2 5 G I F T I D E AS ! muST-hAvE CREATIONS BY ENTREpRENEuRIAl DESIGNERS ISSUE 274 InSIdEr advIcE JANUARY 2018 SUCCEED AS A £6.99 • US$16.99 DESIGNER-MAKER pRiNted iN the UK All you need to create, produce and sell your own range of products PANTONE 607 C C3 m0 y34 k0 PANTONE 290 C C23 m0 y1 k0 Cotlroenudrs 2 0 1 8 The hoTTesT colour paleTTes for The coming year PANTONE 7541 C C7 m1 y3 k2 PANTONE 2627 C C85 m100 y6 k38 IMPrOvE YOUr TYPOGraPHY POwEr POlITIcS In dESIGn Sharpen your typesetting skills with Our industry is not immune from #MeToo our junior designer manual moments, argues Gemma Germains
january 2018 COVER ARTIST Making left and above:the three different trends covers: the cover interactive, primitive and playful. If there was a golden rule of cover above: all 15 featured colours, with the six pantones design, it would probably be ‘Don’t we chose highlighted in magenta. use the same trick twice in a row’ – also known as the ‘Familiarity Breeds Contempt’ clause.* But sometimes an opportunity arises that’s impossible to resist, and despite our four-way split cover run last month (the printer’s floors are still stained with fluoro ink), our annual colour trends report from FranklinTill demanded a different cover for each of the three palettes it identified. With six Pantones available, we chose two colours from each trend for each cover, and converted the rest to their CMYK equivalent (check out www.pantone.com/color-finder for researching your own colours). Oh, and then we threw down the images and actually designed them… * There’s actually only one golden rule: get to the ******* printers on time. mark wynne these covers are the closest ca art editor mark has come to fulfilling his dream of art editing a glossy fashion mag. COLOUR COLOUR COLOUR THEORY TRENDS ‘16 TRENDS ‘17 Focused on colour With a pantone one year on, our theory, issue 266 chip-inspired second Franklintill featured a blend cover, issue 258 colour report of six pantone hosted our first inspired merijn inks (including colour trends Hos’ abstract three fluoros). it report, by regular cover for issue 261, was so popular ca collaborator referencing the key that ca Hq has Franklintill. palettes inside. run out of copies. c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m -3-
WELCOME january 2018 Editor’s letter Featuring Colour is a wonderfully evocative design tool, with ricardo cavolo the right palette packing an emotional punch as well as boosting aesthetic appeal. And as our cover feature spanish mural artist ricardo discusses attests, palettes can also express wider trends that life on the ‘b side’, how he’s learned span graphic design, fashion, products, and more. to cope with mental health problems and the importance of vibrant colour In our annual colour trend report (page 40), long- in his work on page 50. running CA collaborator FranklinTill identifies three www.ricardocavolo.com distinct movements, with accompanying palettes. Like the trends they represent, these are fluid, expressive alice walker and adaptable: lazy eye-dropper users need not apply. Director of verbal strategy at london On page 58, you’ll find an in-depth guide to making it studio Koto, alice reveals how the right as a designer-maker – whether you’re tapping the lucrative client conversations can reveal all you Christmas gift market, or keen to kick off the new year need to formulate a strategy – part of with an exciting new income stream. Thanks to the our video profile on page 76. inexorable rise of Etsy, Not On The High Street and other www.studiokoto.co global platforms for crafty creatives, it’s never been easier to put your talents to good use creating and selling products, gemma germains and the feature also doubles as a handy gift list for anyone keen to avoid chain stores and support independent artists. Gemma is senior content strategist at digital agency Dare. on page 20, she We also pay a visit to Koto, a young studio that combines considers whether design is having a infectious passion with a strong work ethic, and has made a #metoo moment as she explores the splash on the design scene in just three short years, largely power struggles at play in the industry. thanks to its global rebrand of Fanta. Discover the secrets www.thisisdare.com of its success in our video profile on page 76. abi overland On a more serious note, two months after the Weinstein scandal first broke, the #MeToo debate is still going strong. brighton-based designer and illustrator In her column on page 20, Gemma Germains points out abi shares how she makes a living by that design is in no way immune from abuses of power, applying her designs to ceramics – part and we all share the responsibility for addressing the issue. of our feature on becoming a successful designer-maker, starting on page 58. Next month, we’ve got another very special collectable www.abioverland.com cover to kick off 2018: you’ll have to wait to find out the full details, but to whet your appetite, the issue is dedicated james sommerville to chasing your dreams, nailing your new year’s resolutions and making it the best year ever. See you on the other side! James – vice president of global design at coca-cola – reveals the thinking NICK CArSON behind new design challenge coke x Editor adobe x You on page 82, and shares some [email protected] of the stunning work already created. www.cokexadobexyou.com Keep in touch with… @computerarts /computerarts @computerarts /computerartsmag c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m -4-
january 2018 Future Publishing ltd international Meet the teaM Quay House, The Ambury, Bath,BA1 1UA Computer Arts is available for licensing. Contact the International department nick carson editorial to discuss partnership opportunities. Matt ellis Head of international licensing editor nick Carson [email protected] Despite being November in scotland, the sun was Editor (intermittently) shining for Nick’s wedding, and it was [email protected] subsCriPtions an incredible day. the silent disco also went down a Mark Wynne Email: [email protected] storm at the bristol reception the following weekend. Art editor UK order line and enquiries: 0344 848 2852 [email protected] International: +44 (0) 344 848 2852 mark wynne rosie hilder Online: www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk Operations editor sharon todd Head of subscriptions Art editor [email protected] our art ed is thrilled to be on his way to the us by gareth Jones CirCulation Night conference in antwerp. sadly, the only way he’ll Video producer tim Mathers Head of newstrade arrive without getting lost en route is for him to be [email protected] [email protected] dismembered and packed snugly in Nick’s suitcase. Creative bloq ProduCtion rosie hilder www.creativebloq.com Mark Constance Head of production, US/UK Julia sagar Clare scott Production project manager operAtions editor Acting editor Joanne Crosby Advertising project manager aside from silent disco dancing and excessive selfie- ruth hamilton Jason hudson Digital editions controller taking at Nick’s wedding, rosie accidentally met Associate editor steve Wright Digital edition coordinator philip pullman, saw Danish comedian sofie Hagen ella taylor vivienne Calvert Production manager and watched italian drama call me by Your Name. Production editor dom Carter senior ManageMent KeY Contributors Staff writer aaron asadi Managing director Paul newman Editorial director gareth jones ManageMent ross andrews Art and design director amy hennessey greg Whittaker Head of art and design video producer Editor-in-chief dan Jotcham Commercial finance director Gareth has been crying his eyes out at call me by Will shum Printed by: Your Name. He’s still weeping two days later. He’s Senior art editor Wyndeham Peterborough, Storey’s Bar Road, also heard rosie’s trying to set up a bowling team, dave harfield Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE1 5YS quashing his hopes of a badminton resurgence. Head of editorial operations Finishing partner: Celloglas Ltd distributed by: julia sagar Contributions Marketforce, 5 Churchill Place, The AOI, Nadieh Bremer, Bruce Duckworth, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU freelAnce writer FranklinTill, Gemma Germains, Ruth www.marketforce.co.uk Tel: 0203 787 9001 Julia lost her phone in a rock jumping venture at the Hamilton, Lisa Hassell, Anna Higgie, Russell seaside this month. sadly her replacement phone Lewin, Tom May, Julia Sagar, Craig Ward, We are committed to only using magazine only works in loudspeaker mode, which makes Garrick Webster, Steve Wright paper which is derived from responsibly complaining to talktalk in the office a bit tricky. 