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Design Beyond Aesthetics
A journal exploring electronic music, sound, and visual culture through a design perspective—connecting technology, rhythm, and contemporary creative practice. This platform focuses on the structures behind electronic music: from techno and house to sound design, production, and cultural movements. It examines how music is shaped by machines, systems, and environments—bridging design thinking with sonic experimentation.
While rooted in design, the focus shifts toward electronic music as a cultural and technological language, analyzing genres, artists, tools, and the spaces where sound becomes experience. Published on otaviosantiago.com, this is an independent perspective on how music, design, and technology intersect—moving beyond aesthetics into structure, systems, and culture.
Graphic, Web & Motion Designer
Gambey Paris Apartment: PAF Atelier and BB Architectes Redefine Space with a Perforated Mezzanine
Gambey Paris Apartment as Interior Architecture The Gambey Paris Apartment, designed by PAF Atelier and BB Architectes, transforms a compact dwelling in Paris’s 11th arrondissement through a single, carefully inserted architectural element. Rather than dividing the apartment into conventional rooms, the project is organized around a freestanding steel structure that concentrates circulation, storage, and programming into one cohesive interior framework. This approach allows t
1 day ago
Elysées Lincoln Cinema Reopens in Paris with Pastel Hues and Velvet Atmospheres
The historic Elysées Lincoln cinema in Paris has been reborn through a vibrant renovation led by architect Louis Denavaut. At a time when independent cinemas across Europe are disappearing, the project introduces a bold new identity built around color, texture, and atmosphere. Pastel tones, velvet surfaces, and precise geometries evoke a subtle Wes Anderson–like sensibility, transforming the venue into a contemporary cultural and social space. A New Identity for the Elysées L
Jun 20
Martin Parr and the Legacy That Shaped Contemporary Photography
Martin Parr, one of the most defining voices in late-20th and early-21st-century photography, passed away on December 6th, 2025, at age 73. Known for his unapologetically vivid documentation of everyday life, Parr elevated the ordinary, the awkward, and the overlooked through a visual language rooted in color, satire, and sharp social observation. His loss marks a turning point for contemporary photography, closing a chapter written across five decades of persistent curiosity
Jun 2
Blue Temple Builds Earthquake-Resistant Modular Bamboo Housing in Myanmar for the Price of a Smartphone
Modular Bamboo Housing for Extreme Conditions The modular bamboo housing project in Myanmar developed by Blue Temple in collaboration with Housing Now demonstrates how architecture can respond to crisis with precision, speed, and dignity. Located in the Bago region, the initiative delivers low-cost, earthquake-resistant homes designed for communities affected by conflict and natural disasters. Each unit can be constructed in just seven days and costs approximately 1,000 USD—a
May 31
Rediscovering the Mazda Suitcase Car: The Portable Vehicle That Fit Inside a Samsonite
A Forgotten Experiment in Portable Mobility In the early 1990s, long before micro-mobility became a global obsession, Mazda quietly engineered one of the most unusual vehicles in automotive history: the Mazda suitcase car. Designed as a compact, three-wheeled vehicle that could be stored inside a hard-shell Samsonite suitcase, the project explored the boundaries between transportation, portability, and industrial design. Created between 1989 and 1991, the concept emerged from
May 18
Maison Louis Vuitton Sanlitun: Jun Aoki Designs a Colour-Shifting Architectural Dress in Beijing
Maison Louis Vuitton Sanlitun rises in the heart of Beijing as a fluid, translucent structure that blurs the line between architecture, fashion, and landscape. Designed by Japanese studio Jun Aoki & Associates, the four-storey flagship features a shimmering facade of dichroic glass that shifts colour with light, movement, and season—an architectural interpretation of a Louis Vuitton dress. Fashion and Architecture Merge at Maison Louis Vuitton Sanlitun The facade of Maison Lo
May 15
Bianca Censori’s Bio Pop: Performance Furniture, Power, and the Architecture of Bodily Constraint
Bianca Censori Bio Pop Performance Furniture as Social Architecture Bianca Censori’s Bio Pop performance furniture marks a provocative intersection between design, architecture, and performance art. Presented in Seoul, the work transforms tables, chairs, and chandeliers into apparatuses that physically restrain women’s bodies, reframing furniture not as passive objects, but as active agents of power. Rather than functioning as utilitarian supports, the furniture operates as a
May 10
What Is EDM? Electronic Dance Music as Sound, Structure and Global Spectacle
Electronic Dance Music, commonly known as EDM, is one of the most widely recognized and commercially successful forms of electronic music. Defined by its energetic rhythms, structured build-ups, and festival-driven sound, EDM has become a dominant force in global music culture. While often used as a broad umbrella term, EDM represents a specific phase in the evolution of electronic music—one that emphasizes high-energy production, large-scale performances, and accessible musi
Apr 19
Recycled Food Waste Robotics: EPFL’s ‘Claw’ Machines Made from Crustacean Shells
When Food Waste Becomes Functional Technology At EPFL’s CREATE Lab, scientists are redefining the boundaries between waste, biology, and robotics. In a recent study, researchers developed robotic claw machines made from recycled food waste , using crustacean shells—specifically langoustine tails—as structural components for functional robotic systems. The project challenges the dominance of metal, plastic, and synthetic composites by asking a radical question: can biological
Mar 11
Bee-Sized Robot Design: How MIT Is Rethinking Flight, Intelligence, and Scale
