Defining My Personal Aesthetic
My personal aesthetic is an intersection of futurism, cyberpunk, and kinetic self-expression, blending elements of high-tech wearables with bold, attention-grabbing visuals. The CyberCrystal Vest, my main project, is a direct embodiment of this aesthetic, which melds LED driven interactivity, crystalline inspired geometric forms, and punk-inspired fashion to create a piece that both reacts to movement and enhances personal expression.
At its core, my aesthetic is about being in sync with my environment—especially in spaces that emphasize music, rhythm, and personal style. I’m an avid fan of raves and festivals, where fashion is more than just clothing; it’s an extension of identity, movement, and atmosphere. The CyberCrystal Vest is my way of amplifying that experience, turning motion into a visualized rhythm, an effect that allows me to feel connected to the music and the energy of the crowd.
Influences from Design Movements
My aesthetic draws heavily from Futurism and Cyberpunk, both of which embrace themes of technological evolution, motion, and human-machine interaction.
- 20th Century Design Movement Inspiration:
- Futurism (1909-1944): Originally an art and cultural movement, Futurism emphasized speed, dynamism, and modern technology. It celebrated movement as an essential part of design, which directly connects to the kinetic nature of the CyberCrystal Vest; the LED shimmer effects respond to movement, reinforcing the idea of motion as an art form.
- Modern Design Movement Inspiration:
- Cyberpunk (1980s-Present): Cyberpunk is rooted in dystopian, high tech, lowlife aesthetics, often featuring glowing neon lights, tech-integrated fashion, and rebellion against convention. The black vest, chains, and LED crystal spikes tie into cyberpunk fashion, evoking a look that feels like a future club-wear adaptation of punk’s DIY spirit.
The merging of these two aesthetics results in a design that feels both futuristic and personal, with an emphasis on tech-enhanced self-expression with a high-energy, interactive execution.
Environmental and Personal Inspirations
Beyond design history, my aesthetic has been shaped by my personal experiences. Growing up, I was always drawn to music, rhythm, and electronics, and these interests naturally blended into the way I view fashion and design. Some key influences include:
- Festivals are about self-expression, movement, and light, and I’ve always been drawn to the way outfits are designed to stand out under neon and strobe lighting. The Cybercrystal Vest takes this idea further, turning body movement into an interactive light show.
- I’ve worked on many LED and microcontroller projects, but I wanted to branch into wearable tech, experimenting with fabric, sensors, and motion-based interactivity. This project gives me the chance to expand my skill set while staying true to my love for electronic design.
- I’ve always been fascinated by how light and sound interact, whether it’s through my time VJing and laser design, music production, or LED projects that react to beats. The Cybercrystal Vest takes this a step further—it becomes a personal visualizer that reacts in real time to my dancing and movements.
- The crystals, however, are connected to my childhood hobby of geology and rock collection, thus connecting my project to various cornerstones of my life.
Project Execution & Aesthetic Alignment
The Cybercrystal Vest is already underway, and I have no plans to stray from this aesthetic. The design is built on three key elements:
- The Black Vest & Chains: The base is an intimidating, punk-inspired vest that ties into cyberpunk street fashion. The addition of chains adds a rebellious, industrial feel, making it edgy and futuristic at the same time.
- Crystal Spikes with LEDs: The crystals on the back are illuminated from beneath, shimmering like holographic prisms when inactive. Once movement is detected, the vest shifts color in reaction—first an outward ripple of orange-yellow light, then, if movement continues, it builds into an aggressive pulsing red. This gives the vest a reactive, almost living quality.
- Microcontroller and Sensor Integration: Using a vibration sensor, the LEDs shift based on movement. This makes the vest inherently performative, acting as a wearable extension of my energy and presence in a crowd.
This aesthetic is exactly what I wanted to create—a wearable piece that responds to movement, feels futuristic, and enhances self-expression in an interactive way.
Looking Ahead
Since I’ve already been working on the Cybercrystal Vest, I’ll be continuing to refine its electronics and fabrication rather than changing its aesthetic. However, I am open to augmenting it further—maybe exploring:
- Additional Lighting Effects: Incorporating sound-reactive elements that respond to bass frequencies.
- Material Adjustments: Experimenting with different fabrics or semi-transparent overlays to diffuse the LEDs more dynamically.
- Expanding the Concept: Creating matching accessories (like glowing gloves or a headpiece) to fully embody the Cybercrystal aesthetic.
This project is an opportunity to push my skills with wearable electronics, while creating something that truly represents my personal aesthetic. The Cybercrystal Vest isn’t just clothing—it’s an interactive experience, a fusion of rhythm, technology, and self-expression, and something that will let me stand out in any crowd.
4 Comments. Leave new
I think this is a great project Danny! I really like how you defined the dynamic component of this project with interactive lights. I think this creates movement in a very unique way that goes outside of the box. I also think the cyberpunk aesthetic is perfect for this design, as it can utilize the neon LEDs and futuristic feel. I think your work with sensors will be very interesting and possibly challenging. What are some of the main problems you might predict running into with calibrating your sensors?
Thanks! I’m glad you think the interactive lights add a unique dynamic—it was definitely a big part of what I wanted to achieve with this project. The cyberpunk aesthetic really lends itself well to the neon LEDs, and I’m excited to see how it all comes together. As for the sensor calibration, one challenge I anticipate is fine-tuning the sensitivity of the vibration sensor—I want it to respond to movement accurately without being too sensitive or too delayed. Another potential issue is filtering out unwanted noise, since continuous movement should trigger a different effect than a single impact. I’ll likely have to tweak the threshold values in the code and maybe even add damping material to refine the response.
I absolutely adore your project plans! It sounds like an ambitious project that blends your aesthetic and interests together. I can’t wait to see the final piece.
I’m curious about is your decision to make the LED colors orange-yellow and red. I’ve always associated Cyberpunk with blue city lights and cool-toned colors, so I wanted to know what influenced your decision to use warmer colors?
Thanks so much! I’m really excited to see it come together too. That’s a great question about the LED color choices—while blue and cool tones are definitely a staple of the cyberpunk aesthetic, I wanted to go for something more energetic and aggressive to match the dynamic movement-based interaction of the vest. The orange-yellow ripple represents an initial pulse of energy, almost like a shockwave, while the red pulsing effect during continuous movement gives off an intense, almost warning-like feel—kind of like a system overheating or going into overdrive. I also think red can feel more rebellious and high-energy, which ties into the punk side of cyberpunk