NIVA
An R&D exploration into visual taste

NIVA

A gallery of features. Scroll freely, or jump to any part above, to see how NIVA reads visual taste and puts it to work across categories.

EXPERIMENTAL · R&D · DEMONSTRATION ONLY

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Feature


Welcome

A wordless invitation to begin.

NIVA mark NIVA R&D

Taste,
decoded.

A living record of what your eye already knows.

BEGIN
HOW IT WORKS
NIVA mark
NIVA
A LIVING RECORD OF YOUR EYE
BEGIN · 30 SEC
ABOUT




Feature · interactive


Comparative capture

Choose by instinct. Touch the image that feels right.

1cQuad grid · the texture test
02 / 06 TEXTURE

Touch the one that feels right.

A · WOOL
B · MARBLE
C · RAW WOOD
D · VELVET
DON'T THINK. TOUCH.
1dFull-bleed stack · the lighting test
03 / 06 LIGHT

Which room lets you breathe?

01
02 · HELD
03
04
1eAnchor split · binary, sets the baseline
01 / 06 ANCHOR

Two rooms. Touch the one you could live in.

A · MORE
B · LESS
1kQuad grid · the colour test
04 / 06 COLOUR

Touch the palette that feels like home.

A · EARTH
B · MONO
C · PASTEL
D · JEWEL
1lQuad grid · the material test
05 / 06 MATERIAL

Which surface do you want under your hand?

A · CONCRETE + STEEL
B · OAK + LINEN
C · BRASS + VELVET
D · CHROME + GLASS
1mQuad grid · the space test
06 / 06 SPACE

Touch the room you'd wake up in.

A · MONASTIC
B · COLLECTED
C · ORNATE
D · COSY




Feature


The Living Card

Your taste, read back as a named aesthetic and a set of primitives.


CLICK TO FLIP →




Feature


Recommendations for Brutalist Zen

One taste vector, matched across objects, fashion and scent, each with a similarity score (demonstrative purpose only).

1iMatch list · mixed catalog, cosine scores
VISUALLY ADJACENT - TOP 3 COSINE
Cast concrete side table
OBJECT · SEED 04
0.91
Raw linen overshirt
FASHION · SEED 02
0.87
Hinoki incense holder
OBJECT · SEED 07
0.84
MATCHED AGAINST 7-ITEM SEED CATALOG


1jPerfume trial · visual → scent
TRIAL 01 · DIRECTION OF TRAVEL: VISUAL → SCENT

What does Brutalist Zen smell like?

01
Concrete
Comme des Garçons
MINERAL · WEIGHT · OVERCAST
0.93
02
Hinoki
Monocle × Comme des Garçons
WOOD · MONASTIC · JAPANESE
0.89
03
Encre Noire
Lalique
VETIVER · DARK · COLD
0.86
04
Tam Dao
Diptyque
WARM TAN · DRY WOOD
0.81
05
Avignon
Comme des Garçons
INCENSE · STONE · RITUAL
0.78
RANKED BY PRIMITIVE ALIGNMENT · PRODUCTS SHOWN FOR RESEARCH

ILLUSTRATION 



Feature


Taste Space

A map of neighbouring aesthetics you can wander into.

2aSpatial map · 11 named regions
TASTE SPACE Where your card sits among the others. DISTANCE = COSINE SIMILARITY · POSITIONS ILLUSTRATIVE
Tropical Maximalism
TEXTURE
leaf, rattan, wet
MATERIAL
palm, teak, bamboo
LIGHT
dappled, humid, golden
WEIGHT
dense, layered
TEMPERATURE
hot, tropical
COLOUR
emerald, amber, red
0.79
Cottagecore
TEXTURE
wicker, lace, chintz
MATERIAL
cotton, dried flowers
LIGHT
soft, afternoon, window
WEIGHT
light, gentle
TEMPERATURE
warm, comforting
COLOUR
sage, blush, cream
0.84
Y2K Chrome
TEXTURE
mirror, chrome, gloss
MATERIAL
plastic, pvc, acrylic
LIGHT
led, neon, reflective
WEIGHT
weightless, floating
TEMPERATURE
synthetic-cool
COLOUR
silver, pink, ice blue
Japandi Cosy
TEXTURE
bouclé, soft wood
MATERIAL
wool, maple, ceramic
LIGHT
warm, candle-like
WEIGHT
light, cushioned
TEMPERATURE
warm
COLOUR
oat, cream, soft brown
Industrial Wabi-sabi
TEXTURE
rust, patina, cracked
MATERIAL
oxidised steel, clay
LIGHT
low, ambient, warm
WEIGHT
heavy, worn
TEMPERATURE
cool-to-warm
COLOUR
rust, ash, dark earth
Candy Pop
TEXTURE
smooth, inflatable
MATERIAL
plastic, vinyl
LIGHT
flat, bright, flash
WEIGHT
weightless, bouncy
TEMPERATURE
none, synthetic
COLOUR
neon pink, cyan
0.91 0.74 0.82
Rococo Pastel
TEXTURE
gilded, polished marble
MATERIAL
gold leaf, silk, crystal
LIGHT
chandelier, warm glow
WEIGHT
light, airy, ornate
TEMPERATURE
warm, flushed
COLOUR
pink, gold, ivory
Monastic Futurism
TEXTURE
smooth stone, dune
MATERIAL
stone, earth, linen
LIGHT
vast, overcast, desert
WEIGHT
heavy, ancient
TEMPERATURE
dry, neutral
COLOUR
sand, ochre, charcoal
YOU ARE HERE
Brutalist Zen
TEXTURE
raw concrete, raked sand
MATERIAL
concrete, steel, stone
LIGHT
diffused, overcast
WEIGHT
heavy, grounded
TEMPERATURE
cool to neutral
COLOUR
grey, sage, tan, black
Desert Minimalism
TEXTURE
cracked earth, adobe
MATERIAL
clay, rammed earth
LIGHT
harsh, direct sun
WEIGHT
heavy, vast
TEMPERATURE
hot, dry
COLOUR
terracotta, sand, umber
Scandinavian Minimal
TEXTURE
smooth wood, felt
MATERIAL
plywood, wool, birch
LIGHT
diffused, nordic
WEIGHT
light-medium
TEMPERATURE
cool, neutral
COLOUR
ash, cream, pale grey


Feature


Region deep-dive

Step into a neighbouring aesthetic and see the whole territory.

