Poetic·design

Emily Carr University of Art and Design

© Jiayu Tian 2022

A Thesis for Masters degree in Interdisciplinary Design

revealing the tacit aesthetic frameworks in a furniture design practice

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Thesis by Jiayu Tian
BDes in industrial design, Emily Carr University of Art and Design,
Vancouver, BC | 2020

A Thesis for Masters degree in Interdisciplinary Design
Emily Carr University of Art and Design
Vancouver, British Columbia

© Jiayu Tian 2022

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Acknowledgment
I would like to acknowledge the following people who have
witnessed and supported my journey:
My supervisors, Sophie Gaur and Christian Blyt, for supporting
and guiding me through this enterprise. They showed me the
possibilities with concern to hands-on practices in the field and
gave me insightful feedback.
The internal reviewer, Louise St. Pierre, who helped me find a
path to another level of spiritual balance that extends beyond
design. She also fostered calmness with enthusiasm, and an
objective perspective with considerable kindness, too.
Thanks to the design woodshop technicians: Brian Fossl, Renee
Michaud, Martin McLennan, Trevor Osborn, and Joe Band.
A special thank you to Laura Kozak, Reyhan Yazdani, Yun Xiao
and Helen Hai for being great listeners and friends who provided
me with sincere feedback and encouragement.
I would like to thank all my friends and family for being so
supportive to me through these years. Also, I thank them for
being so patient with me through all the ups and downs.
Thanks to all the staff and faculty at Emily Carr University where
situated on unceded, traditional and ancestral xʷməθkʷəy̓əm
(Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), and səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ
(Tsleil-Waututh) territories for their high academic standards and
the environment and community that promotes learning for all
students. Additionally, I want to thank our 2022 cohort for being
so friendly and always supporting each other.

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Abstract

This research is an examination into the aesthetic values of a
furniture design practice. In particular, I look at how my Chinese
inheritance, my cultural and personal memory, and my assimilated
tacit aesthetic values, find agency and expression through practice.
I arrived at this research by being immersed in the actual processes
of creative design making. Through hands-on experience and
application, I found the expressions and feelings I wanted to
communicate. This manifested through a series of practices
which included: lighting, material explorations, handcrafting, and
my personal stories via varied methods and processes of design.
Moreover, I gave myself space and time, critically, for selfreflection.
This manner of thinking about design is derived from my personal
background — I am driven by my personal journey towards
becoming a more authentic version of myself as a furniture
designer. I chose to do this through real discernment and detailed
understanding of the aesthetics of material. Through the design of
interior objects, materials that possess aesthetic agency provide
me with the ability to transcribe a particular value in my work — I
call this ‘the poetic’.
The poetic design in my research has two aspects:
1) the respect of nature and self in everyday aesthetics and
2) design rooted in a Xiuxing, or spiritually informed and embodied
making practice.
It is about furniture design. It is about the home. It is about relating
emotionally with the materials. It is about telling a story. It is about
a journey. The character of design has been transformed into a
method that assists me in building the conversation. I hope the
journey that I have experienced, filtered through the lens of a
poetic design method, can inspire or resonate with other designers
or crafters who have similar cultural affiliations.

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Coming from a maker's perspective, I see the integration of
utilitarianism and aesthetics, representing the ecology of self and
the ecology of a maker. Moreover, I aim to break the geometric
brick of utilitarian design works, breaking formalities in the process.
I actively seek asperity, irregularity, and imperfections within
art, craft, and design, inspired in part by Wabi Sabi, the ancient
Japanese tradition of slow life.
In my research, I use a series of methods to explore a way of
challenging perfection, machine manufacturing, and, ultimately,
enjoying the moments of engagement with the materials. Through
these tactics, the objective is to build an emotional connection
between self and nature and use this design practice to come
closer to myself. I experience the physical pleasures in sound,
feeling, and movement, and enjoy seeing the irregularities of
natural forms that correspond with the human body. The living
form takes on its own breath, gaining freedom from the material
substances.
Keywords:
Poetic Design, Aesthetics, Material Practice, Furniture Design,
Oriental Design, Xiuxing

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgment ········································· 3
Abstract + Keywords······································ 4
Table of Content·········································· 6
Background··············································· 7
The research question······································9
Methodology·············································· 11
Methods
Chapter 1: My practice as a furniture designer ·············· 13
•understanding my design language
•discovering the value of the poetic
Chapter 2: Poetic design: an articulation
- My poetic provenances····················· 24
• Everyday Aesthetics
• Cultural paradigms - Xiuxing
• My personal Manifesto a poetic approach
Chapter 3: The Poetic Practice:
Evidencing the expression of the practice······ 34
· Project 1: GUQIN
· Project 2: LANHAI
Conclusion··············································· 49
List of figures ············································ 51
Work Cited ·············································· 52

