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 () 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 () 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 () 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 () 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 () 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 () 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 ()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?
The principles that govern Zen Buddhism cover all dimensions of life, including of course, design and
architecture. The temples and gardens representative of Zen culture in Japan embody the concept

of shibuimi, an elusive, empty term, that nonetheless alludes to beauty, elegance, imperfection,
complexity but also simplicity and the natural state of things.
The architect Sarah Susanka wrote: When something has truly been designed well, it has discrete beauty
that is manifested effortlessly and works. That is shibuimi.
Although aesthetic tastes may vary, most people aspire to elegance and simplicity, two of the hardest
attributes to accomplish. Zen, with its millenary tradition, inspired in the rhythms of nature, meditation and
silence, is indubitably a good starting point for those who wish to reflect upon ideal harmonic designs, in
this manner, attributing space not only with an aesthetic dimension but also a liveable one. We present the
7 basic principles to take the Zen philosophy into the sphere or design, according to the observations
of Matthew May, expert in innovation and design.

1. Austerity
The concept of koko stresses the importance of absence and omission. This refers to the effect a no has on
space. Bare and non-ostentatious but at the same time focuses and clear. Only what is truly necessary
should be added, thus giving place to the void and all its habitable potential Limiting the dcor allows
for the limitless to emerge.

2. Simplicity
Exemplified by the concept of kanso, simplicity suggests that beauty and usefulness should not be
expressed excessively; it is not necessary to gloat or to decorate exorbitantly. Thus a feeling of freshness,
order and cleanliness is achieved. This very characteristic seems to appear in Apple products (Steve Jobs
was a known admirer of Zen Buddhism).

3. Naturalness
Expressed by shizen, naturalness in design seeks the equilibrium between being a part of nature and at
the same time, different architecture that adapts to its environment also incarnates simultaneously
artistic intention. Incorporating natural light, vegetation, wind and topography to the design, with a single
intentional trace or a subtle symbolic presence, is a rhythmic distillation formula characteristic of the
highest art form.

4. Subtlety
The importance of not revealing everything in a single impression. Insinuation, imagination and seduction
of the forms that do not fully reveal themselves exert on the viewer a magnetic power. Again facing the
vices of excess, subtlety allows perception to become more acute and access higher states of
consciousness by not being burdened with the excess of information.

5. Imperfection, asymmetry
Nourishing itself from paradox, the idea behind the Zen concept of fukinsei, is communicating natures
symmetry by framing it in an evidently asymmetric and unfinished design. It is the glance, in an act
of gestalt, which provides the work with the missing symmetry, thus participating in a creative act and
making the aesthetic experience an immersive one. So Zen leaves space open for co-creation.

6. Break in the Routine

Not just in terms of the finished piece but also for the creative process, the datsuzoku concept calls for a
rupture with conventionality. Zen emphasises the opportunity that accidents and out-of-the-ordinary
events represent. This can be translated in the general planning of the space or merely as inspiration for it.

7. Stillness
The principle of seijaku takes the properties of meditation and transports them into design. Meditation is
one of the great tools to achieve calm, concentration and encourages states of great alert and creativity,
hence a source of inspiration for design. Physical spaces are an inseparable reflection of mental states.