Bored Panda reached out for a chat about aesthetics and developing our sense for it with pie artist Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin. She is the author of 'Pies Are Awesome: The Definitive Pie Art Book’ and has made a career from putting her great sense of aesthetics to use in the kitchen. Her work is as much about design as it is about delicious baked goods.

We were curious to get her take on whether or not good taste is something that we can develop or if we’re born with it, and how subjective she thinks our sense of aesthetics really is.

“Our sense of taste is a product of our upbringing and the people and content we are exposed to throughout our life, particularly during our formative years,” artist Jessica explained to Bored Panda how we develop our aesthetic tendencies.

“Different cultures, different families, different peer groups place different value on different aesthetic conventions. If we want to ‘fit in’ with whatever group we are affiliating with, we tend to morph our own personal tastes to match that of the group,” she said that we tend to sacrifice a part of our taste to better adapt to our new social circle.

“But what if we don’t want to ‘fit in’ and conform our taste to match the crowd? Well, that’s where things get interesting,” Jessica mused.

She said that we start developing a truly personal sense of aesthetics when we start looking at different types of design, learning about various artists and artistic movements, listening to different types of music, and reading fresh new authors whose books we usually wouldn’t flip open.

“Once a person has, for whatever reason, decided to expand their horizons beyond what is naturally presented to them in their immediate circles then something magical happens: their true ‘personal taste’ begins to coalesce,” the aesthete said.

“We may be born into a family/community that places a high value on exploring different aesthetic forms and embarking on journeys of personal discovery. We may be born into a family/community that punishes any deviation beyond the accepted norms,” Jessica told Bored Panda.

“But we always have the choice to learn about something new. Taste may always be somewhat subjective, but the more forms of aesthetic content we seek out and allow ourselves to be exposed to, the better our shot at claiming that elusive, “good taste” badge!

According to Tim Antoniuk from the University of Alberta, it’s up to the designer to ensure the client’s project turns out well and that the builders turn their vision into reality.

“Everything, in my view, rests in the designer's hand. This is why some of the most outstanding designers in the world have such a deep knowledge of materials, manufacturing processes, of the problems that can happen during installation,” the Associate Professor of Design Studies told Bored Panda during an earlier interview.

"It's hard, but that's why the best designers get paid so well for their outstanding work. They do great design/aesthetic work, but they also create efficiencies and they foresee and spot (some) problems from happening."

Essentially, this means that the designer has a huge responsibility when it comes to making sure the house is designed well. And that means being on-site, often. "Many jobs can not just stop because a designer is not onsite or is not able to be reached. That said, builders need to honor the designer's vision, but again, if there is 'fuzziness' in the drawings or plans, decisions will be made by people that we may not want to make them."

In Tim’s view, designers need to focus on good and clear communication, doing great drawings and visuals, and constantly educating themselves in the field of construction while keeping on top of any important changes. “We exist in a field that is ever-changing with the introduction of new materials, new construction requirements, and restrictions," he said.

Previously, Tim from the University of Alberta explained to Bored Panda that there are objectively good and bad interior design decisions. Not everything is subjective. Though that doesn’t mean that our sense of taste is unimportant. In fact, it’s what causes a gray area between quality and a lack of it in interior design.

"The gray area comes in when people start to talk about taste and about degrees of aesthetic. I may love the design of Bauhaus furniture, for example, while somebody may feel that it is too cold and void of personality. Not unlike great art, I believe that much of what came from this era is ‘great design,’ in part because it represents an era and a philosophy. When we start to mix in discussions of taste and preference, that is where the gray areas of good and bad design get blurred,” he said.

According to the expert, we can intuitively tell if a particular design is good or not. "Quite often, this relates to ergonomics and the usability or functionality of the products and services and systems. Having said that, I think far too many people expect poor design that doesn’t really work well," he said.

"For me, great design is what Dieter [Rams] talks about—it is also intuitive, it is deeply sympathetic and empathetic to the user at all levels, and at some level, it is emotional. It is a catalyst for giving us feelings."