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Background

As a student in Industrial and Interdisciplinary Design at Emily Carr
University of Art and Design (ECU) for 6 years, my enthusiasm for
design has been completely galvanized. Developing skills and acquiring
important knowledge regarding design, during this period, has been
extremely fulfilling.
Gradually, I have also discovered and created my own philosophy,
which breaks the limitations of art, craft and design: poetic design.
My artworks depict the vicissitudes of my inner self. The true purpose
of poetic design is to discover the designer within. This also supports
a ‘healthier lifestyle’ (both physical and spiritual) through specific
aesthetic languages. For me, the nature of design is pure and simple:
each product expresses the designer's bright outlook and their wishes
for life. Industrial design can be an expression of the spiritual ethos of
its designer, full of emotion and soul.
Chinese traditional design spaces pay attention to the unity between
man and nature . In the process of continuation and the inheritance
of traditions, it is necessary to find valuable and meaningful things
from Chinese culture to uphold and illuminate. This is not only the
continuation of traditional Chinese forms and symbols, but, more
importantly, to convey the spiritual connotations that are drawn from
these sources.
—— Natural, poetic, simple, and authentic.

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Figure 1.1 Emily Carr University of Art and Design on Granville Island, 2017

Figure 1.2 Emily Carr University of Art and Design at Great Northern Way - INDD Studio, 2017

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The Research Question

I began this research with the intention of gaining a deeper
understanding into my own practice. I have seen a change in
myself and have updated and formed my own design philosophy.
The intention of starting this journey was to continue exploring pure
intentions initiated from design, keeping away from the disruptions
of commercial-led design; to find and try to pass on comfort and a
feeling of tranquility in our everyday aesthetics.
"True beauty is not possible devoid of simplicity" (Yanagi, 2013, p.47).
Pure and unintentional creation without the explicit purpose of solely
making it beautiful is the objective of real aesthetics. The artifact is
the cause and condition of the heart of the designer and is the carrier
of that inner life.

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Further, my perspective on design has changed through my experiences
as a student and as a designer. Poetic design allows for a new design
approach with purer design intentions, using material, forms, and
patterns to complete the designer's self transformation, moving from
the physical level to the spiritual level, and finding symbiosis in the
fields of craft, art and design balance1. Finding one’s higher self in
design, establishing cultural self-confidence and aesthetic belief, and
expressing it with the material is the core of my thesis project, ‘Lanhai.’
As a Chinese furnituredesigner, I have always wanted to accurately
represent my background, my story, and my life. I was deeply influenced
by my father’s Zen Buddhism. Sketching, making, and handcrafting can
be a personal meditation because it is a process of self-reflection and
entering into a flow-state2 while interacting with natural aesthetic in
the materials. One can also invoke a poetic sense of self through the
presentation of asperity in design, where pleasure that can be found
in cracks, textures, and roughness. This is an approach I highlight from
Wabi-Sabi. Wabi-Sabi is both a lifestyle and an aesthetic language: the
aesthetics of imperfection (Nash, 2022). This means I can see myself
doing design in many ways. Imperfections can be embraced, rather
than being something to correct. In this approach, I see repetitive,
imperfect forms happening on the surfaces of my materials, and
mirroring a variety of emotional values. This project began to help me
find the balance between my own artistic pursuits, while establishing a
nourishing relationship with furniture design.
I started my research journey with a passion for furniture-making. In
this fast-paced era, we get less time to focus on the actual self and
the development of the artistic self, and the higher self. The idea of
poetic design aims to fully express the inner feelings, emotions, and
intentional values through the practice of designing in the state of
being without thought (Fukusawa, 2015). My works reflect the way I
look at the world, and, as a Chinese designer, my cultural background
has provided me with so much precious knowledge and a rich
philosophical foundation. I would like to explore the balancing idea
inherent in Oriental culture in my design practices. Not only through the
representation of the materiality, but also between the harmony that
can exist between the external and internal self.
This research asked the questions :
1. What are the critical and essential elements of practice, that clarify
and give an authentic identity to my own design values?
2. What role does my culture play in my practice?
3. What roles do my spiritual affiliations play in my practice?
Balance1 : The balancing idea here is about a stable mental state; not taking bias and taking care of all aspects, refers to a
sense of harmonious and beautiful proportion and balance
Flow-state2: Flow is a state of mind in which a person becomes fully immersed in an activity. Positive psychologist Mihály
Csíkszentmihályi describes flow as a state of complete immersion in an activity. Being immersed can be defined as a state of
focus in which a person is completely absorbed and engrossed in their work.

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Methodology
This research journey is conducted through a practice-based
methodology. I have been using design as a method to visualize
spiritual change and self-reflection through physical practices and
this is illustrated in the research. I am contemplating my own work
and understanding based on the reflection on myself. I conducted my
research through practice and through a series of experiments with
the design materials.I am using a range of design methods, including
making, handcrafting, sketching, writing, photography, filming, voice
recording, and mapping.

