Japanese product philosophy demands that good products satisfy both aesthetic and functional requirements—neither alone suffices. Beautiful products that don’t function fail; functional products that are ugly fail. This integration is not decoration added to function but inherent design quality where aesthetic and functional dimensions emerge from the same decisions. Form follows function in ways that make functional products beautiful; beauty enhances use and appreciation of function.
Traditional arts provide models: the tea bowl both beautiful and functional, where beauty serves tea drinking and proper function enhances aesthetics. Japanese product aesthetics value restraint, proportion, material harmony, and contextual fitness. When working with Japanese developers, understand that aesthetic quality is expected alongside functional achievement.
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