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contEntS ISSUE 274 january 2018 cUltUrE InSIght ProjEctS 10 Trends We explore new statement aesthetic, normcore, 2 0 design’s #meToo momenT which focuses on clean lines and a minimal palette Gemma Germains explores power politics in the design industry 1 4 my design space Christian Montenegro and his wife Laura Varsky 2 2 design maTTers share how their studio reflects their ideal selves When are you most creative? How do you plan your day accordingly? 15 new venTures Why the founders of Manchester studio The 2 3 my kids ruined my career Neighbourhood are closing its doors after 10 years Craig Ward on why having children caused him to rethink his working life 16 evenTs We dive into the indie magazine scene at London’s 24 science museum rebrand ModMag and report from Adobe MAX in Las Vegas We get three perspectives on North’s Science Museum Group rebrand 1 8 inspiraTion feed Designer Mike Kus talks us through his Instagram ShowcaSE 7 6 video insigHT London studio Koto reveals how it built a global reputation overnight, aided by its rebrand of Fanta 8 2 coke x adobe x you Why Coca-Cola is letting designers get creative with its brand assets 8 8 How To visualise daTa Nadieh Bremer shares the making of her award-winning visualisation 9 2 advenTurous spiriT How Jack Renwick Studio crafted an identity for outdoor learning charity Wide Horizons 2 6 caTwalk ready Hot new work, including a vibrant identity for fashion collection Cienne c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m -8-
contents SPEcIal rEPort InDUStrY ISSUES 40 colour trends 2018 58 how to succeed as Creative consultancy FranklinTill reveals the three hottest palettes for a designer-maker the coming year, and looks back on how green made its mark in 2017 We discover how best to turn your In conVErSatIon wIth design ideas into sellable objects. Plus, 25 unique gift ideas from 50 ricardo those who have made the leap cavolo back to baSIcS The Spanish mural artist discusses life 7 0 improve your TypograpHy on ‘the B side’, and Part five of our junior designer overcoming mental manual focuses on typesetting health problems rEgUlarS SUbScrIbE anD SaVE UP to 49% 9 6 illusTraTor advice never miss an issue of computer arts. Subscribe today for pro advice and practical AOI member Sarah Fanelli shares insight every month, and save up to 49%! See page 38 for more details what to do when legal issues arise 98 design icon Bruce Duckworth on how his poster collection reflects his career so far c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m -9-
january 2018 c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m - 10 - CULT UR E Trends PeoPle evenTs InsPIrATIon each month, our Trends section is curated by experienced creative consultancy FranklinTill www.franklintill.com
january 2018 trends TRENDS normcore Continuing a shift away from excessive consumption, normcore is a new statement aesthetic that focuses on stripped-down simplicity, with clean lines and a minimal, monochrome palette ArKeT PhotograPhy: We Have seen (André Hemstedt & Tine reimer) Arket, the newest H&M brand, caters for upmarket essentialist needs across homeware and apparel, adhering to consistent considerations of quality and simplicity. www.arket.com LeSS less cosmetics reduce complex, laborious skincare regimes down to three simple steps. The brand’s core values are ‘objectivity, naturalness and a consequent reduction to the essential.’ www.welcometoless.com c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m - 11 -
CULTURE january 2018 LeAn STorAGe BY mAP www.mapfurniture.com BorInG coLLecTIon BY LenSVeLT FranklinTill STudio AnD SPAce encoUnTerS As stated on the designer’s website, the design Futures / Material Futures / Colour Futures Boring Collection \"does not pretend to be beautiful\" and \"does not claim FranklinTill Studio is a forecasting agency and creative consultancy that attention\". In its sheer simplicity and works with lifestyle brands across the disciplinary spectrum to provide modesty, the collection becomes bold research-based insights that drive creative innovations in materials, and suggests absolute confidence. colour and design. It creates reports, publications, exhibitions and events www.space-encounters.eu with the aim of making its research both accessible and inspiring. It also edits and produces two magazines, published by View Publications, which you can buy from www.viewpoint-magazine.com. VIewPoInT DeSIgn Viewpoint delivers visual, editorial and statistical information to brands, designers, agencies and consumer insight teams determined to create lifestyle products, campaigns and environments that anticipate consumer demand. written by professionals in the branding and design business, each issue explores how a significant trend will impact consumer behaviour and the global design landscape. VIewPoInT Colour launched December 2016, Viewpoint Colour offers visual inspiration, design direction and a global perspective on colour. The inaugural issue provides an in-depth analysis of the personality traits of emerging colour stories, explaining why they are relevant now and how they are currently being applied. c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m - 12 -
CULTURE january 2018 Christian Montenegro and Laura Varsky are designer- illustrators based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Christian enjoys mixing illustration with design and comics, while Laura loves working with objects and has her own line of stationery. www.christianmontenegro.com.ar, www.lauravarsky.com.ar our design space is... our sACred pLACe How Christian Montenegro and Laura Varsky’s collection of books and objects represent their ideal selves H usband and wife we find interesting,” enthuses Another film reference comes was my idea,” he grins, “because illustrators Christian Montenegro, who adds that the from Daniel Santoro’s painting (2). I know that when a couple breaks Montenegro and Laura couple have also amounted a “The image is a political riff on King up, books can be a problem...” Varsky have been working in their collection of objects, paintings and Kong,” says Montenegro. “Instead of home studio in Argentina’s capital silly things that “tell the world who a gorilla being expelled by humans, Montenegro has a more positive since 2006. Varsky originally we are and who we want to be.” the painting shows a human worker spin on two childhood books he planned to tear down the walls expelled from the city by gorillas has rediscovered as an adult – one and create one big space, but the Among these objects is a Yellow [an Argentine political group].” on Russian folktales and the other birth of the couple’s children Submarine model (1). “The movie a comic-like book on birth (4). meant that in the end, the walls is a very good summary of what The painting was a 40th “Everything I want to achieve as an stayed, and became bookcases. was happening with illustration in anniversary gift, but Montenegro illustrator is in these books,” he says. “We love books, not only design that decade,” says Montenegro, still errs on the side of caution when or illustration-related titles, but who has been influenced by the it comes to buying books – the Further inspiration comes in literature, essays, history, anything humour, colour, style and “attitude” couple own two copies of Design the form of his favourite Miyazaki of the Beatles’ film for many years. Der Wiener Werkstätte (3). “This character (5), which he bought in the artist’s museum in Tokyo. c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m - 14 -