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Methods

Making and Handcrafting: Design through making is aimed at
research through design, and the process of hands-on making
fosters critical design developments. Moreover, to fully experience
the natural harshness in tones in the materials, this comes out
through handcrafting repetitive patterns and irregular forms.
This connects with spirituality, the growth of the inner self, and
phenomenology.
Sketching: Design ideas show up anytime, anywhere, and especially
in dreams. The method of putting ideas down on paper is always an
experience of an explosion of idea iterations. Sketching is a way to
quickly visualize the design model in a 2D version. Then, you adjust
the ideas based on how it should be presented.
Writing: Writing down my self-reflections and thoughts about life is
a way to evoke poetic expressions. If I have the problem of lacking
vocabulary, I try to describe your feelings in your first language, no
matter how many words are needed.
Photograph/ filming: A way of documenting the whole journey. The
documentation part shows another way of comprehending aesthetics.
The composition, colour scheme, and shooting style all affect and
inform the presentation of the final work.
Voice recording: A spiritual communication with nature and body
movement just through audio recording. When I concentrate on
a single sensory experience, it helps me to be more focused on
the environment and provoke unique reflection. Every time I listen
back to the recording, it provides a new form of understanding and
reflection.
Mapping: A way to organize the research system and see the
connections within each field of practice. Seeing the linear and
spatial relations of each category.
I wish to explore a visual language for poetic furniture and design
in a more ideal spiritual, inspiring presentation. I relish working with
physical materials, which has been enhanced through my schooling.
Nevertheless, the impulsive passion of having visual communication
documenting this journey leads me to use interactive methods to
reflect on my research comprehensively.

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Chapter 1: My practice as a furniture designer
Understanding my design language
Design is present in every part of culture and society, enabling the
interconnection of all of constitutive elements at all levels, reshaping
forms of living through material objects (Adriana Ionascu, 2009).

Poetic design offers a lens through which to look at how to design—
in addition, it also articulates something higher than life. It not only
meets our physical requirements, but it can also additionally provide
a vehicle for spiritual pursuits. For designers, the composition of
each work is a reflection of ideas rooted in a specific time and place.
Creativity entails finding the balance between the old elements,
methods, and new ideas. The goal of this investigation is to develop
this poetic design approach and find an aesthetic balance, as well as
new design concepts across art, craft, and design. A further objective
is to create furniture design that aptly combines both artistic pursuits
and commercial realities.
Design is not only about designing form, but also exploring the
fundamental elements of life, speaking to the relationships between
people, the environment, and things. Our surroundings are all
designed, but people and the environment can coexist harmoniously.
This is where the beauty of consciousness in design emerges.
I value the words of Kenya Hara (2019, p.42), who said "the simple
style in the design is not present at the beginning, but a simple style is
developed when the craftsmanship has developed to a certain level".

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“Thinking needs time, feeling doesn’t need time”
– Naoto Fukasawa 2015.
Design is clearly affected by market demand, yet it is indispensable
to pursue a pure purpose with regards to design and let it also
enhance self-value and spiritual enrichment. The overemphasis on
materialism in our current time is leading people to denigrate or
disregard what is actually valuable. The real enjoyable moments
for a designer come from their emotional and spiritual responses
and engagement with their work, which generates joy, fulfillment,
health, and honest expression (Yanagi, 2013). This is similar to the
idea of traditional Chinese "WangQi 望气 .” To elaborate, one can
assert that a piece of land, an object, or an artifact all have their
own auras. Additionally, the person who makes the object, and the
person who observes the object also have their own auras. These
auras influence each other, and the person's aura is reflected on
the object (and through it), whereby a nourishing relationship is
established and an engaging experience is facilitated. The beauty
of time which marks the object is much more beautiful than its
original look (Fukusawa & Morrison, 2007). Design is tied to place
and personal experience. Design is not limited to its principles. It
can also be a receptacle for memories, conveying the personal
style of the designer. Further, design represents a distinct moment
and set of thoughts and ideas courtesy of the designer.

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Discovering the value of the poetic
The word poetry “derives from the ancient word poiētēs…[poiētēs
which has a different meaning from today.] It meant ‘to make’, and was
simultaneously understood to mean both the ‘construction of beauty’, and
the ‘beauty of construction’” (Rafael, 2018). The beauty of making is to
construct a conversation between the maker and the materials. Then this
conversation becomes poiētēs.
I first became interested in the spiritual engagement with furniture in
my undergraduate design project called, Cloud. 行雲茶几 (figure 2.12.5) In this project, I have experienced the satisfaction of externalizing
inner feelings through furniture design and the presentation and curation
of the attendant materials. Cloud provides a tea-making surface for
users to have a spiritual engagement with presence, while visualizing
the beauty of water flow through a tea ceremony. The color scheme,
material choices and form was inspired by the traditional Chinese Taoism
landed in the idea of Yin and Yang (Embajada de la Republica Popular
China en Venezuela, n.d.). I found myself constantly attracted to furniture
design because of its intimate connection to our daily and personal lives.
Subsequently, I decided to continue my design career within the field of
furniture design.