The development of a flying robot small enough to rival a bumblebee marks a significant moment in bee-sized robot design , where engineering, artificial intelligence, and biomimicry converge. Created by researchers at MIT, the four-centimetre robot weighs less than one gram yet demonstrates agility, speed, and control comparable to its biological counterpart. Designed to operate in environments inaccessible or dangerous to humans, the robot is envisioned as a future tool f
Feb 17
Design and Architecture: Spatial Thinking, Structure, and Visual Systems
Design and architecture share a common foundation: both shape how people experience space, movement, and structure . While architecture defines physical environments, design translates those environments into visual systems that guide perception, orientation, and meaning. Together, design and architecture construct the frameworks through which space becomes readable, functional, and culturally significant . Architecture establishes form, scale, proportion, and material pre
Feb 13
Design and Music: Ritual, Power, and Electronic Sound Culture
The relationship between design and music becomes especially evident within electronic music culture . Sound is not only heard — it is released, packaged, staged, and ritualized . From LP covers and record labels to techno clubs and underground parties, design frames how electronic music is perceived, collected, and experienced. Every visual choice — typography, material, space, light — influences how sound becomes culture. Design and Music as Ritual Systems in Electronic C
Feb 7
Design in Conflict: Lebanese Students Reimagine Design for Life Under War
Design in Conflict is an exhibition that brings together architecture and design students from Lebanon to confront the realities of living under continuous instability. Hosted inside Beirut’s abandoned Burj El Murr skyscraper, the show presents speculative yet deeply practical projects addressing life shaped by war, interruption, and resilience. Organised by Archifeed alongside product designer Youssef Bassil and design engineer Tark Mahmoud, the exhibition positions design
Jan 28
Nusantara Capital City Design: How Indonesia Reframed Its New Political Capital
Nusantara Capital City Design as a Political and Urban Strategy The Nusantara capital city design represents one of the most ambitious urban planning projects in contemporary Southeast Asia. Originally conceived as a full replacement for Jakarta, Nusantara has since been redefined as Indonesia’s political capital — a shift that reshapes not only its function, but its architectural and urban meaning. Masterplanned by Indonesian studio Urban+, the Nusantara capital city desig
Jan 20
Understanding the Allure of Minimalist Techno Aesthetics
Minimalist techno aesthetics have carved out a unique space in the world of electronic music and design. Their subtle power lies in the art of less - a deliberate choice to strip away excess and focus on the essence. But what exactly draws us to this refined style? Why does it resonate so deeply with creative minds and brands alike? As someone who has explored the intersection of sound and visual storytelling, I find the allure of minimalist techno both fascinating and instr
Jan 18
Remembering the Ford Nucleon Atomic Car — The Futuristic Nuclear-Powered Vehicle That Never Reached Production
The Ford Nucleon Atomic Car: A 1958 Vision of Nuclear-Powered Mobility The Ford Nucleon atomic car remains one of the most ambitious—and controversial—concept vehicles ever developed. Revealed to the public in 1958 , the Nucleon envisioned a future where cars would run on nuclear reactors instead of gasoline . Conceived inside Ford’s Advanced Styling Studio , the project explored automotive futures 10 to 20 years ahead of its time. Under the leadership of industrial designe
Jan 15
Zayed National Museum by Foster + Partners: Steel Wings Transform Abu Dhabi’s Cultural Skyline
The Zayed National Museum by Foster + Partners officially opens to the public in Abu Dhabi, marking a defining moment for the Saadiyat Cultural District. This long-awaited institution merges architecture, environmental engineering, and cultural storytelling, forming a landmark whose five aerodynamic steel wings rise dramatically above the desert landscape. More than a museum, it stands as a reflection of Sheikh Zayed’s legacy and a new pinnacle of sustainable design in the U
Jan 12
Nike Wearable Design: Project Amplify and the Rise of Motor-Assisted Movement
Nike’s Project Amplify signals a new chapter in Nike wearable design , where footwear evolves into a hybrid system that extends the body itself. Rather than focusing on elite performance gains, the motor-assisted anklet reframes athletic design around accessibility, endurance, and everyday movement. Developed in collaboration with robotics company Dephy, Project Amplify is conceived as a wearable “second set of calf muscles.” The device adheres to the lower leg, integrating a
Jan 11
Pilar Zeta Unveils The Observer Effect: Iridescent Postmodern Portals on Miami Beach
On the shoreline of Miami Beach, directly in front of The Shelborne By Proper , artist and designer Pilar Zeta debuts The Observer Effect — a sculptural installation that transforms the sand into a luminous corridor of portals. Opening during Miami Art Week 2025 , the work merges postmodern geometry with iridescent materiality, inviting visitors to explore how perception shifts with movement, angle, and light. Unfolding as a sequence of eight metallic arches, The Observer
Jan 9
US Government Typography: Why Calibri Was Dropped in Favor of Times New Roman
The recent decision by the US State Department to abandon Calibri and reinstate Times New Roman has reignited a long-standing debate about US government typography and the role design plays in institutional identity. Officially framed as a return to tradition, the shift reveals how typographic choices extend far beyond legibility, entering the realm of symbolism, politics, and cultural signaling. US Government Typography as Political and Cultural Design Language Calibri, a s
Jan 8
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