#design philosophy

[miamaimania]

Issey Miyake MOVES, 2002

[sabrinahawthorne]

Here's something I think is worth saying aloud:

You should make that fantasy heartbreaker. You know the one. The one with an action economy you're *sure* will solve combat slog. The one with that really interesting playable race. The one that uses your favorite dice mechanic.

I don't even mean that you should do it in order to learn first-hand why other fantasy adventure games are designed the way they are - although that it unquestionably a benefit.

I mean you should do it because fantasy games are fun, y'all. They're fun to design. they're fun to write for. They're fun to play!

The fantasy heartbreaker looms large in the culture of this hobby for a reason, and it isn't because of That One Game, despite how it may feel. It's because playing a hero taking down a monster is fun, damnit, and we shouldn't ever let the cynical economics of the genre stifle that.

[booloocrew-blog]

putting on my detective hat for this one

I wrote this reddit post, you can find it here, but I figured y'all would want to see this theory as well. Because yall are looking too hard on the episodes when other pieces of evidence exist, too.

EDIT: On the reddit post, it has come to my attention that certain series has a mixture of these two concepts. My apologies for the misinformation there, I was going off of my own memory. But the point still remains: Eriza fits the design philosophy of the other civilian leads the most- the others look too much like 'Cure Eclair' clones when stacked up against the other civillian forms.

[addipyon]

Design Philosophy,

While I do make art, I am not a particularly skilled nor original artist. So when I find myself constructing a character as in depth and complicated as "the protagonist of a skyrim playthru written in roughly the same amount of words as a novel trilogy" i turn to many influences. Anything like narrative structure to the literal character design and appearance, which has evolved significantly over time. And in that time, every detail has some to reflect something intentional and important about her character.

A few key points, the initial design:

Camryn is 3/4 altmer, breton father and altmer mother. yes, her father has gigachad genes. I initially wanted her to look like a "friendly alien", drawing from the design of elder scrolls elves and their long faces, embossed brows, long noses with prominent bridges, yellowish skin and slanted eyes. I was almost kind of thinking of like, roman and asian, since they both have very defining physical characteristics (Nose and eyes, respectively). this is why camryn has a bumped nose bridge later on.

Over time I did make her look both more human as well as conventionally attractive (which was not intended, but i find myself erring *away* from changes to a character design i deem ugly). Since almost 3 years have passed in the canon, with camryn aging from 27 to 30, her following design after this looked much younger, and then I aimed to make her age back up again from there.

I also use her hair to demonstrate the passage of time which, depending on the style of the hair, might require altering her face slightly so everything fits well (IE one hair mesh's hairline is too low, so her face must be lowered to compensate) So across the story, there are several points (usually ones she notes) where her hair had to be cut, or it has grown back out again. I am absolutely starving for nice shaggy/wavy mid length hair mods please help me.

As far as later designs, starting roughly with the picture where she has the pixie cut. (this is some time after she flees cidhna mine and her hair is all hacked off, it's grown back out a bit in the following months.) I began to come up with a more consistent idea of how I wanted her design to evolve. more muscular, more scarring depending on certain events that have transpired (note the flog marks from when she was framed)

I was also on a big manga kick around this time, so I started paying better attention to what I do and don't like about character design, since I was now piloting my own. This also no doubt influenced my writing greatly- seinen manga as silly as it sounds, might be my biggest stylistic influence. Vinland saga, berserk, made in abyss.

from here, camryn's physique began to manifest (i literally downloaded cbbe for this shit). I never had the intent of making a butch or a tomboy, camryn is a very feminine woman, just a deeply fucked up one, and her body reflects that. but I also didnt want her design to be explicitly sexy just for sexy's sake.

She stands roughly 5'4, with broad shoulders, a narrow torso, bony hips, strong legs and muscular arms. I feel this all reflects her as a character as well as her body's response to the situation it is in.

Since (especially from behind) she began to look quite androgynous I did opt for her to have a fuller bust, as well as maintain a slender figure. sort of as like, a very blatant signifier of stereotypical femininity.

Just as a way to point out that no, I'm deeply sorry, this is not a super dom muscle mommy. this is just a normal young woman who has had to rapidly adapt to a bunch of really difficult shit that left her permanently changed and permanently scared.