january 2018 PeoPle 1 Co-founders Ben Davies (left) and 2 Jon Humphreys (right) cut the cake at 3 The Neighbourhood’s 10th birthday 4 party. The Manchester-based studio will 5 officially close its doors in March 2018. new Ventures tough deCisions Co-founders Ben Davies and Jon Humphreys reveal why Manchester- based studio The Neighbourhood is closing its doors after 10 years on humphreys and Ben davies how did you communicate it to the team? Jh: With absolute honesty. There’s no other J started the neighbourhood with way. People respect that more in the end, an ambition to create something no matter how hard the news is to hear. people felt part of, where they couldn’t Bd: We’re utilising our network of agency wait to go every morning. A decade on, leaders in Manchester, the UK and beyond humphreys feels they’ve achieved that, and to open doors for our team. In some cases davies describes the experience as having we’re also mentoring team members looking been a “privilege”. We found out more to form new ventures and businesses. about why they’ve decided to call it a day... Why did you choose to close the studio? how did your clients take the news? Jon humphreys: The business isn’t in bad Jh: Clients have been very understanding health, and we haven’t fallen out. But it’s and supportive. Again, honesty is hugely no secret that agency life can be hard and important – there are no multiple scripts in uncompromising. It requires a massive play. We are focused on making sure we amount of personal energy, and we give deliver on our existing commitments right that freely because you usually get back now, and making sure they can form new what you put in. When that energy isn’t relationships with people we know and trust. being replenished, it’s time to make a Bd: As we’re a project-focused business, change. We needed the time and mental transitioning clients is quite quick – in most space to rejuvenate and protect ourselves cases, over a period of weeks rather than from compromising as business owners, months. We want to recommend partners creative people, husbands and dads. who are a strong potential ‘fit’ for each client, and in many cases are playing a very active What advice would you give fellow studio role in the transition process. owners making hard decisions like this? Jh: It’s easy to battle on and try and make What are your longer-term ambitions? the best out of a situation. Timing is crucial: Jh: My creative ambitions haven’t changed, knowing when enough is enough and a but I want to operate in a more flexible way, radical change is needed. I find the heart has building agile teams around specific projects. more insight than the head in these matters. Bd: To continue to work with impassioned, Ben davies: Having a support network who intelligent and creative people on unusual aren’t working day-to-day in your business, and ambitious projects. To make things but understand it, and you, is also invaluable. happen. To form something out of nothing. To innovate. To grow. Exactly how that You’ll rarely be certain. But don’t just will manifest I don’t know, but some fresh defer and procrastinate. Keeping moving is mountain air between this incarnation of more important than standing still. Trust your The Neighbourhood and whatever comes gut, and resist the temptation to over-analyse. next may fuel some of the answers! There’s no factual data about the future. c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m - 15 -
Culture january 2018 PhotograPhy: Owen RichaRds KEY INFO: event report: ModMag17 Location long live print Conway Hall, London www.magculture.com Mark Wynne reports from 2017’s ModMag, a defiant showcase of continued rejuvenation from the indie magazine scene When 2 November 2017 C elebrating the fight back than a book; more permanent speakers, juggles time partly to of print against digital, (and beautiful) than a website. stave off boredom (cue some witty Attendees the wealth of new and animations of spinning plates). 300 established titles on show at the Lydia Garnett’s acclaimed fifth edition of ModMag proved quarterly Accent (an anti-Vogue, “Build it and they will come,” he Key speakers many small magazines are thriving anti-celebrity love letter to advised, laughing off concerns of Isabel Seiffert, Justinien rather than just surviving. ‘authenticity’) was both bold and ‘viability’. A sneak preview of his next Tribillon, Lydia Garnett, Isabel Seiffert and Justinien beautiful. Accent evolved from a Spin (Adventures in Typography 2) Tony Brook, Takahiro Tribillon kicked off proceedings website, which Garnett admitted offered a mouth-watering glimpse Kinoshita, Liv Siddall, with Migrant Journal, an could be a great place to learn of his “poems without words”. Danielle Pender, Matt ongoing sequence of six print- editorial in a “safe, non-permanent Phare, Mirko Borsche, only magazines investigating way,” but for her was a stepping Vestoj’s Anja Aronowsky Francesco Franchi, immigration. The stunning blend stone to the real prize: print. Cronberg shared Accent magazine’s Nicholas Blechman of photography, infographics and antipathy toward the “thinly veiled essays demonstrated the advantages Tony Brook lived up to his propaganda” of the fashion industry. magazines offer over books and ‘Design Legend’ billing with a Her title discusses industry taboos internet publications: deeper content frank and funny breakdown of his (issue six: On Failure) and dares to spaced over a longer period of time anti-boredom work ethos. With an challenge “the buying mood” at the enviable portfolio of clients and self- heart of fashion glossies with rich initiated projects, Brook, like many editorial and killer design. c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m - 16 -
january 2018 EVENTS event report: adobe Max 2017 sneak peek Julia Sagar discovers the future of innovation at 2017’s adobe Max It’s Nice That’s Owen Pritchard Paul Gorman – promoting his Clockwise O ne highlight from Adobe Max 2017 in delivered a brief overview of his The Story of The Face – observed from left: las vegas was the event’s Sneaks session, design website’s phenomenal the parallels between the desperate a lively panel where attendees previewed radical success, but admitted its physical politics of the ‘80s and the present, debate; Lydia innovations from the company’s research teams spin-off – Printed Pages – was noting that only magazines have the Garnett with that might – or might not – make it into the a treasured forum for the team to capacity to communicate quickly accent; Takahiro products. these potential products use Adobe prove their own creative mettle. and directly to the heart of culture. Kinoshita on Sensei – Adobe’s new Ai and machine learning Japanese title framework – to “take away the drudgery of Italian design legend Mirko Elsewhere, Eye editor John L Popeye; and a routine tasks,” helping designers work faster. Borsche’s showreel of his work Walters pointed to the benefits of virtual tour of Here are eight of the most exciting apps. for Zeit Magazin displayed equal new technology – with the 8,000 The new Yorker Project Lincoln flips the typical creative process passion for the printed page, unique covers for a recent edition by nicholas for designing a chart or infographic on its head. although despite insisting upon of Eye showing that digital evolution Blechman. Rather than using data as the starting point, this the importance of editorial and doesn’t have to mean obsolescence. app puts the creative stage first, letting users craft design working hand in hand, their graphics and then bind the data to them. some of the (beautifully) illegible The event was closed by two As the data populates the chart, the graphics work