Introduction:

• Acknowledge the initial dissatisfaction with existing frameworks and the drive to seek a more holistic understanding of the world.
• Introduce "Ink Aether" as Sichen Ying's design philosophy, brand, registered company D.B.A., and vision for the future.
• State the monograph's purpose: To articulate a personal paradigm for seeing and understanding the world, developed through a unique blend of design practice, research, and self-inquiry.

I. Sichen Ying; Genesis

• Introduce Sichen Ying:
• New York City-based Consultant
• Spatial Sense-maker
• Futurist
• Eternal Student
• Highlight Ying's unique background and skills:
• Optimizing and redesigning existing forms with greater efficiency and minimal waste.
• Inspired by nature's intelligence, wisdom, and an investigation into what cannot be taken away.
• Blending interior architecture, visual identity, UX/UI design, and design consulting.
• Shaping spaces, objects, and identities through spatial sensibility.
• Emphasize the influence of self-directed research:
• Four-year immersion at the intersection of art, technology, psychology, philosophy, and astrology.
• Informing a vision for a constructive future, rooted in an understanding of human potential.
• Reflected in an unconventional worldview and complex astrological constitution (born June 24th, 1993, 10:15 PM, Shen Zhen, Guangdong, China).

II. The Genesis

• Key Idea: Ying's journey from architecture and design to a broader philosophical inquiry, driven by a quest for purpose and a desire to bridge the gap between self and society.
• Condensed Narrative:
• Early Design Work:
• Frustration with limitations and a sense of incompleteness in traditional design roles.
• The blurring of boundaries between design and architecture, exacerbated by technological shifts (BIM).
• Mental health challenges exacerbated in the corporate world and the initial allure of NYC.
• Experiencing an ego death after being fired and facing events without clear understanding.
• Existential Reconsideration and Social Media Shift:
• A period of intense self-reflection prompted by a loss of identity and a distancing from the reactive nature of social media.
• This "death of self" on social media spurred an internal, hermit-like period focused on self-understanding.
• Architecture and the Search for Wisdom:
• Entering architecture and beginning a search for wisdom.
• Encountering both insightful individuals and critical perspectives.
• Recognizing a missing piece for career success: understanding the "game" mindset within capitalism.
• Instagram and Finding a Voice:
• The "rebirth" of Instagram as a platform to articulate opinions and establish an authentic public voice.
• Driven by the intuition that a complete reversal of public and private personas was necessary after feeling consistently misunderstood and out of place.
• Transitioning from being very private online and open in person, to being open online and more internal/private in person.
• Overcoming shyness and anxiety after feeling misunderstood and limited by the speed of typical communication.
• Contrasting public self-expression with a private tendency to mirror those around her.
• The First Dialectic Lens: Inner Child (Midjourney Art) vs. Stoic Philosopher (Symbols, Wisdom, Philosophies)
• Using art (Midjourney) to explore core concepts, archetypes, and the language of form through the lens of the inner child.
• Diving deep into symbols (circle, square) and their philosophical significance through the lens of the stoic philosopher.
• Distilling wisdom and forming initial theories about the world.
• Transition: This journey reveals a need for a more comprehensive, coherent, and applicable framework for understanding the world, leading to the articulation of a personal paradigm.

III. The Paradigm Shift

• Key Idea: There are two paradigms that are shifting massively: AI and transparency. But we are focusing on Transparency.
• Core Components:

A. Ontology: The Landscape of Knowledge

1. Core: Defining the core components of Ying's worldview, design philosophy, and spatial sense-making approach to understanding the paradigm shift. The "what" – the diverse knowledge domains and "nuts and bolts" that constitute Ying's understanding of the world.
2. Elements:
• Professional Experiences: Design (Interior Architecture, UX/UI), Architecture.
• Psychological and Introspective Inquiry: Psychology, Mental Health, Identity.
• Engagement with Current World Issues.
• Intellectual Curiosities: Frameworks, Mental Models, Philosophy, Science (Astronomy, Physics, Math).
• Explorations of Esoteric Knowledge: Occult Philosophy, Ancient Wisdom, Astrology, Esoterica, Obscure Findings.
3. Emphasis: A wide-ranging and interdisciplinary collection of knowledge domains.

