the same piece of art is what defines aesthetics as subjective, because the person who feels sad or depressed when looking at the work of art, might not find it as appealing or "beautiful" as the person who senses a feeling of release or freedom.

Aesthetics and Designing Products
Usually people are attracted to certain products that are physically appealing. For example, the modifications of play station to PS2 has had a dramatical change in the number of users for preferring PS2 than the older version. One of the major reasons behind this is that PS2 has, in general, better graphic designs and is more realistic than the previous versions, therefore enhances more users. Although sometimes when an environment is more aesthetically appealing than practical, this is where complications can arise because sometimes when something is way too physically appealing can be complicated to use. For instance, certain websites that are interesting to look at are usually hard to use because of all the distracting features that they apply to it. In this situation, it relates to the notion that usabilty goals are being challenged and effected with trying to improve user experience. For instance, by creating a website that is too complicated to use because of its fascinating aesthetic appeal. The ideal design of a product should balance between the spectruum of having one end being the usability and simplicity factor and on the other end having the complicated aesthetic factor.

Representational design of a product is concerned with colours, shapes, sizes and information layout. The styles and aesthetics are the main concern and is very important towards the attitudes and feelings of people. In other words, the way a product looks should be very important in designing a product. It should be visually attracting and aesthetically pleasing.

Aesthetics, Technological Development and Miniaturization
As technology advances and aesthetics become more popular another important aspect is Miniaturization, which seems to be the newest trend that creates buzz and attraction. For example the primitive cell phones used to be quite large, but now as time and technology have evolved the sizes have decreased significantly. I don’t know whether this is a good feature, but it definitely saves space and people look at their cell phones now as their “beloved” properties. Many companies take advantage of this notion and are inspired to make smaller cells that are pleasing to the eye and will attract the attention of potential (or returning) customers. Personally speaking, I have had my cell for 2 years and will only let go if it completely gives up on me. Otherwise, I am attached to it and won’t let go until it does - by [|Sana Joseph]

OLD Cellphone New Cellphone NEWEST Cellphone

Aesthetics in Television
TV has become small and slimmer as the quality in the picture is becoming better and better every year, not to mention the prices are becoming cheaper and cheaper.



New TV
Images courtesy of Google.ca/images