I suppose the single most naked influence would be Maki Zenin. but believe it or not, I was more inspired by her personality and narrative than her actual physical design

Despite everything I've said so far, yes, some aspects of the design were influenced by things I actually like! I think the scars are cool. I think short hair is cool. But, aside from scars, that dont ever fully go away, i would hope the character bits of camryn that mirror the cold, monstrous despair of maki speak for themselves. Far and away the biggest thing I took from this character.

That said, specifically the more slender forearms and general leg shape were 100% yoinked from maki. and while camryn's waist isnt as inhumanly narrow, i think maki having such a slender torso despite how muscular she is elsewhere communicates something similar about her character as camryn does for her. This is just a normal young woman, transformed. Sure maki was always strong, but once her sister dies and she is awakened, her limbs swell into thick, prominent muscles while in the center, the literal *core* of the character, that same woman there always was. (tho i’m certain gege was just making her have a slim waist bc slim waists are attractive)

For her design, I actually drew on more male characters than female ones. In particular I love thorfinns character design and how blatantly it reflects who and where he is at any given time. the scars have stories, they tell you so much about who he is. the (sometimes not so) subtle changes in his expression that reveal more than enough even when he's short on words. how Yukimura communicated so much just by making the guy older is absolutely genius. even if you havent read vinland saga, you can pick up so much just from this image.

I also absolutely adore his physique, despite being a gay woman lmao. it's something he, personally, never remarks on, but it is often highlighted both by the narrative and by others when they draw inferences about him. Hes small, very unimposing when he’s garbed, but built like a fucking tank. the scarring, especially as it ages (like in the farmland arc, where they place so much focus on his hands that haven’t seen battle in 4 years) illustrate so clearly the difference between who he WAS and who he IS.

I put a lot of work into tweaking camryn's weight and facial expression over time. during the super dark and angsty chapters she looks so angry and exhausted all the time. but during later chapters after she kills the emperor, she just looks so lost and empty behind the eyes. when she’s doing better, her face looks softer, she’s a little more filler figured. I've tried to really zero in on those mini expressions of both her face and body to enrich the narrative for myself, as i began to notice how much it was resonating with me when I read vinland saga.

as far as other character writing inspirations; i draw on a lot of sources for both camryn's specific personality and the direction of the story. as far as character writing, I would list Kurapika (hunter x hunter), maki (jjk), jesse pinkman (breaking bad) arthur morgan (rdr2) and belaf (made in abyss) as her biggest writing inspirations (off the top of my head, im probably forgetting a huge one lol) . Those might be different posts tho as I think this one has gone on long enough. i might do a part 2 of this, and will definitely make a “writing philosophy” style post to break all of the character writing stuff down as well

If you read ts uh thank you here's a bird

[omegaphilosophia]

The Philosophy of Fukinsei (不均斉)

Fukinsei (不均斉) is a Japanese aesthetic and philosophical principle meaning "asymmetry," "imbalance," or "irregularity." It's one of the core concepts in traditional Japanese aesthetics, particularly associated with Zen Buddhism and expressed through arts like tea ceremony, garden design, flower arrangement (ikebana), and pottery.

Core meaning: Fukinsei values asymmetry, unevenness, and deliberate avoidance of perfect balance or regularity. It finds beauty in what's off-center, irregular, and naturally imperfect—rejecting the Western classical ideal of symmetry, proportion, and geometric perfection.

Philosophical foundations:

Natural authenticity: Nature rarely produces perfect symmetry or geometric regularity. Mountains aren't symmetrical, rivers don't flow in straight lines, trees grow irregularly. Fukinsei aligns human creation with natural patterns, suggesting that artificial perfection is lifeless while asymmetry captures organic vitality.

This connects to broader Japanese aesthetic values like wabi-sabi (beauty in imperfection and impermanence) and finding profundity in natural simplicity rather than ornate artifice.

Zen Buddhist influence: Zen emphasizes direct experience of reality beyond conceptual categories and rigid forms. Perfect symmetry represents mental construction, intellectual control, ego's attempt to impose order. Asymmetry expresses spontaneity, naturalness, freedom from rigid thinking.

The famous Zen circle (ensō) is often deliberately imperfect—the brushstroke doesn't quite close or shows variation in thickness. This "imperfection" points beyond the form to the living moment of creation and the reality that transcends perfect abstractions.