Figure 2.1 Cloud. Designed by A. Tian, Undergraduate work, Walnut-Beach-Steel, 2020

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Figure 2.2 Operation of table Cloud. Undergraduate work, Shot by A. Tian, Walnut-Beach-Steel, 2020

Figure 2.3 Operation of table Cloud. Undergraduate work, Shot by A. Tian, Walnut-Beach-Steel, 2020

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Figure 2.4 Details of table Cloud. Undergraduate work, Shot by A. Tian, Walnut-Beach-Steel, 2020

Figure 2.5 Cloud. Undergraduate work, Designed by A. Tian, Walnut-Beach-Steel, 2020

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The exploration of concepts of the nature of existence, time and
space is the main driving force of poetic design; expressing one's
point of view through the inspiring arrangement of objects and
interiors. To some, expressing the sublime in material may seem
paradoxical, but I believe that, like Chinese Chan3 禅 , truth can be
contained in paradoxes and ambiguities.
I have always enjoyed exploring my design ideas through lighting.
Lighting not only shows the mysterious beauty of nature but also
contains a rich spiritual world, which accommodates our thoughts and
feelings and beautiful yearnings. Lighting up the light also creates a
better and better healing environment. I am always curious to look for
the balance between natural and artificial in light and shadow, and
through it seek a poetic expression (figure 3.1-3.5).
Furniture design for me is not limited to tables, chairs or cabinets. It’s
about the environment designed for people to enjoy personal space,
design for others, and design for ourselves. It shows what we want to
express and how we see the world through our projects and tries to
give an insight to the experiencers.

Chinese Chan3 : "literally means 'the practice of reflecting.' ... we use the expression 'the practice of looking deeply'"(Nhat
Hanh, 2021)

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Figure 3.1 The poetic way of natural combination with lights. By A. Tian, 2021

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Figure 3.2 The poetic way of natural combination with lights. By A. Tian, 2021

Figure 3.3 The poetic way of natural combination with lights. By A. Tian, 2021

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Figure 3.4 The poetic way of natural combination with lights. By A. Tian, 2021

Figure 3.5 A beam of light. Hand crafted by A. Tian, 2020

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The role of furniture design in shaping the home environment

Furniture design is intimatly close to people's everyday lives. It is possible
to build up a suitable living environment and a comfortable resting place
with furniture since people are roughly spending around 41 years at their
homes (Beetown, 2018). To a large extent, the form, the arrangement,
and the style of furniture is like icing on a cake in the material residence
of home and enriches the intimate sense of home.
Taking Ming-style furniture as an example (figure 4), the shape, lines
and aesthetics of Ming-style furniture are all reflecting the spirit of
craftsmen. The aesthetics behind the screen carries the interpretation
and expression of Chinese literati temperament, and also contain the
spiritual concept of simplicity and elegance. The simple colour and
texture, exquisite mortise and tenon technique add a layer of elegance
and peacefulness to the environment; According to Zuo (2020), this also
has certain significance in the current new Chinese furniture industry.

Figure 4 Zen Chair, padauk, Ming Dynasty 16-17 Century

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In this fast-paced era, there are too many things that make us lose sight
of the essence and disturb our minds. How do we keep a clear heart
and get along with the world. In order to maintain the purity and focus of
the heart, many people continue to seek a life that is pure and abandon
material desires to achieve a soulful simplicity (Kempton, 2018). What
exactly are people pursuing in their life? The Chinese Wise Zhuge Liang
said in the "Jie Zi Shu" (128 AD): "you can’t clarify your aspirations unless
your heart is quiet with few desires; you can’t define further goals unless
you’re free of external interference. ( 非淡泊无以明志，非宁静无以致远 )"

Designers design using their own cultural and formal language. Traditional
idioms are then incorporated and re-imagined in contemporary ways.
The Danish designer, Hans Wegner, took inspiration from the Chinese
Suzhou chair to create the Wishbone Chair (figure 5). This has become
his representative work. The wishbone chair takes inspiration from Ming
furniture and re-imagines the back and changes the arch to a "Y" shape
(Wegner, n.d.).

Figure 5 Hans J. Wegner, Wishbone chair, solid wood and the hand-woven paper cord seat, 1949

As a furniture designer, I wish to use my own cultural affiliations and
ideas as integral to my design, in both formal and a referential way. At
the moment when the demand for poetic designs continues to grow. In
these times of identity definition, the Poetic design method offers a way
to think about the merging of the traditional and the contemporary.

