Patrick's Work II

A Call for New Aesthetics

Beyond Bauhaus: A Vision for 21st Century Design

Patrick Collison has become a prominent voice calling for a fundamental rethinking of contemporary design aesthetics. His critique centers on the dominance of Bauhaus-inspired modernism and the need for richer, more ambitious visual languages for the modern era.

The New Aesthetics Initiative

Through the website newaesthetics.art[13], Patrick articulates a vision for moving beyond the minimalist, functionalist design language that has dominated the past century. The initiative challenges designers and builders to explore new visual vocabularies that are appropriate for our technological age.

The Bauhaus Legacy

The Bauhaus school, founded in 1919, established principles that still shape design today: "form follows function," clean lines, minimal ornamentation, and the integration of art and industrial production. While revolutionary for its time, Patrick argues that we've been operating under this aesthetic framework for over a century—perhaps too long.

Why New Aesthetics Matter

The world has transformed dramatically since the Bauhaus era. We now live in an age of:

  • Digital interfaces and virtual environments
  • Advanced materials and manufacturing techniques
  • Computational design and generative systems
  • Global interconnection and cultural exchange
  • Climate consciousness and sustainability imperatives

Yet our design language hasn't evolved proportionally. We're still largely constrained by aesthetic frameworks developed for the industrial age.

The Vision: Richness, Craft, and Beauty

Patrick's call for new aesthetics isn't about rejecting minimalism entirely—it's about expanding our visual vocabulary to match the complexity and possibilities of our era. This connects directly to his emphasis on craft and beauty in Stripe's work.

Computational Craft

Leveraging computational tools to create design languages that would be impossible through traditional methods—parametric forms, generative patterns, and dynamic systems.

Material Innovation

Exploring new materials and fabrication techniques that enable entirely new aesthetic possibilities—from advanced composites to sustainable bio-materials.

Cultural Synthesis

Drawing from diverse global aesthetic traditions rather than being bound by Western modernist conventions—creating truly global design languages.

Environmental Harmony

Developing aesthetics that reflect our relationship with nature and sustainability—moving beyond the industrial era's separation of human and natural environments.

Implications for Technology

This vision has particular relevance for technology companies. Patrick has spoken about how software interfaces, websites, and digital products have converged on a narrow set of aesthetic choices—often driven more by convention than intention.

"Beauty has a value and a morality of itself. We think there is a business value for Stripe and everything like that to attempt to create things that are beautiful. But even if none of those things were true, it is more enjoyable on a day-to-day basis to work with a team where that is a focus."

— John Collison[20]

Practical Applications

At Stripe, this philosophy manifests in multiple ways:

  • API Design: Creating developer interfaces that are not just functional but elegant and pleasurable to use.
  • Documentation: Treating documentation as a craft, with careful attention to typography, layout, and clarity.
  • Product Interfaces: Building tools that feel crafted rather than merely assembled.
  • Physical Spaces: Designing offices and workspaces that inspire and energize rather than simply house workers.

A Multi-Decade Vision

The Collison brothers think in decades. John notes: "If you want to be putting many years against a problem and seeing those returns to tenure, then it'll also make duration easier because it's more satisfying working on something beautiful than something not"[20].

This long-term perspective allows them to invest in craft and beauty even when the immediate business case isn't obvious. They believe that over time, quality compounds—teams that care about excellence attract others who care about excellence, creating a virtuous cycle.

The Broader Cultural Movement

Patrick's call for new aesthetics is part of a larger cultural conversation about progress, ambition, and excellence. It connects to:

Progress Studies

Understanding what drives civilizational advancement and how to accelerate it.

Institutional Innovation

Creating new organizational structures that enable long-term thinking and ambitious goals.

Craft Revival

Recovering the importance of mastery, expertise, and attention to detail in all domains.

Optimistic Futurism

Believing that we can build a better future through intentional design and ambitious action.

The Challenge

Patrick's call for new aesthetics is ultimately a call to be more ambitious—to not settle for inherited frameworks simply because they're familiar. It challenges designers, builders, and creators to ask: What aesthetic language is appropriate for our age? What would design look like if we optimized for beauty, sustainability, and human flourishing rather than just efficiency and cost reduction?

The answer will be found not in manifestos but in the accumulated work of practitioners who take these questions seriously—who treat their craft as a craft and strive to create things worthy of the possibilities of our era.