Design and Aesthetics plays a key role in design practice and is often described as one of the core competences of the design profession. Paradoxically, however, the concept has received relatively little attention in design methodology and design literature, and in the design debate its role has often been treated as questionable.

The purpose of this theme issue of the research journal Artifact is to shed light on the current status of the concept of aesthetics in the design field and to discuss its historical and current role in both research and practice.

Artifact invites designers, design researchers and philosophers to explore aspects of the relationship between design and aesthetics.

Possible themes may include but are not limited to

• Aesthetics in or as design method
• The role of aesthetics in design literature and design research, including for example its conceptualization in design history and design method studies
• Design and aesthetic experience
• Aesthetics and sensory perception
• Aesthetics and pleasure
• Aesthetics and emotions
• The aesthetics of art versus the aesthetics of design
• Everyday aesthetics
• Aesthetics as taste

Submission

This issue is open for submissions. Papers should be maximum 14 pages including illustrations, figures, and references.

See Artifact Submissions including an author guide: http://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/artifact/about/submissions

About Artifact

Artifact is published by the the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Indiana University in the USA and Swinburne University of Technology in Australia in collaboration.

The contributions to Artifact are vetted according to common peer review criteria. Thus, the research articles are reviewed by at least two peers from different countries.

Artifact premiered in 2007 as a print medium published by Routledge, but in December 2011, Artifact was relaunched as an Open-Access journal.