Dynamic tension: Perfect symmetry creates static balance—nothing moves, everything's resolved. Asymmetry creates dynamic tension, implies movement and continuation beyond the frame. Your eye travels through the composition seeking balance rather than resting in achieved equilibrium. This reflects reality as process, becoming, never-finished rather than complete stasis.

Aesthetic applications:

Tea ceremony: The tea room (chashitsu) deliberately avoids symmetry. The alcove (tokonoma) is off-center, the entrance requires bending (asymmetrical approach), utensils are placed irregularly. Even the tea bowl is often asymmetrical, irregular in shape, encouraging attention to its unique character rather than conformity to ideal form.

Garden design: Japanese gardens avoid central focal points, straight paths, or symmetrical layouts. Elements are placed to create asymmetrical but harmonious compositions. The famous rock garden at Ryōan-ji arranges fifteen rocks so you can never see all of them simultaneously from any single vantage point—resisting completion and total comprehension.

Ikebana (flower arrangement): Uses odd numbers of elements (3, 5, 7 rather than even pairs), creates triangular asymmetrical compositions, emphasizes negative space, and celebrates branches that curve irregularly rather than growing straight. The arrangement suggests natural growth rather than artificial decoration.

Pottery and ceramics: Traditional Japanese pottery often features irregular forms, asymmetrical glazing, deliberate imperfections. A tea bowl might lean slightly, have uneven thickness, show where the potter's hand shaped it. These "flaws" are valued as signs of human touch and natural process.

Architecture: Traditional Japanese buildings use asymmetrical layouts, irregular spacing of columns, varied roof angles. Even in contemporary architecture, Japanese designers often avoid perfect symmetry in favor of dynamic imbalance.

Deeper philosophical dimensions:

Resistance to totalization: Perfect symmetry suggests completeness, totality, nothing left unsaid. Asymmetry implies incompleteness, openness, the partial view that acknowledges you can't capture everything. This connects to epistemological humility—rejecting claims to total knowledge or comprehensive systems.

Invitation to participation: Symmetrical, balanced compositions are self-contained—the viewer observes but isn't needed. Asymmetrical compositions invite the viewer to complete or balance them mentally, creating active engagement rather than passive reception. The artwork doesn't exist fully without the viewer's participation.

Avoiding dualism: Western thought often works through binary oppositions resolved in perfect balance or synthesis. Fukinsei suggests reality doesn't resolve into neat balances but exists in productive tension, dynamic imbalance that generates rather than resolves.

Temporal dimension: Asymmetry suggests change and temporality. Perfect balance seems eternal, outside time. Imbalance implies before and after, movement from here to there, the moment captured in process rather than frozen in completion.

Philosophical contrasts with Western aesthetics:

Greek classical ideals: Classical Western aesthetics (from Vitruvius through Renaissance) valorized symmetry, proportion, mathematical harmony—the golden ratio, bilateral symmetry, geometric perfection. The Parthenon, Leonardo's Vitruvian Man, classical music's balanced phrases all exemplify this.

These represent reason imposing order on chaos, mind mastering matter, divine perfection manifested in material form. Beauty reflects eternal mathematical truths.

Fukinsei rejects this: Beauty emerges not from conformity to abstract ideal but from particularity, irregularity, the unrepeatable moment. The asymmetrical tea bowl is beautiful precisely because it's this unique object, not because it approximates some Platonic form of bowls.

Romantic organicism: Western Romanticism did celebrate organic irregularity over classical formality—picturesque landscapes, Gothic asymmetry, natural sublimity. This shares something with fukinsei but tends toward dramatic expression, overwhelming scale, emotional intensity. Fukinsei is more understated, subtle, quietly confident rather than dramatically assertive.

Modernist functionalism: "Form follows function" and minimalist grids create different kind of perfection—rational, efficient, universal. Fukinsei's asymmetry isn't functional efficiency but poetic suggestion, meaningful imperfection.

Contemporary relevance:

Design and user experience: Contemporary design sometimes incorporates fukinsei principles—asymmetrical layouts that guide attention, irregular spacing that feels organic, deliberate imperfection that humanizes digital interfaces. Though often this gets superficialized as merely "looking Japanese" rather than embodying the philosophy.