suggested that design may on maestros: Italian designer Francesco automatically adjust to the information presented. occasion have had the last word. Franchi and The New Yorker’s Another clever timesaver is Project Quick 3D, Nicholas Blechman. Franchi’s art which converts basic sketches into 3D models for A frank panel discussion was direction of titles like IL Magazine apps such as new 3D application Dimension CC dominated by the creative duo and La Repubblica scaled new by using Adobe Sensei to search Adobe Stock. behind new indie-darling Mushpit, heights of ambition and beauty, There’s also good news for illustrators. Playful Bertie Brandes and Charlotte while Blechman’s iconic title Palette reinvents the traditional painting experience Roberts. Their anti-everything proved that print offers a unique by bringing the best aspects of physical painting DIY-zine for 20-something women (and timeless) platform. Blechman (namely, the ability to mix colours on a palette) was both aggressively nihilistic and closed with a mantra that summed into the digital sphere – while offering the best of quaintly old-fashioned in its youthful up the whole day, describing The digital painting. You can rethink colour choices at enthusiasm. (It was great to see New Yorker as “a beautiful dialogue any time, for example, and won’t lose old palettes. young talent drawn to print, too.) between the future and the past.” Other quick fixes include Scene Stitch, which takes the idea of Content-Aware Fill to the next level. Instead of searching the image you’re working on for content to fill a gap, it uses Adobe Sensei to look through other images (such as those on Adobe Stock) to find content that’s a better fit. Project Cloak is similar, but for video, and enables you to mask unwanted items and remove them from your footage, using Adobe Sensei to intelligently speed up the process. Other highlights include Physics Pak, which places elements in the perfect position within Illustrator, Project Scribbler for colouring black- and-white images in a single click, and SonicScape – for 360 sound to accompany 360 video. c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m - 17 -
culture january 2018 inspiration feed Mike Kus Designer Mike Kus has always had an interest in photography. “I joined a photography club at school, where I shot and then developed pictures in my lunch break,” he recalls. “Post-school days, I left photography behind and it wasn’t until the iPhone 4 was launched that my interest in taking pictures was rekindled. For me taking pictures is a spontaneous action, it is a response to my surroundings at any given moment.” Kus’ love of photography has grown to become part of his professional life, and he has partnered with many companies through Instagram including Land Rover, LG, Victorinox, Getty and San Miguel. “I work with brands that have a synergy with my work and that want to tell an experiential brand story,” he says. “I like to share images from my everyday life on my feed,” says Kus. “More often than not I tend to capture my pictures off the cuff. I’ll be in a certain place at a certain time when a photographic opportunity presents itself. I try my best for my images to convey what it felt like to be there at the time.” www.instagram.com/mikekus c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m - 18 -
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january 2018 inSight ESSAY Strong opinion and analysis from across the global design industry gEmmA gErmAinS senior content strategist, dare www.thisisdare.com Gemma is a senior content strategist at London- based digital creative agency Dare. 2017 marks her fifteenth year in the design industry, yet she couldn’t identify the Creative Cloud icon if her life depended on it. Luckily, it doesn’t. crAig wArd design director www.wordsarepictures.co.uk Craig is a British-born design director based in New York. On page 23, he discusses how having children caused him to re-evaluate his career, and why he’s recently decided to give up his agency day job and take the plunge back into freelance life. DESIGN MATTERS: When are you most #DesignToo creative, and how do you plan your time accordingly? – page 22 Gemma Germains, senior content strategist at Dare, explores the power PLUS: Three views on North’s rebrand struggles at play in the design industry of the Science Museum Group – page 24 c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m Illustrations: - 20 - Anna Higgie www.annahiggie.co.uk
january 2018 GEMMA GERMAINS T he day after the Harvey Weinstein scandal that’s just the tip of the iceberg. This type of abuse broke, I spoke to the Computer Arts team is part of a much bigger problem. I’m not here to about writing something on ‘design’s mitigate or diminish the experiences of every woman Weinstein moment’. I think both the editor and who’s been assaulted, but focusing solely on sexual I half-expected the whole idea to slide, and for harassment won’t solve the problem of who has the the ruckus to blow over, as these things tend to. power and why it’s being abused. We celebrate violent men and paedophiles because their work in some way inspires us. We The Harvey Weinstein story has forced men idolise photographers and ‘edgy’ CEOs despite (don’t you dare #notallmen me) to confront some mounting accusations of rape, violence and abuse. very sketchy behaviour. It’s given women an Is it any wonder we all expected Weinstein and opportunity to be heard, and to an extent, to be his alleged horrors to slip quietly off the front pages? believed. We must now share that same courtesy Activist Tarana Burke’s #MeToo campaign – with others who’ve had their opportunities limited revived by actress Alyssa Milano – was the tipping by the discrimination that’s rife in our industry. point sexual harassment needed. It’s hard to discredit We pretend the design industry is a meritocracy. over 500,000 women as attention-seeking fantasists That we’ll get far with hard work and the right when all of them are saying the same thing. So far, there’s hasn’t been a big outing in the There’s a reason why design design industry. I doubt there will be. Design superstars don’t really count for much in the real is so white, and it’s the same world. Our creeps are small fry when compared to glamorous Hollywood sexual abusers. That’s reason so many of our not to say that abuse isn’t rife in design. It is. We’re just less high-profile, and a bit better at leaders are male. Power is masking it. At the moment. You only need to look at our senior leaders to abused to be retained know that something isn’t right. Despite a decade of diversity initiatives, our CDs and CEOs are attitude, but that’s not the case. There’s a reason why resoundingly male and pale. The UK design industry we’re so white, and it’s the same reason so many of is overwhelmingly white – 87 per cent so in fact. our leaders are male. Power is abused to be retained. And just 12 per cent of London’s CDs are female. It’s perhaps ironic that Tarana, a woman of colour, Women are taught rape is a consequence of their is responsible for helping the sexual abuse scandal actions. Under-represented people in the industry gain traction, seeing as a damning TUC report into are taught the same lessons. They’re put in charge of workplace racism in the UK barely registered. underfunded, unsupported diversity initiatives and Perhaps we’re too worn down by austerity, Trump tasked with solving an enormous problem from and Brexit to focus on more than one national horror a position of limited authority. And when these at a time. This might explain why we chose to neglect initiatives fail, we blame them, not the leaders who the TUC’s report. This might explain why we’ve continue to remake the industry in their own image. compartmentalised diversity and made it a white woman’s issue. Perhaps the plan is to ‘fix’ white I work at Dare, the only truly diverse agency I’ve women before moving onto people of colour, LGTB+ ever encountered. Diversity isn’t a link in its footer, communities and people with disabilities. It’s like the it’s a guiding principle. The board’s diverse and so supermarket meat counter – take a number and wait. are the staff. It really is that simple. Let’s be clear. It took American Apparel years to fire Dov Charney, despite multiple harassment cases. How we, as an industry, move forward from Vogue only severed ties with Terry Richardson Weinstein, sexual harassment and institutional recently, despite a cacophony of complaints. The discrimination will either make or break us. People industry, in fact, the world, only stopped disbelieving like me have been speaking about these subjects for women because they had no choice. a long time. Nothing changes. We need to hear these It’s nice to think that some handsy creative words from the people with power, from those directors might be sweating it out right now, but actually able to do something about it. Is power being abused in the design industry? Tweet your thoughts to @ComputerArts using #DesignToo c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m - 21 -
