I've always been someone who's keen to aesthetics, but have often interpreted aesthetics to be purely attributed to the arts, certainly not to engineering. However, in this section of artful design, the premise of having materials, structure, interaction, emotion, sociality, and ethics be pillars of aesthetic judgement really provided a nuanced take on how aesthetics is not just what meets the eye.

Of course, this intertwines with the Artful Design premise of balancing form and function. To me, form has often been akin to the work of an "artist" as opposed to an "engineer", who is focused on the purely the function. At the same time, the premise that "design has a way of escaping concrete formalization" intrigues me, because it reminds me the role of emotion in warranting design. If we are to care more about something, in my opinion, that surpasses the implicit function of the object, and that enables design to substantiate in ways greater than just tool-building.

Much of this discussion also reminds me of a recent reading of "Formulations" by Andrew Witt. In that text, there is an overlapping description of how mathematics and architecture intertwine - there are set parameters for which buildings can be topologically constructed, but the constraints manifest in what may be visually, acoustically, and physically sound and beautiful. In this context, buildings shape our movements and serve as tools of shelter, but both their internal and external structures strongly inform our decisions and experiences within. Some may feel delight at entering a well-constructed building due to it's appearance, and/or simply because of its convenience.

In terms of connection with the sublime, I am strongly reminded of Kant's perspectives from epistemic philosophy. Largely, Kant argues that beauty and the sublime are connected with our perception of nature and what feels natural. He argues that Aesthetic Judgement is constructed of several moments:

In conversation with Artful Design, I feel that Kantian ethics and aesthetic values fall in line with a necessity of cognitive judgement when balancing form and function. Alike Aristotle, the premise that "we ought to expect no more precision than a subject naturally affords", the tools that we build must be preservable to suit their function, but perhaps not permanent, as nothing infinitely persists. Though Kant argues that indications of infinity (especially within nature) are most sublime, I would argue that there is more argument to be done about whether infinity exists in reality, and if persistence is aesthetically valuable in preserving pleasure and positive sentiment.

Throughout the course of MUSIC 256A I desire to continue applying aesthetic judgement to the type of designer I wish to be, such that a balance of an artistic and engineered mentality may make light for stable, explorative, introspective, and retroactive systems that I create to instill joy.

(1) Microwaves elicit a mix of comfort and relief when observing and using them, as well as some eeriness if the materials both externalized and stored within are safe and adequately treated. I feel that the elegance of microwaves is often conflated and strongly informed by its ease of function - you can press one button and literally incite warmth. There's also beauty in the physics, especially the fact that the microwave is perceivably safe, where a Faraday cage allows us to enjoy a black box of wave propagation without fearing for radiation. The microwave serves as a reminder that though I may be lazy when using it (avoiding cooking), there is still convenience and capability in it, and for that I give it thanks and devote so much trust.

(2) Recently I ran into a friend of mine, who I've been anxious to see because I've slightly feared to what extent we may actually be friends; this is a core struggle in adjusting to grad school, or meeting new people in general. However, this interaction just truly brought delight - it's crazy how for the most part, anxiety can dissipate in the present when facing what you've been anxious about, especially when it feels safe and comfortable. The beauty of social interactions is for the most part, they cannot be scripted; they are momentary, ephemeral, and what we make of them in a moment. Silence is scary, voice is joyous. Every second we learn more about each other regardless. There's no surprise in how we feel comfortable singing in the presence of friends; I feel a strong desire to support and uplift and these small interactions remind me that even in brief moments we can strive to do that for each other for serenity.

(3) The Max Lab is simply exhilarating. Every crevice, corner, cubby is a small window into infinity - sublime. It brings a sense of infinite possibility and that is exciting and scary: what will I do with all my time here? There's absolute function to every item in this lab, but little form as of now - there can be so much more that requires tools to make tools. It's a deeply interruptive, introspective, and experimental process to taking it all in - what can we build with all this? What do I desire to make? What are the boundaries of my creations? Who will I share with?

- My suite recently purchased word-based magnets for our refrigerator. Our room was largely unfurnished prior to the magnet's placement, but we spent some time today writing poems. The poems were largely queer themed as the majority of our suite identifies as LGBTQ+. We proceeded to take fragments and make them into meanings, taking original form and providing a greater framework for function. This encapsulated the aesthetic beauty of poetry - poetry instills meaning in what could have just been words separated. It can be fragmented, disconnected, woven, or sonified in a way that can be expressed and then interpreted. The interpretation is what I believe provides the greatest aesthetic value - it is through how people see our words (including ourselves) that creates meaning, introspection, and change.