Technozen Aesthetic

We all are of course familiar with the Frutiger Aero aesthetic. But what if we told you that there is a Japanese counterpart that particularly captured the time period when their sophisticated technology was at it's most prevalent. I'm of course talking about that calm, zen-like simplicity that is most recognizable when booting up your Nintendo Wii or DS back when those were among the latest choices in consumer technology. There are so many other examples that could be more easily associated to it, but to us, that comes first in mind.

Let's dive deeper into what makes Technozen a notable Frutiger sub-aesthetic and why we believe it deserves more recognition!

A Technozen interest board with many icons featuring the aesthetic

Characteristics

There are aspects that makes Technozen stand out over all the other subgenres. We narrowed them down to 3 key features:

Zen-like philosophy that promotes simplicity and calmness within a modern lifestyle.
Technology that promotes power to the user through user-friendly features and easy to digest design that improves daily life.
A focus on caring for the environment that can mistakenly cross over with Frutiger Eco. Much of the ideals involves incorporating nature within simple modern decor that is easily replicated, usually combining light wood tones with whites and greenery. Unlike regular minimalism, Technozen utilizes the concept of doing more with less space rather than the contrary.

While not a current trend worldwide or much of Japan today as a matter of fact, most of these characteristics can still be seen today in franchises such as: MUJI, UNIQLO, MINISO and DAISO. We encourage checking these stores out if the aesthetic resonates with you! (The whole Skeuoss team shops in these frequently believe it or not 😁)

UNIQLO, MINISO, DAISO, MUJI (clockwise)

Video Games

Technozen is a prominent featured aesthetic in gaming, particularly with Nintendo consoles such as:

In our opinion, these consoles were a core driving force for exposing the Technozen aesthetic worldwide as most of the core values during the time, remained exclusive to Japanese culture.

The Nintendo DS was a simple and easy to use gaming on the go device. Featuring notable games such as Nintendogs and Brain Age that very much had the Technozen lifestyle breathing through it's DNA during gameplay.

Nintendogs gameplay during doggo bathtime

The Nintendo Wii on the other hand was a beast of a system that took the hearts of everyday people by storm thanks to the focus on groundbreaking motion controls. That easy to use mindset in it's design is a glaring reason for why the Wii gets brought up whenever Technozen is in the conversation. No need to question how to use a regular controller when your body becomes the primary input for the juggernaut series such as Wii Sports or Wii Fit. With the Wii MotionPlus only improving the immersive experience adding to the Technozen characteristic.

Wii Sports and Wii Fit. With hands holding the Wiimote and Nunchuck

The 3DS and Wii U largely moved the goal post forward, combining what worked best during the previous generation while retaining the same aesthetic we know and love!

We still find the Technozen aesthetic lingering around in modern games today such as Unpacking, Nintendo Switch Sports and the upcoming Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream.

Nintendo Direct trailer for Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream

Music

Much of Technozen's DNA resides in it's music which ironically resemble or are straight up just music tracks associated and heard in Nintendo consoles and games during the timeframe discussed just above here! Usually all instrumentals using synths, electric pianos, acoustics and flutes.

Tracks that feature this type of music is commonly featured in social media posts such as ours. The Mii Editor track for the Wii U Mii Maker is one of the most recognizable in the community just as one example!

Technozen music outside of the more officially known circles we find occasionally in Bandcamp with features such as:

Salary Man Simulator Trilogy - Mitch Murder

Wiiきおくにとどめる - sobergaze

Decline & Legacy

As you can guess, Technozen had it's fall around the same time Frutiger Aero fell into irrelevancy with Minimalism taking it's place. Japan held onto it a little longer than the west did but it was an aesthetic that eventually had to crumble to make way for newer looks and trends.

There are still places you can see Technozen holding on in the modern age as mentioned previously regarding physical franchises and some technology especially in Japan but it's now considered a niche aesthetic that may or may not return in the future...