Aesthetic Computer: A Creative Platform#

El Cid Lecture - 45 Minutes Jeffrey Alan Scudder

What is Aesthetic Computer?#

Aesthetic Computer is a place to make art with code. You type commands into a prompt, and things happen. Sometimes you paint. Sometimes you program. Sometimes you just explore what's there.

I started building it in 2021 because I wanted to make creative coding more accessible. No downloads, no setup - just open a browser and start making.

The Basic Idea#

You go to aesthetic.computer and see a prompt. Type paint and you get a canvas. Type notepat and you get a musical instrument. Type anything else and you might discover something new.

Everything runs in your browser. Your phone, laptop, tablet - doesn't matter. The same tools work everywhere.

What People Actually Make#

Looking at the database, people have created:

2,778 paintings
2,723 programs in KidLisp (our programming language)
212 custom tools and experiences
16,197 chat messages (people like to talk while they create)

The Technical Bits#

How Code Becomes Art#

// A simple piece that draws when you touch the screen
function paint({ wipe, ink, pen }) {
  wipe("blue");
  ink("white");
  pen(64); // thick brush
}

function act({ event, sound }) {
  if (event.is("touch")) {
    // Draw where you touched
    sound.synth("c"); // play a note too
  }
}

Each "piece" is just a JavaScript file. Save it, run it, share it. The system handles the rest.

KidLisp: Programming as Play#

(wipe gray)
(ink red) 
(write (* 2 3 4))

KidLisp is our attempt at making programming feel immediate. Type an expression, see it happen. No compilation, no ceremony.

Some Things People Built#

notepat - A tone matrix that went viral on Hacker News. Grid of buttons, touch them to make melodies.

baktok - Records your voice and plays it backwards. Surprisingly useful for pronunciation practice.

wand - Draw in VR space. Works with WebXR headsets or just mouse/touch.

tracker - Serious music composition tool with 12-tone support.

tape - Records whatever you're doing and exports to GIF/MP4. Frame-accurate.

Real Classroom Use#

Last year I taught UCLA students using VS Code with an Aesthetic Computer extension. They could write code in their editor and see it run instantly in a browser panel.

The students made pieces like ucla-1 (basic graphics) through ucla-7 (bouncing balls). These pieces now serve as examples for other learners.

Having real students use your tools teaches you things no amount of solo development can.

How Jeffrey Works#

I develop this every day on:

Intel laptop (16GB RAM, nothing fancy)
Fedora Linux in a Docker container
Fish shell, Emacs, VS Code
The same VS Code extension my students use

The platform runs on:

Netlify (main site, uses Deno)
Google Cloud (chat system, Node.js)
MongoDB (user data, @handles)
Auth0 (login stuff)

Everything auto-deploys when I push to git. Simple.

Real Numbers#

As of today, the platform has:

2,576 people with @handles
1,919 verified email addresses (people stick around)
5,501 total creations
Daily chat activity (someone's always making something)

Not huge numbers, but genuine engagement. Quality over scale.

Everyone gets an @handle. Your creations link to your profile. There's a chat where people share techniques and debug problems together.

The community formed naturally. I built tools for making things; people started helping each other use them.

Some active folks: @ida, @georgica, @sage, @yearoftheocean, @tina, @dollmath. Plus me (@jeffrey).

Code History#

Started December 2022. 3,784 commits so far:

2022: 47 commits (getting started)
2023: 1,724 commits (core platform)
2024: 1,426 commits (UCLA class, VS Code extension)
2025: 587 commits (KidLisp language)

The git history tells the story of what mattered when.

Why This Matters#

Creative coding shouldn't require a computer science degree. You should be able to have an idea and express it quickly, whether you're 8 or 80.

Most creative tools either assume you're a complete beginner or an expert. There's not much in between. Aesthetic Computer tries to grow with you.

User Authentication & Data#

We use Auth0 for login (aesthetic.us.auth0.com). MongoDB stores everything else - your @handle, your pieces, chat messages, paintings.

Cross-tenant system works on both aesthetic.computer and sotce.net (my other project).

The database shows people actually use this stuff. 74.5% email verification rate means people care enough to confirm their accounts.

Tech Architecture (The Real Stuff)#

Client side: Vanilla JavaScript + WebGL in browser. No frameworks, just web standards.

Server side:

Netlify Functions (Deno) for main platform
Google Cloud (Node.js nanos unikernels) for chat
JamSocket for real-time collaboration
MongoDB Atlas for data
Digital Ocean Spaces for assets

Auth0 handles authentication. MongoDB handles everything else. Simple division of labor.

Demo Time#

Let's see what happens when we...

Open aesthetic.computer
Try some basic commands
Look at what others have made
Maybe write some code together

Questions?#

[Leave time for discussion and hands-on exploration]

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