Wiki Policy: Allowed Pages
This page outlines the mandatory standards for all content on the Aesthetics Wiki. New pages have one week from their creation date to meet these requirements. Pages that fail to adhere to these standards will be deleted.
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📝 Minimum Page Requirements
Every page must adhere to a standardized structure to ensure rigor and consistency.
1. Word Count & Content
All pages must have a minimum of 100 words of descriptive text.
- Introduction: A clear definition and context (min. 1 complete sentence).
- Visuals Section: A detailed description of the aesthetic's motifs, colors, and styling.
- Gallery: A collection of relevant images.
2. Visual Diversity
An aesthetic must be broad enough to manifest across multiple mediums.
- You must provide at least 5 distinct visual examples (images) that are not direct derivatives of each other.
- A page focusing on a single photographic subject (e.g., Rosecore = only photos of roses, Cloudcore = pictures of clouds) is not an aesthetic.
3. The Aesthetic Infobox
Every page must use the standard Infobox template.
- Must include a representative Title Image.
- Must have at least 3 main fields filled out (e.g., Decade, Key Colors, Key Motifs).
4. Notability & Verifiability
The aesthetic must be a documented cultural phenomenon, not a personal invention. Evidence includes:
- Multiple Pinterest boards/Tumblr blogs by different users.
- Coverage in articles, research (e.g., CARI), or art history.
- Consistent presence in trends (TikTok, Instagram) or subcultures.
🚫 Prohibited Page Types
The following categories do not meet the definition of a visual aesthetic and are strictly forbidden.
Personal Aesthetics
Aesthetics that exist solely within one person's mind or hyper-specific tastes.
- Red Flags: Linking to your own social media, naming yourself as the "creator," describing personality traits instead of visuals, or listing disparate media you personally enjoy (e.g., listing Nirvana and Harry Potter based on personal preference, regardless of whether they actually share an aesthetic).
Fandom Dumps
A page that simply collects images, lore, and merchandise from a single piece of media.
Abstract Concepts & Activities
Broad concepts, feelings, or hobbies are not considered visual aesthetics.
- Examples: "Joyride" (activity), "Pop" (music genre that lacks a visual aesthetic/associated subculture), "False Memory" (feeling), "Game Night" (event), "Athlete" (demographic), "Postmodernism" (philosophy), "90s Extreme" (vague marketing buzzword).
National Generalizations
Aesthetics that attempt to reduce an entire nation's diverse history into a single visual style are prohibited.
- Prohibited: "Japancore" or "Italian Aesthetic" (too broad and often rely on disrespectful generalizations).
- Allowed: Specific art movements or subcultures within a nation (e.g., Majismo, Botswana Metalheads, Czech Cubism) are allowed. This encourages content beyond Anglocentrism that documents authentic cultural history.
Scope Creep & Redundant Variations
Creating new pages for minor variations, gender-swaps, or single-noun derivatives of existing aesthetics is prohibited. These articles are often deleted for attempting to hijack a notable aesthetic's popularity to justify their existence without offering unique substance.
- The Rule: A gender-swap or variation only warrants its own page if it has a distinct history and visual canon separate from the parent aesthetic.
- Prohibited Examples: "Boycore" (redundant masculine variant of Tweencore), "Lemon Girl" (redundant to Fruit aesthetics), "Dirty Girl" (reactionary opposite to Clean Girl), "Unliminal Space" (redundant to Liminal Space), "Himbocore" (redundant to Bimbocore).
Vanity Labels & Artist Branding
Terms coined by a single musician, influencer, or brand to describe their own specific style are not valid aesthetics unless they have been adopted by a widespread community independent of that creator's fandom.
- The Rule: If the term is used exclusively to describe one person's work, it is a biography topic, not an aesthetic.
- Prohibited Examples: "Victoriandustrial" (Emilie Autumn's branding), "Bubble Goth" (Kerli's marketing term), "Party Kei" (Pixielocks' personal branding; distinct from the valid Cult Party Kei).
- Allowed: Terms that started with one artist but became a genre/subculture for everyone (e.g., Glitchbreak via Sewerslvt, Goth which grew beyond just Bauhaus fans, Haunted Mound via Sematary, with the aesthetic being cloned by other artists in the underground rap scene).
⚠️ Sensitive & Technical Policies
Controversial Subject Matter
We document reality, including controversial topics, but strictly adhere to Fandom's Terms of Use.
- Neutrality: Pages must be objective and factual.
- Condemnation: If an aesthetic is associated with hate groups, self-harm, or illegal acts, the page must explicitly acknowledge and critically discuss these aspects in a "Criticism" section. It must never glorify them.
- Stereotypes: Aesthetics based on stereotypes (e.g., Chav) must focus on the reproducible visual aesthetic and include a sociological critique of the term and avoid endorsing discrimination.
AI & Plagiarism
- No Plagiarism: Do not copy-paste text from Wikipedia or other sources. Re-write all information in your own words.
- No AI Content: Text or images generated by AI (ChatGPT, Midjourney) are forbidden.
- Exception: AI-powered upscaling/restoration of low-resolution pictures (e.g., 2000s mobile phone cameras) is permitted only if it clarifies essential details that might otherwise be too pixelated.
📂 Specific Category Rules
Company Aesthetics
Allowed only if the company has created a new original design aesthetic (e.g., Frutiger Aero via Microsoft/Apple).
- Prohibited: Merchandise lines or branding that simply use existing styles (e.g., a "Disxcore" page based solely on Discord merchandise).
Literary & Genre Aesthetics
Genres (e.g., Cyberpunk, Dark Fantasy) are allowed only if they have a reproducible visual aesthetic that transcends the written medium.
- The Rule: Must define specific motifs, tech, or architecture. Purely narrative genres or tropes (e.g., "Historical Fiction," generic tropes like "Teenagers in the Woods") are not visual aesthetics.
Holidays & Observances
Allowed because they function as mass-marketed design aesthetics (e.g., Christmas, Halloween).
- Criteria: Must document the visual motifs, color palettes, and commercial decor styles.
- Prohibited: Pages that function as travel guides or simple lists of cultural traditions/recipes without a visual design focus.
Music Genres
Allowed only if the genre has a distinct, reproducible visual aesthetic or associated subculture (e.g., Grunge, Electronic Body Music).
- Microgenres: Niche internet genres (e.g., Vaporwave, Witch House, Seapunk) are allowed and highly encouraged as they typically rely on a strict visual style.
- Prohibited: Broad umbrella terms or purely auditory genres (e.g., "Pop," "Rock," "Easy Listening") that lack a cohesive visual style.