Anti-perfectionism: In an age of Instagram perfection, photoshop idealization, and algorithmic optimization, fukinsei offers philosophical resources for valuing imperfection, embracing irregularity, resisting the pressure for flawless presentation.

Ecological thinking: Fukinsei's alignment with natural patterns resonates with contemporary environmental consciousness—working with rather than against natural irregularity, finding beauty in organic processes rather than imposing geometric control.

Critiques and complications:

Calculated spontaneity: There's a paradox in deliberately creating asymmetry. Zen masters spend years learning to paint the "spontaneous" brushstroke. Tea ceremony masters carefully place objects to appear casually arranged. Is this genuine naturalness or highly sophisticated artifice pretending to be natural?

The philosophical response might be that it's both—cultivating capacity for genuine spontaneity through discipline, allowing naturalness to emerge through practice rather than forcing it.

Cultural appropriation: Western adoption of fukinsei sometimes reduces it to superficial style—"add some asymmetry for Japanese flair"—without understanding the philosophical depth or cultural context. The principle becomes decorative technique rather than ontological and aesthetic worldview.

Privilege and refinement: Appreciating subtle asymmetry, finding beauty in restrained irregularity requires cultivated aesthetic sensibility. Is fukinsei aristocratic refinement accessible only to those with leisure to develop such sensitivity? Or can it inform more democratic, everyday aesthetic experience?

Related Japanese aesthetic concepts:

Fukinsei works within constellation of related principles:

Kanso (簡素): Simplicity, elimination of clutter

Koko (考古): Basic, weathered, aged character

Shizen (自然): Naturalness, absence of pretense

Yugen (幽玄): Profound mystery, subtle depth

Datsuzoku (脱俗): Freedom from convention

Seijaku (静寂): Tranquility, stillness

Together these form coherent aesthetic philosophy valuing suggestion over statement, impermanence over permanence, natural irregularity over imposed order.

Philosophical questions fukinsei raises:

Is beauty objective or cultural? Western classical aesthetics often claimed symmetry and proportion were objectively beautiful, grounded in mathematical harmony. Fukinsei suggests beauty is culturally variable—what seems perfectly balanced to one culture feels static and lifeless to another.

What is perfection? Is perfection the flawless realization of ideal form, or is true perfection found in authentic imperfection? Does the concept of perfection itself trap us in unhelpful abstractions?

How should we relate to nature? Should we impose geometric order on natural materials, or find ways to work with natural irregularity? Is beauty achieved through mastering nature or harmonizing with it?

What is completion? Western thought often seeks closure, resolution, completion. Fukinsei suggests virtue in incompleteness, openness, the unfinished quality that invites continuation.

Practical wisdom:

Beyond aesthetics, fukinsei might inform how we approach life: accepting that things won't be perfectly balanced, finding beauty in irregularity rather than struggling for impossible symmetry, embracing the dynamic tension of imbalance rather than forcing premature resolution.

In relationships, work, creative projects—perhaps wisdom lies not in achieving perfect balance but in working skillfully with asymmetry, finding productive ways to live with imbalance rather than being paralyzed by it.

[2ndclassparty]

ICE TREES, a frozen forest whose inhabitants are far from friendly.

A suggestion I had a lot of fun with, I had the idea originally to do a drawing of hoar frost on a tree but the recommendation was clarified as trees literally made of ice. I figured I'd explore that direction and had some fun coming up with this chilling scene. PUN IN-TEN-DED.

Yetis, Wendigos, and similar sort of monsters fascinate me - not because I believe they are real, but it's the idea of them being out there especially in the modern day. Like, how do they survive and meet their needs?

Furthermore, I went with a simple monster design this time around instead of making something massively complicated. I figure something plain and mostly obscured by shadow is far more unsettling than some hyper detailed beast.

My design philosophy with monsters is that there is a scale between "dumb", "frightening", and "cool". As a monster becomes increasingly detailed it starts to lose the scare factor and becomes more of a display of a damn good design. That said, if a monster is designed with too little effort - then it just becomes a dumb design.

Thus, I strive for "frightening" via dark shadows or subtle signs of something else being present in an otherwise innocuous scene.

[elgngraphicstudio]

“Art can no longer be merely a mirror, it must act as the organizer of the people's consciousness… No form of representation is so readily comprehensible.” El Lissitzky (Russian Designer, 1890–1941)