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Chapter 2: Poetic design: an articulation 		
My poetic provenances

“A body of water itself is often seen as a calming and cleansing
entity, with an ability to fulfil our senses and provoke emotions
recalled from memory” (Ruby, 2015). Poetic design is proposed
to awaken people's desire for cultural reality, and at the same
time, it can awaken the original emotional expression in people's
hearts.

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Everyday Aesthetic

Figure 6 Everyday Aesthetics, discover from the nature and hand draw on paper by A. Tian, 2020

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My own ideas of poetic thinking are informed in many ways by my cultural
heritage. Part of this is the ways in which aesthetic principles like ‘Da Dao Zhi
Jian’, which find many similarities with the Japanese principles of Wabi-Sabi,
and modernist minimalism are integral to my daily life. Wabi Sabi is one way of
celebrating the practice of everyday living. In oiental meditation culture, it suggests
respecting nature, the principle of respecting reality, advocating a natural, elegant
and simple lifestyle, and returning to the original state of aesthetic consciousness.
To practice oneself through meditation and epiphany, to provide a kind of casual
beauty and a kind of pure values. A wabi-sabi lens can inspire us to embrace
soulful simplicity and treasure what we already have.
Wabi Sabi aesthetics suggests a cohesive moment. It is not just about reducing
objects in a space. Empty is more deliberately removing some elements that
attract people's attention so that people can put their attention in one place,
this place is more cohesive, while other places are empty; this allows people to
naturally open up their imagination and make up the remaining scenes (Hara,
2019).
There are countless ugly designs in the contemporary era. The main reason for
this is that these creations and designs are produced without establishing proper
aesthetics (Yanagi, 2013). Therefore, as we create design, the establishment of
an authentic aesthetic framework should be the first priority. Aesthetics was born
in different historical and geographical backgrounds. Each aesthetic has its own
unique charm and reflects different cultural backgrounds. Moreover, everyday
aesthetics can fit into and appeal to a great range of cultural backgrounds and
touchstones.
To me, in design (and in other realms) relationships are always two-way streets;
some are nourishing, some are damaging, and they travel in more than one
direction. In building a furniture design project, the trick is to find a nourishing
relationship between you as a designer and your project. A healthy relationship
should be the object nourishing its user, just like a jade product that becomes
shinier through time and people respond to that. This suggests conceptualizing
design practices like Yin and Yang relationships, keeping balance but also
constantly upgrading and evolving, which leads subsequently to the next chapter:
Design as XIUXING.

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Figure 7.1 The feeling Shot by A. Tian, 2022

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Figure 7.2 The feeling Shot by A. Tian, 2021

Figure 7.3 The feeling Shot by A. Tian, 2021

Figure 7.4 The feeling Shot by A. Tian, 2021

Figure 7.5 The feeling Shot by A. Tian, 2021

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Cultural paradigms - Xiuxing
Life is a process of continuous practice. The word "XIUXING ( 修行 )"
comes from Chuang Tsu. The practice of life is the cultivation of the
mind. The success of a practice is to have the ability to face all kinds
of situations in life with a clear heart. With the integration of Buddhism
and Taoism, the meaning of practice has become more abundant. At
present, our way of life is rapidly changed by technological products such
as artificial intelligence, and the practice in life has evolved into how we
face various situations in life with our purest intention. Looking at the
profession of a designer from this perspective, the idea and output of
every product design is a precious and interesting practice in our lives.
In 2012, architectural designer Yue Meng and others directly put forward
the practical concept of "praising life with design and perfecting life with
practice". It can be seen that in the past, many designers in the industry
have linked design and practice as a parallel connection. Under today's
increasingly impetuous society, it has provided a reference for many
design practitioners.
A piece of design is actually a reflection of one's personality, and at
the same time, the process of each design is also the tempering and
polishing of the designers themselves. XIUXING is an inclusive attitude
towards beings. For people themselves, it is to achieve reconciliation
with themselves and to bring themselves into a state of peace and joy.
Therefore, it is necessary for every designer to find their own way of
design expressions or in other words, design pursuit. What the person
needs to do is to focus, be attentive, explore the engaging moment
in each design process, keep themselves with the original intention of
the self-purity design, and finally build up their own design concept.
Zen is the abbreviation of Dhyana in Sanskrit, which is translated as
concentration. The meditation process suggests thinking quietly, to me,
it’s a self-reflecting process that requires a deeper connection of one’s
spirit and the universe. This involves a state of mind, which requires one's
own experience and comprehension. (Zhang, Xiao & Li, n.d.)
Everyday life is XIUXING—it offers me the understanding of my own
growth as a designer—and my development from a practiced skill to
a technical capacity, to finally a more authentic way of integrating my
personhood into my design in an intentional and conscious way. It has
been very interesting to see the hidden connections emerging through
this journey.