B. Epistemology: The Relational Path to Knowing

4. Core: The "how" – how Ying acquires, validates, and connects knowledge.
5. Elements:
• Experiential Learning: Professional practice, life lessons, application of design thinking (Double Diamond Philosophy).
• Research and Intellectual Engagement: Exploration of key texts ("The Timeless Way of Building," "The I Ching," "Imaginary Numbers Anthology").
• Influence of Admired Notable Folks and Key Texts.
• Personal Insights and Synchronicities: Including insights derived from astrological analysis.
• Navigating First-Order Beliefs. Understanding Epistemology as "First Philosophy": Prioritizing the study of knowledge as foundational to other inquiries. Emphasis on First Principles and Foundational Concepts: Understanding knowledge as built upon fundamental truths.
6. Emphasis: Knowledge is relational, contextual, and built upon a foundation of interconnected concepts and experiences.

C. Axiology: The Values of Understanding and Design

7. Core: The "why" – the values that shape Ying's perspective, drive her work, and inform her vision for a constructive future.
8. Elements:
• The Value of Intuitive Understanding and Navigability: Prioritizing clarity, accessibility, and ease of comprehension. The Goal of Accessible and Coherently Structured Knowledge: Organizing information in a way that is both meaningful, intuitive to learn, and memorable for future applications.
• Emphasis on True Value: Recognizing that enduring value propels humanity towards a better future for generations to come.
• Structural Frameworks and Personal Discovery:
• Attempts to map internal and external tensions (Lacan's square, Integral Theory, astrological analysis).
• The Pursuit of Consistency and Reconciliation of Interpretations: Seeking to resolve conflicts and create a unified understanding across disciplines.
• Identifying tensions and creating initial frameworks to navigate complexity.
• The development of axiomatic lenses (East/West, Individual/Society) to understand opposing forces.
• The shift from square to circular models to resolve tensions and embrace interconnectedness.
• Balancing Idealism and Practicality: Maintaining an idealistic perspective while grounding design in practical application.
• Aiming for Learnability and Memorability: Creating a robust and enduring mental framework ("memory palace").
• Example: antinomy of “ENTROPY”
• The Volvelle as a Tool:
• Exploration of the volvelle as a tool to integrate temporal (seen) and spatial (unseen) dimensions of experience.
9. Emphasis: The drive to make knowledge accessible, coherent, and applicable: A Vision for a Constructive Future: Driven by a desire to build a more whole, applicable, and resilient world view, and to foster mental well-being.

D. Methodology: A Constructive Way of Seeing

10. Core: The process of developing a system for understanding and shaping the world, informed by the preceding ontological, epistemological, and axiological considerations.
11. Elements:
• The Synthesis of Ontology, Epistemology, and Axiology: Integrating knowledge, its acquisition, and guiding values into a coherent framework.
• The Role of Visual Tools: Utilizing diagrams, schemas, sketches, and volvelles to externalize, represent, and communicate the framework in a consistent and intuitive manner.
• An Ongoing Process of Exploration and Refinement.
• The Application of Design Thinking: Employing the Double Diamond Philosophy (understanding ourselves before shaping the world) as a core methodological approach.
• A Focus on Spatial Sensibility: Shaping spaces, objects, and identities through an understanding of spatial relationships and human experience.
• Aiming to bridge the gap between self and society through form.
• Target Demographic: 25-54 years old, urban/suburban, college-educated, interested in personal development, mindfulness, creativity, and sustainability.
12. Emphasis: Building a dynamic and evolving framework for understanding and shaping the world, with a focus on creating meaningful connections between individuals and their environment.

IV. Ink Aether in Practice: Applications and Vision

• Expanding on the application of Ink Aether in Ying's work.
• Connecting the paradigm to her mission of bridging the gap between self and society through form.
• Elaborating on the target demographic and their values.
• Detailing the long-term vision for Ink Aether and its potential impact on design and beyond.

Conclusion:

• Reiterate the paradigm's purpose: To provide a coherent, accessible, and applicable framework for understanding and shaping the world.
• Invite further exploration, critical engagement, and collaboration in the ongoing development and application of Ink Aether.