Discover how color, pattern, and playful design can spark joy in your everyday. By Ingrid Fetell Lee, from her book Aesthetics of Joy, this article celebrates the visual cues that uplift us—and how to infuse them into your life and space.
"Joy isn't just something we find. It's also something we can make, for ourseleves and for those around us."
–Ingrid Fetell Lee
In my years as design director at the renowned innovation companyIDEO and in my own practice, as well as through curating the design blogThe Aesthetics of Joy, I’ve seen firsthand how aesthetics change people’sattitudes and behavior from the outside in. They reveal why some storesand restaurants bustle with activity, while others stand quiet and empty.And they help us understand why one environment makes people anxiousand competitive, while another brims with sociability and tolerance.Think about the way people act in the sterile cabin of an airplane,breaking into fights over three degrees of seat recline and jostling elbowsfor control of an armrest. Now contrast this with how people behavein the convivial atmosphere of a music festival. Surrounded by vibrantdecorations and music, people share food and drink, make space on thecrowded lawn for newcomers, and dance with strangers. The power ofthe aesthetics of joy is that they speak directly to our unconscious minds,bringing out the best in us without our even being aware of it.
Every human being is born with the capacity for joy, and like the pilotlight in your stove, it still burns within you even if you haven’t switchedon the burners in a while.
Too often we move through the physical world as if it were a stage set,a mute backdrop for our daily activities. Yet in reality it is alive withopportunities for inspiration, wonder and joy. Joy’s power is that smallmoments can spark big changes. Even the tiniest joyful gestures add upover time and before we know it, we have not just a few happier peoplebut a truly joyful world.
The 10 Aesthetics of Joy
In all, I identified ten aesthetics of joy, each of which reveals a distinct connection between thefeeling of joy and the tangible qualities of the world around us:
1. Energy
Vibrant color and light.
2. Abundance
Lushness, multiplicity, and variety.
3. Freedom
Nature, wildness and open space.
4. Harmony
Balance, symmetry and flow.
5. Play
Circles, spheres, and bubbly forms.
6. Surprise
Contrast and whimsy.
7. Transendence
Elevation and lightness.
8. Magic
Invisible forces and illusions.
9. Celebration
Synchrony, sparkle, and bursting shapes.
10. Renewal
Blossoming, expansion, and curves.
In Joyful, designer Ingrid Fetell Lee explores how the seemingly mundane spaces and objects we interact with every day have surpristing and powerful effects on our mood. Drawing insights from neuroscience and psychology, she reveals how we can harness the power of our surroundings to live fuller, healthier and truly joyful lives.
Get the book and find out more at aestheticsofjoy.com
