The word “aesthetic” when used in a design context is usually loosely understood to be a synonym for “beauty” or “styling.” If an aesthetics specific to design was to be developed, it would need to avoid being split into, first, a theory of beautiful objects and, second, a critique of aesthetic judgment, but that process has yet to begin. It would also have to be open to an aesthetic theory that abides by that, which reveals itself to be aesthetic in perception and experience.

Source: Design Dictionary: Perspectives on Design Terminology – Michael Erlhoff, Michael Erlhoff, Timothy Marshall.