2bConstellation · your card among the regions
TASTE SPACE 11 REGIONS · 5 LINKS LIVE

Explore beyond your card.

ROCOCOCOTTAGEDESERTY2K CANDY POP WABI-SABI JAPANDI MONASTIC YOU ARE HERE SCANDI TROPICAL
NEAREST REGION 0.91
Monastic Futurism
Sand, ochre, vast overcast light. 
VISIT REGION →
Monastic Futurism
SCENT · OBJECT · FASHION INSIDE
MY CARD
2cThe territory · a region in full
MONASTIC FUTURISM REGION 07 / 11 · NEW TERRITORY 0.91 FROM YOUR CARD

Monastic Futurism

Sand, ochre, vast overcast light. Ancient weight, forward silhouette 

TEXTURE
smooth stone, dune
MATERIAL
stone, earth, linen
LIGHT
vast, overcast, desert
WEIGHT
heavy, ancient
TEMPERATURE
dry, neutral
COLOUR
sand, ochre, charcoal
MAKE THIS MY CARD
BLEND WITH BRUTALIST ZEN
IN THIS REGION · ACROSS CATEGORIES
SCENT
Hinoki
0.89
OBJECT
Travertine low bowl
0.87
FASHION
Sand canvas overcoat
0.84



Feature


Contextual cards

Cards made for a moment: a new bedroom, a dinner, a wedding.

NEW CARD · 00 / 06 CONTEXT

What is this card for?

hosting a dinner party on friday
CHIP SET A · NOUNS
NEW BEDROOM WEDDING DINNER PARTY EVENT OUTFIT A SCENT FOR…
CHIP SET B · SITUATIONS
DECORATE MY BEDROOM HOSTING DINNER MY WEDDING THEME DRESS FOR AN EVENT A SCENT FOR TONIGHT
START FROM YOUR CARD
Brutalist Zen · the prior
START FRESH
No seed · six touches from zero
THE BASE CARD IS A PRIOR

BEGIN CAPTURE · 6 TOUCHES →



Feature


Conditioned capture

SAME TEST · 03 / 06 · LIGHT
CONTEXT: BEDROOM POOL: LIVABLE, EVERYDAY ROOMS

Which room lets you breathe?

01 · SHARP
HELD
02 · DIFFUSED
03 · ONE LAMP
04 · BRIGHT
CONTEXT WEIGHTS: BASELINE 
CONTEXT: DINNER PARTY POOL: TABLES, GATHERINGS, EVENING LIGHT

Which room lets you breathe?

HELD
01 · CANDLELIT
02 · GOLDEN PENDANT
03 · DIM
04 · BRIGHT
CONTEXT WEIGHTS: TEMPERATURE ×1.4 (46→64) · PATTERN CEILING LIFTED 20→80
THE OCCASION CHANGES WHICH IMAGES YOU COMPARE



Feature


The card shelf

One person can have several cards.

YOUR CARDS · 4
BASE · THE PRIOR
GLOBAL
Brutalist Zen
TEXTURE 82 · LIGHT 74 · WEIGHT 78
TEMP 46 · COLOUR 61 · PATTERN 12
SEEDS EVERY NEW CARD
BEDROOM
Brutalist Zen
base-adjacent
SEEDED FROM BASE · 1 SHIFT
LIGHT 74→82 (+8)
DINNER PARTY
Tropical Maximalism
leaning · three touches in
SEEDED FROM BASE · 2 SHIFTS
TEMP 46→64 (+18) · PATTERN 12→52 (+40)
WEDDING
Soft Monument
also: Ceremonial Minimal · Linen Ritual
SEEDED FROM BASE · 2 SHIFTS
TEXTURE 82→58 (−24) · LIGHT 74→86 (+12)
+ NEW CARD ·
NAME THE OCCASION
EACH CARD SHOWS HOW IT DIFFERS FROM THE BASE




Feature


Context-scoped retrieval

Recommendations re-ranked for a specific occasion.

3dDinner party · objects, table, scent, host outfit
CARD: DINNER PARTY CTX SCORE · BASE SCORE

Set the table for Tropical Maximalism.

01
Banana-leaf print tablecloth
TEXTILE · TABLE
0.89
BASE 0.48
02
Terracotta stoneware plates
TABLEWARE
0.86
BASE 0.71
03
Rattan pendant light
LIGHTING
0.84
BASE 0.62
04
Beeswax taper set
LIGHTING · CANDLE
0.82
BASE 0.66
05
Fig & vetiver ambient candle
SCENT · AMBIENT · ONE PER EVENT
0.80
BASE 0.69
06
Printed silk camp shirt
FASHION · HOST OUTFIT
0.78
BASE 0.41
RANKED AGAINST DINNER CARD (TEMP 64 · PATTERN 52) · BASE COLUMN USES (TEMP 46 · PATTERN 12)
PROPOSALS ONLY · SEED CATALOG · PRODUCTS SHOWN FOR RESEARCH ILLUSTRATION
NIVA