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Figure 8 Chinese calligraphy of XIUXING, hand wrote by A. Tian, 2022

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My personal Manifesto: a poetic approach
The visual presentation level of design is responsible for the transmission
of beauty and meaning. For a specific type of design, drawing inspiration
from poetic expression, the creation of forms for design should be one of
the very interesting creative methods. For design works to convey poetic
flavour,
I think there should be three cores:
1. Unique meaning creation (thus stimulating and touching people's
emotions and hearts)
2. Beautiful formal language and (beyond daily) highly refined expressions.
3. Poetic design respects asperity, irregularity, and imperfections that
happen during the process.

Figure 9 Poetic Approach, hand carved by A. Tian, 2020

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I yearn for a poetic life, where I can have relatively free space to
express my aesthetic ideas and lifestyle. What I define as poetic is an
ethereal state of mind that can rely on material expression. Although it
can rely on material manifestations, it is essentially a kind of lookingup pursuit when a person finds their own values and comfortable way
of showing their aesthetic opinions. Combining poetry and design to
create the lifestyle we want, while expressing our inner aspirations,
should be the meaning of poetic design.
Furniture design is an art form. Furniture is not merely utilitarian or
based on functionality. The artistry of furniture is articulated through
the process of using it. Humans give life to furniture, and the soul of
furniture is provided and imbued by designers. Furniture plays a pivotal
role in the indoor environment. Furniture can organize and divide the
space, construct the indoor space environment, strengthen the overall
style of the interior design, and create a good atmosphere for the
indoor space. It is a fundamental feature of living environments.
Before designing a work, we need to clarify our design pursuit, which
is also the core of this element - poetry. Poetry should be more of an
aesthetic pursuit. The poetic methods convert the designer’s sensory
understanding through material into an object form. Poetry in every
individual's heart is different, and this makes for the poetic diversity
seeing in design. It is often a challenge for designers to present
this inner desire through specific design objects (materials, forms,
textures, patterns), but when it is done, it is a kind of breakthrough
(figure 9.1-9.2).
The beauty of the texture of furniture products is mainly reflected in
technology, nature, social, and human factors. Therefore, the texture
in furniture design will directly affect the style of the furniture and the
consumer’s feelings about it. A good article of furniture cannot be
separated from the aesthetic theory behind it. In summary, the beauty
of furniture design comes from the unity of form, colour, texture,
material, and style.

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Figure 9.1 The texture test crafted by A. Tian, 2021

Figure 9.2 Authentic presentation, ceramic craft by A. Tian, 2021

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Chapter 3: The Poetic Practice: Evidencing the
expression of the practice
Project 1: Guqin Table
Keith Richards once said, “the greatest thing about song writing,
it’s not an intellectual experience” (Rafael, 2018). The same as
designing, releasing the freedom to make and communicating
with materials, free from intellectual procedures.
This research journey has been designed intentionally
to experience the purification and substantial aesthetic
presentation of furniture design, which can show the deeper
meanings of furniture pieces through a simple and functional
exterior (Wegner, n.d.). The process of making is a way that
the designer conveys the concept within the product itself.
Designing without thought in the poetic design theory is meant
to fully transcribe intentional feelings, giving everyday objects
their value and character, which is textured and imprinted by
the influence of temporality. The body of work can demonstrate
these singular representations through the materials, like what
I have explored in the studio practices (figure 10). Lastly,
handcrafting gives great flexibility to the surface or form and
can draw out these aforementioned feelings.

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Figure 10 crafting the bench surface on poplar by A. Tian, 2021

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I appreciate the surprises that the materials bring to me. The pattern
that each piece of wood shows after passing through the jointer
planer affects my thinking, similar to opening a wrapped present or
gift. I truly enjoy providing a display platform for every piece of the
beautiful wood panels. Poplar has this aesthetic sense of beauty in its
softness and multi-colour integration. I enjoy the change in the shop
that happens on my design decision as each material has a special
conversation with me. I respect the nature of the materials and the
language written on their body through time. Also, the conversation
happens between me and a piece of poplar. I named it “river with
shore”. It is like a hard disk of my memory that recorded my thoughts
and experiences of that time and place.
Making furniture is the way I would like to explore and build my
design philosophy. Additionally, other kinds of design can also fit
in parallel personal contexts. The design of this table follows the
slender characteristics of the traditional Chinese stringed instrument,
a guqin (figure 11.1), and provides two different mentalities. The two
mentalities refer to the rotation of the table surface; on one side it is
a normal flat surface, while, on the other side, there is a large fillet on
the surface which provides a more relaxing, smoothing surface. This
prototype was designed to shift between the working surface and the
meditative surface (figure 11.2-11.3).
“Objects are more than mere material possessions and tools because
of the meaning users bestow on them: every object is designed,
but some objects challenge ordinary perceptions about the way
users experience the environment, and involve a different kind of
‘consumption’... they communicate the values they bear and involve
the user in their interpretation” (Adriana Ionascu, 2009, p.18). The
time and experience that is engendered between the design and its
user is a two-way relationship that moves beyond material values,
which is phenomenology in action.