INSIGHT january 2018 DISCUSSION When are you most creative, and how do you plan your time accordingly? ROb ClARkE AlExANDRA DAvy ANDREW SOANS Type and logo designer Freelance production designer Creative director, Ministry of Motion www.robclarke.com www.alexdavy.net www.ministryofmotion.tv “I find working early in the morning “My best times are 7.30–11am, then “As a freelancer and business owner and late at night the best times. In the from 6pm till late. I do production I tend to work long hours and wear morning there are fewer distractions, freelance for a studio 9am-5pm, but my main love is storyboarding, so many hats throughout the day. but also I feel more positive and I need to squeeze as many extra bits of Between 9am–5pm is usually spent energised about the day ahead. After storyboarding and practising into my developing and managing projects, lunch I find my mind wandering and day when I’m not doing my main job. I become more easily distracted, and I’ve used the Readdle app Calendars for dealing with enquiry emails and a little drowsy. So I try to take a break years, using the Week View in coloured answering phone calls. I like to use this blocks. Recently, though, I’ve swapped time to be creative with the client and from around 3pm until 7 or 8pm. into Day View so I can find those little formulate a plan. The most creative – After that my creative juices should nuggets of time before 9am, or between or maybe more to the point, productive be flowing again, but the atmosphere is making dinner and relaxing. The – time for me, however, comes between more relaxed as I don’t feel the pressure alarm is good too, to remind me of answering emails or phone calls. 10pm and 2am. Those four hours are I try to switch off when going to sleep, that even if I’m at the pub or a often worth eight daytime hours. but often have a pad on the bedside basketball game I can still get a bit Creativity comes in many forms, table, ready for the best idea I’ve ever of sketching done whilst I’m there.” so I think it’s important to use had to ping into my brain at 1am.” the different creative times to complement each other.” TWEET @COMPUTERARTS OR fIND US ON fACEbOOk AnDy MARSh TúlIo MACIEl AMADEJA SpES ChARlES JoSEph @EMIlyJoyhAkIn I’ve always scheduled my olIVEIRA Usually in the evenings. Around 10pm–5am, when last few moments before most intensive creative It kicks in around 7–8pm, sleep. When all the ideas Usually my most creative so I do the majority of my everyone is dead asleep spill out, I have to write tasks for the morning. period comes two hours work in the evening and and all I can hear are the them down and keep them The periods close to sleep plan my day around that. crickets and frogs: that’s safe before I start dreaming! are the times our minds after breakfast, when when my talents kick in. are closest to our dreams. I’m full – but not too full. you can repeat at dinner. c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m - 22 -
january 2018 craig ward COLUMN My kids ruined my career Craig Ward explains why having H ere’s a riddle: I take up children caused him to re-evaluate the support system an agency your spare time and his working life (for the better) provided and that spring had keep you up late. I don’t accepted a senior vice president thank you yet I’m extremely role at a mid-sized agency. rewarding. What am I? Overall I was feeling optimistic Well, there are two answers that I would be able to balance here: your job or your kids. But rarely both. life as a father with the demands of New York agency life. I’ve always found it interesting how few of my close friends in My goodness. It was a change. The money was lovely. Having a the creative industries have children – or at the very least, have put support system and art buyers and account handlers and producers procreation off until much later in life. (producers!) was absolutely glorious. Initially, I felt really good about After some soul searching prior to the arrival of my first daughter my decision to go back into agency land. in 2013, I decided the main problem is that creative people already feel But sure enough, the pitches went as they usually do: a late night they have a proxy child in the form of their work. It bleeds out into here, a weekend there, a holiday got cancelled, the hours became longer, our personal lives, we’re emotionally invested, and the worry is that a and the agency’s creative ambitions no longer matched my own. After mewling, needful child will take up too much time for us to focus on a year, I was not only disenfranchised, but I was missing my family. the important stuff – usually more work. Many evenings would go by when the kids were already in bed when I was two years into running my studio when Holly arrived and, I got home and I’d see them only for a snatched hour in the mornings. despite my initial misgivings, what happened next took me by surprise: So last week, just before my second daughter’s first birthday, I decided I went on to have the most productive year of my career. it wasn’t worth it and resigned from my role. This is truly disastrous I didn’t grow up with a dad around so had very few expectations timing. We’ve just bought and renovated a house, and now I’m exposing of myself as a father, but it turned out I loved it. In fact I was besotted. myself to the costs and insecurities of running my own business again. And immediately after she arrived, everything else – to paraphrase In the US, this also means finding thousands of dollars for healthcare Fight Club – got the volume turned down. Every cover or commission and once again, all I can see is financial outlay. I had completed suddenly felt much less important. I was still proud of But you know what? It’s 3:15pm, I am once again master of my my work, but the endorphins kicked in and I was at the mercy of my own destiny, and I’m about to head out and pick up my daughter hormones as much as the next gushing father. from preschool. And I cannot wait. When our second arrived in late 2016, I was in a different place How do you juggle agency life with being a parent of young children? entirely, creatively speaking. After five years of flying solo, I missed Tweet your thoughts to @ComputerArts using #DesignMatters c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m - 23 -
