Abstract
This paper argues that the question “How does the awareness of material sustainability change perceptions of aesthetics?” requires an interactionist framework from philosophical aesthetics, against both eliminativist and formalist models. Without treating materials as morally valuable entities, there is no room to integrate the ethical dimension into aesthetic evaluation. However, the question can be inverted, since aesthetic perceptions also contribute to how we ethically treat materials. Central to the argument is the claim that aesthetic properties, by virtue of their affective character, are partly constitutive of the moral dimension of visual representations, not mere embellishments but active elements in shaping ethical evaluation of materials. The framework is illustrated through analysis of visual strategies in fashion communication, examining how aesthetic smoke-screens occlude material ethics and how counter-images foster fine observation. Implications for design research and practice are discussed
Keywords
Visual communication design, aesthetics, ethics, interactionism
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2118
Citation
Morales-Maciel, W. (2026) Fine observation and material care: An interactionist approach to design aesthetics, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2118
Creative Commons License
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Included in
Fine observation and material care: An interactionist approach to design aesthetics
This paper argues that the question “How does the awareness of material sustainability change perceptions of aesthetics?” requires an interactionist framework from philosophical aesthetics, against both eliminativist and formalist models. Without treating materials as morally valuable entities, there is no room to integrate the ethical dimension into aesthetic evaluation. However, the question can be inverted, since aesthetic perceptions also contribute to how we ethically treat materials. Central to the argument is the claim that aesthetic properties, by virtue of their affective character, are partly constitutive of the moral dimension of visual representations, not mere embellishments but active elements in shaping ethical evaluation of materials. The framework is illustrated through analysis of visual strategies in fashion communication, examining how aesthetic smoke-screens occlude material ethics and how counter-images foster fine observation. Implications for design research and practice are discussed