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Figure 11.1 Picture of Chinese GuQin in traditional art, 2012

Poetic Design · 诗意设计 - 37

Figure 11.2 Pictures of the table by A. Tian, 2021

38 - Poetic Design · 诗意设计

Figure 11.3 Pictures of Weiwei Li operating of the table by A. Tian, 2021

Poetic Design · 诗意设计 - 39

Figure 11.4 Pictures of manufacturing table and model Yun Xiao by A. Tian, 2021

40 - Poetic Design · 诗意设计

Project 2: Lanhai 澜海

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes.
Art is knowing which ones to keep.”
- Scott Adams (n.d.)

Figure 12.1 Project Lanhai close look, photo by Yun Xiao, 2022

Poetic Design · 诗意设计 - 41

It is also believed that life should be an art form, and it can be viewed
in artistic dimensions. I do believe aesthetics are grounded in the
various rituals of everyday life, which resonates with Frank Gehry’s idea:
“expression is essential in architecture; buildings cannot be faceless,
like in modernism. Thus, he approaches each building as a sculptural
object, each piece of architecture as a painting” (Poursani, 2018, p.80).
Furniture represents a wave of lifestyles and shows the different stories
of the designers. I do believe furniture's function is not only limited to
the material; it can also speak to the spiritual in our everyday lives. I
believe people will be seeing the rich cultural and spiritual connotations
of furniture as I keep developing in the poetic design practices.
The project, Lanhai , transcribes the ideas and beliefs of poetic design
in an intentional material way. It voices a bridge between past and
future, utilitarian and crafty furniture integration, and the inner and
outer self of design understandings. It was inspired by a walk at the
Whiterock Beach, where natural aesthetics bloom in everyday life and
in natural environs. There are a few vague figures scattered on the
beach, some chasing each other, some whispering, and some lying on
the beach, all enjoying this wonderful moment. The sea rippled, turning
up the waves one by one, caressing the soft sand like a mother. I like
to walk along the seaside like this, to appreciate the breath of the sea,
the deep affection of the sea, and the heart of the sea. Finally, the
rolling tide of the sea washes the surface of the land back and forth,
leaving her with a natural texture.
The Makai light is fully using the leftover material of the project lanhai.
They come from the same inspiration but creates under different state
of mind. The impression of the ocean is transcribed in a poetic and
meditative process through making.

42 - Poetic Design · 诗意设计

Figure 12.2 White Rock Beach, shot by A.Tian 2021

Poetic Design · 诗意设计 - 43

Figure 12.3 The Lanhai chair, walnut, photo by Yun Xiao, 2022

44 - Poetic Design · 诗意设计

Figure 12.4 The Makai light, walnut and LED light, photo by A. Tian, 2022

Poetic Design · 诗意设计 - 45

The design changes again based on the material properties and
aesthetical effects. I respect the conversations between me and each
parts of the wood panels. Maintaining the natural beauty and applying
my stories with it. It is an aesthetic model based on nature. Through
the artistry and aesthetic ideal of space, it reflects the perceptual
atmosphere of the art of life. In such an environment, return to the
original heart and awaken the original emotional expression in the heart.
The poetry in everyone’s heart is not the same, and this difference
constitutes another kind of poetry. Chinese historian and poet Wang
Guowei said: "Those who can write the scenery and true feelings are said
to have a realm. Both the physical state and the state of mind belong
to the state" (n.d.). Poetry is the resonance of the human heart and the
realm of the world, and it is the emotion that fluids the mouth, eyes, ears
and heart. It arises from objects and thrives with thoughts. Once these
memories and emotions in the heart are just like in front of us even if
they're not, it becomes poetic.

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Figure 12.5 The Lanhai chair, walnut, photo by Yun Xiao, 2022