INSIGHT january 2018 REBRAND FOCUS Focus on: Science Museum rebrand North has united the Science Museum Group with a new visual identity. We present three views of the new branding... LouiS MikoLay GreG Spraker oLLy BrowNiNG Senior designer, Senior art director, Grafik Head of marketing and North www.grafik.agency freelance art director www.northdesign.co.uk www.twitter.com/yourolly “The Science Museum Group is the world’s “Given the family of organisations the new “Seeing the Science Museum had rebranded leading alliance of science museums; five identity aims to unite, it does a decent job came as a shock to me, especially as there was world-class museums around the UK that of establishing a cohesive visual language and always a little place in my heart for the old share five million visitors and the world’s remaining serviceable across a wide variety logo. With that said, the new identity seems largest collection of science and tech objects. of applications. With its use of colour gradients to give the museum a sense of cohesion in and fading character weights, it dutifully a way I hadn’t really seen there before; from The group have been aligning themselves checks all of the necessary boxes except one: wayfinding to shops to those lovely gradient by pooling their collection, increasing shared it’s vacant of any excitement whatsoever. There staff T-shirts I want to steal. The new colour programming, and developing a new site it is, in all of its custom sans-serif, expertly palette and gradients seem sufficiently with a shared architecture and assets. typeset glory, and yet I feel absolutely nothing ‘science-y’ too, and I hope they won’t tire of towards it. No wonder or awe. No inspiration. them too quickly. Whilst the new font SMG To support these strategies and foster Not even anger. The whole of it is exquisitely Sans has utterly divided opinion, I actually find a sense of unity and purpose, North was forgettable. The greatest achievement of this I prefer its use in the reverse – where the font briefed in three areas. Firstly, to help identity is also its greatest failing: it’s so broad graduates from thin to heavy like on the event develop a strategy to unite the museums in function that it’s rendered meaningless. posters; it seems to do a better job of ‘inspiring with a shared mission that allows each With a brand mission of ‘inspiring futures’, futures’ as per the museum’s brand mission – site to pursue their specialities. Secondly, it will need to work harder and more creatively not fading into the distance. I’m excited to see to support the renaming of the National to help it reach such a lofty goal.” what they make with the new look. ” Media Museum. And thirdly, to create a new group visual language that helps present the sites as a cohesive ‘family’ of museums.” c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m - 24 -
january 2018 science museum rebrand illumination is a central feature of the new identity, which unites museums in london, bradford, manchester, York and shildon. this concept is explored through the use of vibrant colour gradients, as well as the changing font weight in the logo. c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m - 25 -
sHoWcase Computer Arts selects the hottest new design, illustration and motion work from the global design scene Rich visuals Cienne identity by Lotta Nieminen Studio www.lottanieminen.com Brooklyn-based designer and art director Lotta Nieminen was asked to create a visual identity for Cienne, a socially and environmentally conscious women’s ready-to-wear fashion collection. Inspired by stripes of fabric used in the brand’s very first collection, Nieminen created a bold, vibrant colour palette that runs across everything from Cienne’s business cards to its packaging, envelopes and promotional materials. “The brand colours are designed to be layered or stand alone, and last longer than just a season,” explains Nieminen. “While the red and magenta form the key colours of printed implementations, the website – which was developed by Hugo & Marie – relies heavily on black in order to give centre stage to the imagery.”
SHOWCASE january 2018 com pu t er a r t s .cr e at i v eb lo q .com - 28 -
january 2018 SHOWCASE Lotta Nieminen created a rich Just as Cienne’s founders sought e-commerce experience with colour palette around red and a more purposeful approach to smooth animations and transitions. magenta for the women’s brand. everyday dressing, the brand’s stationery exudes an elevated The identity’s occasional use of black Cienne’s sophisticated printed and chic aesthetic. and white helps elevate the bold collateral visually reflects the brand’s colour palette elsewhere. core values of empowerment The website, created by Hugo & and craftmanship. Marie, champions a contemporary com pu t er a r t s .cr e at i v eb lo q .com - 29 -
SHOWCASE january 2018 New perSpectiveS DRone alphabet by Anthony Velen www.instagram.com/anthonyvelen Multi-disciplinary Swiss designer Anthony Velen took to the skies for his recent 36 Days of Type project. “I always loved aerial shots, especially when the camera is pointing down. This can lead to unusual discoveries, such as interesting shapes, lines and sometimes typography,” he explains. Velen uses Google Maps to locate typographically interesting buildings, before photographing them with the help of a drone. He likens his process to a “treasure hunt” and admits he’s almost crashed more than once. “The landing can be difficult in Swiss narrow streets,” he laughs. “My goal is to achieve a complete alphabet. I love the idea of design with things that already exist; to see them from a different angle.” com pu t er a r t s .cr e at i v eb lo q .com - 30 -
january 2018 SHOWCASE FLowiNg grouNdS “the magazine’s visual concept ensures a unique voice: bold colours and a custom-made typeface that guide the reader through the narrative MigRant issue thRee layers of the publication; intricate maps and vivid infographics that by Offshore Studio invite one to explore topics in a greater, atlas-like depth; and eclectic www.migrantjournal.com sequences of images accentuating the publication’s rhythm.” launched in 2016, six-issue publication migrant Journal – by offshore studio – explores the circulation of people, goods, information, fauna and flora around the world. For its third issue, Flowing Grounds, the team explored movement and migration in the air and at sea. “these mobile spaces of death, pleasure, traffic and infrastructure are our most flamboyant and tragic issue to date,” says offshore’s christoph miller. com pu t er a r t s .cr e at i v eb lo q .com - 31 -
january 2018 SHOWCASE MMoeSvMeeMreiNSitNSg noise x giF Fest iDentity by BÜRO UFHO www.ufho.com Noise x GIF Fest is Singapore’s biggest GIF festival. When it came to crafting the event’s loud identity, local studio BÜRO UFHO realised the design would need to work as both a static piece of print as well as an animation. “It was pretty much set from the start that the poster would have to be an animated GIF,” laughs BÜRO UFHO creative director Jun T. The team created 13 different logo variations, which, when played as a sequence, create an illusion of movement. Meanwhile, textures move across the event’s poster to produce a sense of depth and animation. “We also constructed the face in 3D,” adds Jun T, “resulting in a looping GIF poster that’s in line with the theme and concept.” death aNd LiFe MoRte e viDa uteRina Music viDeo by Daniel Bruson www.dogday.tv Brazilian animator and designer Daniel Bruson worked with singer/songwriter Paula Cavalciuk to create the music video for her song Morte E Vida Uterina. “Paula expanded on her motivations for the lyrics, and I came up with this idea of a girl entering puberty and having to go through life being broken to pieces at every step,” he explains. Bruson used stop-motion to reflect the character’s fractured experiences and topics of gender oppression and misogyny. “This concept of a cycle where the character’s body and mind were shattered and rebuilt, using fragments of whatever is left, suggested to me that everything should feel very tactile, intimate,” he says. “The resilience of when the character puts her glasses on, near the end, and just keeps going is my favourite part.” com pu t er a r t s .cr e at i v eb lo q .com - 33 -
SHOWCASE january 2018 privacy MatterS spyscape bRanDing by SomeOne www.someoneinlondon.com “Spyscape is an entirely new endeavour setting out to be the planet’s go-to brand for matters concerning spying, espionage and privacy,” begins Simon Manchipp, founder and executive strategic creative director at London-based agency SomeOne. “It could sound scary, but Spyscape shows people how spy skills are transferable to your everyday life, helping you see the world more clearly.” SomeOne’s brief was to create the visual and verbal branding for the project. Starting from the position of ‘question everything’, the team decided to tamper with notions of clarity. Question marks facing the wrong way replace the letter ’S’ in the typographic logo, while other letterforms are shown only in part. “We wanted to make people work harder to obtain information,” explains Manchipp, “just like the intelligence services have to.” com pu t er a r t s .cr e at i v eb lo q .com - 34 -
SHOWCASE january 2018 party eNergy MoRiaRty bRanDing by Bond www.bond-agency.com Briefed to create a new brand identity for luxury event planning specialist Moriarty, creative agency Bond explored the notion that curating great events is an artform. “We crafted a series of abstract illustrations as a distinctive supporting brand element in contrast with the more structured typographic language,” explains creative director Hugh Miller. Working across the Moriarty website, stationery and pitch documents, Bond created a language of contrasts. Vibrant colour and abstract forms juxtapose cool grey tones and navy blue materials. “The abstract art has a kind of punk spirit, which we like,” adds creative director Tyrone Lou. “Allowing accidents to happen through mark-making gives a dynamic energy and a rebellious spirit.” com pu t er a r t s .cr e at i v eb lo q .com - 36 -
january 2018 SHOWCASE com pu t er a r t s .cr e at i v eb lo q .com - 37 -
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special report January 2018
Colour trends 2018 colour trends2 0 1 8 Creative consultancy FranklinTill reveals the hottest colour palettes for the coming year Featured image: Kairos by Lucy Hardcastle
special report January 2018 Green had its year in 2017. The Broadview Hotel by Blok gree2017 recap Not only did Pantone stamp its seal on Greenery their personal favourite colour from Biophilia by GF Smith for Colour of the Year, but a a seemingly infinite spectrum. The variation of the hue also won the colours submitted were analysed to people’s vote in GF Smith’s World’s pinpoint ‘the world’s favourite’ and Favourite Colour campaign. ultimately saw Annie Marrs’ teal- esque green initiated into the paper 2017 also saw the realisation of manufacturer’s Colourplan range. the impact of our impending urban future come to the fore; the UN Last year, we predicted the onset affirmed that more than 50 per cent of an Engineered Nature palette of us live in cities, and owing to our (issue 261), in which organic shades increased urbanisation, pollution work in synergy with scientifically levels became a key global concern. manipulated synthetic greens. As we enter 2018, we are seeing shades Perhaps then it is no wonder of green in design expand beyond that green – the colour most the expected. What began as the synonymous with nature and the pursuit for a greater connection great outdoors – saw such appeal. with nature – with organic greens Our environments, both work infused into spaces and products and play, have become awash with – has evolved into more luxurious greenery, from the cultivation of uses of green, engineered nature house plants, window boxes and and the emergence of Art Deco mini-ecosystems, to allotments, and tropical luxe-inspired palettes. pop-up green oases and even vast vertical gardens. Over the next few pages, we provide you with the key colours Designers and architects for 2018, with the insights driving are increasingly buying into the these palettes. At FranklinTill biophilia hypothesis – which we don’t believe in reporting states that as humans, we have flash-in-the-pan seasonal trends. an inherent need to connect Trends don’t simply disappear, but with greenery and the natural movements gather momentum and world – and are ‘designing-in’ colour palettes evolve, manifesting nature to new spaces more and in different ways as they move more. Boutique houseplant stores from the periphery towards the and city conservatories have mainstream. Neither do we believe gained high design status, while in mimicking great design in an accounts from the likes of plant- attempt to be ‘on trend’. We aim to loving photographers Haarkon draw attention to the people behind attract hundreds of thousands emerging design movements and of followers on Instagram. celebrate their creativity. So read on to discover three such movements, While the grassy shade of and the palettes that reflect them... Pantone’s Greenery may not have filtered into commercial design on a mass-market level, related green tones and shades have become firmly established across specialisms. Khaki has affirmed itself a staple shade akin to navy and black, prolific in fashion, while more exotic tones of jade and forest green are combined with rose and warm metals for a luxury aesthetic. GF Smith’s World’s Favourite Colour campaign invited people to engage with an interactive website in order to finely tune and select c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m - 42 -
january 2018 Colour trends 2018 en light Pantone Colour of the Year with Airbnb Collection 06 by Thisispaper c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m - 43 -
special report january 2018 Pantone 290 C Kairos by Lucy Hardcastle C23 m0 y1 k0 Pantone 2627 C C85 m100 y6 k38 interacPoketoAuroraWallPlanner Jennifer Young Studio by Kati Forner Pantone 7437 C C14 m35 y0 k0 Glow by Lucy Hardcastle Pantone 7541 C C7 m1 y3 k2
january 2018 Colour trends 2018 Pantone 607 C C3 m0 y34 k0 Broken White at Design Academy Eindhoven and Van Abbemuseumctive The way we interact with Artists are experimenting with colour is changing. We live various materials and colour Christopher Kane F/W 2017 in a digital reality in which compositions to subvert perceptions hyperreal and digital-real aesthetics of surface and space through use are so ubiquitous that of clever, sensitive colour and light we often can’t tell the difference applications. A new generation of between synthetically generated designers is picking up the mantle and real imagery. Realer-than-real of established light artists, such as effects, once the dominion of Larry Bell and DeWain Valentine, Hollywood editing suites, have to reinterpret the experimental art been democratised through the movement in tangible forms. advancements of CAD technologies so that creatives in wider areas Echoing the principles of the can exploit the possibilities of light and space movement, Sabine boundless digital creation, often Marcelis examines how far she can to a highly experimental degree. push the relationship between light and materiality. The Rotterdam- These designers are creating based designer uses light as a New Age aesthetics. This look tool to transform. Mutating the and feel suggests boundless presumed aesthetic characteristics movement and is being increasingly of materials such as glass, mirror adopted by design in the physical and metal, Marcelis’ pieces disrupt world, as product packaging and paths of light through opaque communication lean towards this matter and form tinted reflections. idea of an alternative real aesthetic. The Curved Twist screen by Kia One of the new wave of artists Utzon-Frank, in collaboration with and designers exploring the digital Fay McCaul, incorporates 21,500 aesthetic is Lucy Hardcastle, whose dichroic rods that have been knitted work regularly interrogates the into the screen in order to create relationship between digital a colour-changing effect. The and real-world design. Glow, a perceived colour of the screen is collection of abstract, rendered unpredictable and totally images and objects, uses high-gloss dependent on the quality of light and reflective surfaces, with textures and the angle of the viewer. of silk and velvet, to ground the work. Hardcastle describes her The idea that colour should palette as “emotive, and atmospheric”, move is influencing graphic design using “millennial” pastels and visual communication, by contrasted with strong colour. way of iridescence and special treatments. Designers are making We are so used to colour being smart use of special finishes and dynamic, fluid and interactive in foil to bring ethereal movement our screen-based experiences that to printed work. Holographic and we are now demanding the same iridescent special foils mimic qualities from physical tangible in print the effects achieved by colour. A host of product and product designers using glass spatial designers are reprieving reflective surfaces as well as the the aesthetics of the light and space fluid gloss quality of hyperreal movement of the ’60s and creating digital colour. An otherworldly optical effects through reflection, palette synthesises the ephemeral refraction and light dispersion in quality of coloured light and is order to transform environments. combined with hyperreal pastels. c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m - 45 -