Poetic Design · 诗意设计 - 47

Figure 12.6 The Lanhai chair with side stool, walnut, photo by A. Tian, 2022

48 - Poetic Design · 诗意设计

Conclusion

The purpose of this study was to define my understanding of design
poetics as a way to appreciate everyday aesthetics and to explore the
concept of Xiuxing. Poetic design is a kind of attitude that leads us to
a healthy lifestyle. It is a perspective that states the most transparent
part of our design approach. This study aimed to analyze the position
of poetic design within everyday design practices and experiment with
its form, theories, and characteristics, which set it apart from other
disciplines of contemporary design.
This research has shown a series of design research in various
areas, including lighting, material testing, handcrafting, texture and
form explorations, etc., to show how I use this poetic design theory
to express the understandings and feelings in the presentation of
material reality. The emotional value added to the designs created
in the poetic design theory is bridging the connections between
the designer, user and the object. As such, I envisaged that poetic
objects support a different category of living practices and develop
experiences that diversify the practice of everyday life.
As our demand for material culture increases, our way of life has
undergone tremendous changes due to technological development and
the influence of ideas. I believe that people’s choice of products will
gradually change from satisfying practical functions to more spiritual
in the future. There are four types of value in objects as Dant's (1999)
research determined: the use-value, the exchange-value, the symbolic
value and the sign value, each influenced by what is signified by them
in a culture (p.51). Drawing inspiration from daily life, paying attention
to the connotation of things, pursuing the design concept of spiritual
simplicity allow us to advocate combining poetry and design - poetic
design.
In this design process, the conception and output of a product design
are precious and Xiuxing in the designer’s life. Each designer explores
their own style in the design, practices with design, and finally forms
a design concept. During this process, the designer constantly
reaches reconciliation with themself, which most designers will go
through Xiuxing or “sedimentation.” Any mature design needs to go
through a period of precipitation and review; on this path, designers
need to constantly reflect on themselves, infuse with aesthetics and
materials, see the poetic sense brought by the authenticity of material
expression, and constantly reflect on themselves.

Poetic Design · 诗意设计 - 49

Especially for furniture designers, furniture is not only an important tool
in human life but also a figurative expression of family culture. In order to
design a product that satisfies ourselves and consumers maybe, we need
to integrate the aesthetical design philosophies into life and continue to
innovate on it, to continuously summarize and obtain more experience,
to express furniture design poetically, to design a special furniture style
presents us and meet the aesthetic of contemporary era and promote the
continuous progress of the industry.
As an oriental product designer, I have always wanted to seek a special
design platform to reflect my story and my life, find a balance between
my artistic pursuit and commercial reality, and establish a nourishing
relationship with furniture design, which is the main pursuit of my
research.

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List of figures

Figure 1.1 Emily Carr University of Art and Design on Granville Island, 2017
Figure 1.2 Emily Carr University of Art and Design at Great Northern Way - INDD Studio,
2017
Figure 2.1 Cloud. Undergraduate work, Designed by A. Tian, Walnut-Beach-Steel, 2020
Figure 2.2 Operation of table Cloud. Undergraduate work, Shot by A. Tian, Walnut-BeachSteel, 2020
Figure 2.3 Operation of table Cloud. Undergraduate work, Shot by A. Tian, Walnut-BeachSteel, 2020
Figure 2.4 Details of table Cloud. Undergraduate work, Shot by A. Tian, Walnut-BeachSteel, 2020
Figure 2.5 Details of table Cloud. Undergraduate work, Shot by A. Tian, Walnut-BeachSteel, 2020
Figure 3.1 The poetic way of natural combination with lights. By A. Tian, 2021
Figure 3.2 The poetic way of natural combination with lights. By A. Tian, 2021
Figure 3.3 The poetic way of natural combination with lights. By A. Tian, 2021
Figure 3.4 The poetic way of natural combination with lights. By A. Tian, 2021
Figure 3.5 A beam of light. Hand crafted by A. Tian, 2020
Figure 4 Zen Chair, padauk, Ming Dynasty 16-17 Century
Figure 5 Hans J. Wegner, Wishbone chair, solid wood and the hand-woven paper cord
seat, 1949
Figure 6 Everyday Aesthetics, discover from the nature and hand draw on paper by A.
Tian, 2020
Figure 7.1 The feeling Shot by A. Tian, 2022
Figure 7.2 The feeling Shot by A. Tian, 2021
Figure 7.3 The feeling Shot by A. Tian, 2021
Figure 7.4 The feeling Shot by A. Tian, 2021
Figure 7.5 The feeling Shot by A. Tian, 2021
Figure 8 Chinese calligraphy of XIUXING, hand wrote by A. Tian, 2022
Figure 9.1 The texture test crafted by A. Tian, 2021
Figure 9.2 Authentic presentation, ceramic craft by A. Tian, 2021
Figure 10 crafting the bench surface on poplar by A. Tian, 2021
Figure 11.1 Pictures of Chinese GuQin in traditional art, 2012
Figure 11.2 Pictures of the table by A. Tian, 2021
Figure 11.3 Pictures of Weiwei Li operating of the table by A. Tian, 2021
Figure 11.4 Pictures of manufacturing table and model Yun Xiao by A. Tian, 2021
Figure 12.1 Project Lanhai close look, photo by Yun Xiao, 2022
Figure 12.2 White Rock Beach, shot by A.Tian 2021
Figure 12.3 The Lanhai chair, walnut, photo by Yun Xiao, 2022
Figure 12.4 The Makai light, walnut and LED light, photo by A. Tian, 2022
Figure 12.5 The Lanhai chair, walnut, photo by Yun Xiao, 2022
Figure 12.6 The Lanhai chair with side stool, walnut, photo by A. Tian, 2022

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Emily Carr University of Art and Design
Vancouver, British Columbia
© Jiayu Tian 2022

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