january 2018 Powder Variations by Carl Emil Jacobsen. Pantone 727 C Photography by Mindcraft/www.jeppegudmundsen.com C2 m21 y32 k6 Pantone 1665 C Fornace Brioni by Cristina Celestino. Photography by Mattia BalsaminiC0 m79 y100 k0primitive Jaile An at Central St Martins, 2016 Pantone 1807 C Petra Lilja for Swedish Ninja C10 m93 y71 k33 m special report
january 2018 Colour trends 2018 Commes Des Garcons F/W 2017 Terracotta Furniture by ChrisLast year, we presented a colour key material of the moment. Wolston. Photography by Clemens story titled Material Reveal. The functional unpretentious Kois for Patrick Parrish Gallery This was a celebration of the earthenware is being celebrated for organic beauty of unadulterated its natural orange hue, in marked Pantone 5025 C natural materials and was driven by contrast to more purist ceramic C3 m30 y13 k7 a backlash against industrial, mass materials. Primitive resources produced design in a homogenised suggest longevity and rough-hewn, Talisman by Daphne Laurens minimalist aesthetic. This shift hand-worked surfaces are respected towards crafted material colour is for their honest imperfections. Pantone BlaCk 5 showing no signs of disappearing, C42 m69 y37 k85 but the muddy earthen brown In a true act of colour activism, hues have evolved into saturated sculptor Carl Emil Jacobsen created terracotta and burnt sienna shades. the Powder Variations series. Dissatisfied with the mass Designers are reinitiating produced standardised pigments intimate connections to tactile of stoneware glaze, Jacobsen materials, products and spaces, looked to his environment to create embracing a creative regression. various native pigments. Collecting They are devolving fabrication fieldstones, tiles and bricks from techniques in order to reconnect his local landscape in Denmark, he with matter and craftsmanship. crushed and ground the materials The imprints of techniques and to create bespoke pigments with processes are embedded in the a truly local narrative. aesthetic outcomes of new crafted products as designers employ slow, These vibrant earthen shades laborious methods and allow are even finding a place in the world material origins to dictate final of luxury fashion. The Bureau outcomes. Surfaces are rough-hewn Betak design catwalk setting for and natural, appealing to a desire Ermenegildo Zegna’s spring/ for tactile reconnection. summer 2018 show saw a blanket of striking burnt orange sand The imperfect finishes bear coat the ground, punctuated by testament to the considered reflective geometric plinths. creation of each item and the respect of new craftspeople for In graphic design, illustration traditional techniques. With a and packaging fibrous papers allow focus on materiality, surfaces the material to do the talking. display respectful manipulations They add texture to colour in that retain natural aesthetic printed material. Paper derived qualities in honest material colours. from unorthodox origins, waste Rich earth tones, clay browns and food, such as coffee grounds or nude have a grounding effect on spent hops, for example, suggest the user, evoking a reassuring and celebrate sustainable connection to organic matter. alternatives through the use of inherent natural aesthetics. Terracotta is becoming a c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m - 47 -
Neverland by Emily Forgot special report Galerie Party by Studio GGSV Pantone 172 C C0 m73 y87 k0 Pantone 383 C playful Pantone 7422 C C29 m1 y100 k18 Pantone 286 C C0 m16 y3 k0 C100 m75 y0 k0 c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m Suspended Confetti by Chiaozza and Studio Proba - 48 - Walala X Play by Camille Walala for the Now Gallery
J Colour trends 2018 Henrik Vibskov S/S 2018. Photography b Victor Jones As an antidote to everyday narratives and lose ourselves mundane stresses and in simple intuitive interaction. Pantone 7406 C pressures, we are finding C0 m20 y100 k2 release in regression, replacing Described as a ‘temple of highbrow pursuits with honest wonder’, Camille Walala’s Now Galerie Party by Studio GGSV and innocent play and reverting Gallery installation is a labyrinth to childlike experimentation of colour and pattern, encouraging and inquiry. visitors to “be more aware of their bodies, engage their minds and give Our increasingly urban themselves over to play”. environments are witnessing a transformation as shared city In honour of Centre Pompidou’s spaces are reinvented as convivial 40th anniversary, surrealist play spaces both literally and designers GGSV have created a metaphorically. The city is no fantastical interactive playground. longer a drab grey industrial The Paris-based duo took landscape of concrete, metal and inspiration from the likes of René motors, redolent of utility and Magritte, Ettore Sottsass and business. Instead it is a vibrant, Gaetano Pesce to design Galerie energetic, constantly evolving Party, a garden of distorted forms entity – a sensory landscape that at exaggerated scales, with prints is inspiring a refreshed playful and colours that bombard the approach across design categories senses. The multitude of playscape from visual communication to elements invites assembly and fashion and interiors. reconfiguration, suggesting multiple composition possibilities Designers are rediscovering and highlighting the role of play the creative and intellectual value in self-expression. of play, remembering that the act of play is itself a learning experience The pieces in avant-garde and route to creation. We are seeing designer Henrik Vibskov’s spring/ a reappreciation for playfulness summer 2018 collection are and happy accidents as designers adorned with cartoonish motifs. embrace naive experimentation Knit jacquards depict ambiguous in their practice. Bold and defiant caricatured creatures and facial designs of product, space, visual features while a neutral peach communication and fashion are palette is punctuated by flashes injected with a sense of humour. of bright primaries. The Memphis Group’s aesthetic In graphic design, illustration is experiencing a renaissance, and packaging, clashing brights reinterpreted in alternative scales are applied in stripes, spots and and applications. Monochrome abstract shapes that jigsaw across patterns are juxtaposed with surfaces. Plasticised finishes and block brights in geometric and spot gloss varnishes are applied to irregular configurations. flat graphics and figurative forms Stereotypical spaces and product take a surrealist lilt. designs are adopting saturated Pantone 3275 C colour palettes and abstract forms NEXT QUIT YOUR JOB IN 2018 C90 m0 y52 k0 that challenge us to invent and MONTH Ditch that dead-end role imagine, to draw up our own and embrace exciting new opportunities. c o m p u t e r a r t s . c r e at i v e b l o q . c o m - 49 -
IN CONVERSATION sepjtaenmubarery 20187
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