AWOL trends

O21C ORANGE

AWOLtrends — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 18:47:29 +0000

As colors go, orange (specifically Pantone O21c) has had a good run in the design world. Despite taking a back seat through antiquity to various golds, blues, reds, and whites, it would seem the visual merits of the color were finally recognized in the mid 20^th century. As the legend goes, a young Bauhaus designer accidentally spilled red and yellow paints together in the early 1960’s, applied it to a Braun radio, and thus started the color’s meteoric rise to the front of every designer’s crayon box. O21c Orange became synonymous with 1960s print media and mod fashion, furniture and interior décor in the 1970s, the General Lee in the 1980s, and then took off in the late 1990s and early 2000s to find itself applied to almost every product in every category. From trade show booths, to MP3 players, to fashion accessories, to branding, this shade of orange became the go-to color for communicating youthfulness, modernity, and devil-may-care flamboyance. Marc Newson’s 021c concept car for Ford, which debuted in 1999 at the Tokyo Auto Show, seemed to be the spark that opened the flood gates for the color’s most recent surge across the design world. It came to be that any designer contemplating a color choice, whether as a small accent or as an entire CMF variation, would default to this ubiquitous hue, almost by pure subconscious instinct. Well, as with all design trends, adoration is always followed by anesthetization. Simply put, this particular shade of orange doesn’t have the visual punch it once did. More discerning designers have moved it to the back of the crayon box, and are instead reaching for alternatives. O21c Orange is evolving into new shades, from last year’s hot color Tangerine, to yellow-oranges, to pinkish oranges, to traffic-cone fluorescent oranges. Or even out of that neighborhood of the color wheel entirely: for example the Process Colors (Cyan, Yellow, Magenta) are seeing a huge surge in many categories. We don’t advocate discarding the color entirely, in some product categories which lag behind the general aesthetic curve (we’re looking at you, Medical), O21c Orange may still be a very appropriate color solution as an accent or indicator. Whether this declining trend impacts global demand for orange Tic-Tacs, time can only tell.

HALFTONE RE-IMAGINED

AWOLtrends — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 18:48:59 +0000

The halftone pattern has been a staple of the graphic and print disciplines for over a century. It is typically defined by a repeated geometric dot pattern that fools the human eye into perceiving a gradation of color or value. In its purest use, the halftone pattern is meant to be rendered so small as to be almost imperceptible to the human eye. Everyone who has read a magazine, or newspaper, or even examined the portraits on our currency has succumbed to this visual illusion, and yet few really look closely at how amazingly the illusion is achieved. However, the modern age’s love of turning the mundane and ubiquitous into something to be celebrated has caught up with this humble pattern. The first to celebrate the impact of the halftone pattern was Roy Lichtenstein, whose comic book-style portraits turned the pattern into a scaled-up macro design element. Recent use of the halftone as an aesthetic theme has occurred in the Architecture, Branding, Fashion, Furniture, and even Automotive categories. However, these modern treatments do away with the typical micro-gradating dot pattern, instead reinterpreting the effect in exciting new ways. These can be either going large-scale, as on the side of a building, or using triangles and hexagons as the repeated module, or even relying on the illusion created by simple linear bands. The pattern has even evolved from being an applied 2D graphic to being an array of through-holes in a material, allowing light and shadow to further amplify the effect. Found objects can even be used as the basis of the repeating pattern: such as ping-pong balls stuck into the hollows of a chain-link fence, or the novel use of stick-on googley eyes. Some designers opt for the subtle approach, with familiar icons (such as Einstein’s famous portrait) hidden within the pattern, only visible from a distance. The one detraction of utilizing this trend is that it can be notoriously difficult to create convincingly, especially when trying to replicate something as complex as a portrait (although simple gradations are easy enough). While you should be prepared to dive into the world of Adobe plug-ins, be not discouraged: the versatile halftone is enjoying a 21^st century resurgence.

EPHEMERA

AWOLtrends — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 19:14:28 +0000

We are surrounded by objects that are constantly fighting for our visual attention. From consumer electronics like TVs and smartphones, to consumer packaged goods like cereal, detergent, or soda, from fashion to furniture, the products we depend on in our lives are always shouting “Look at me! Pay attention to me!”. Typically our job as designers has been to fuel this struggle for attention, skillfully tweaking design elements like color, material, form, branding, or lighting to generate maximum visual impact and differentiation. But if everything is unique and iconic, then nothing is. Do you really want your Blu-Ray player or toothbrush or shampoo to be doing the visual equivalent of ALL CAPS SHOUTING at you, all day long? A movement has begun that runs counter to the assumption that good design is loud design. Through many different techniques, designers in a variety of categories have begun to explore objects that recede from our attention rather than command it. Primarily this has been through manipulation of an object’s colors and materials to create an ephemeral quality. Transparent plastics or glass allow the background to blend through the product, fine wire mesh membranes that flow and bend with the lightness of solidified smoke, gauzy translucent fabrics that float and diffuse light, reflective panels that blend into the surrounding sky: these techniques create almost ghost-like objects. They have a mystique that still draws the user in due to the subtle hint of structure and obscurity, but in a much less forceful manner. The Ephemera theme produces objects that are sensed before they are truly seen and understood, almost like a mirage. It is related to Minimalism, but even Minimalism can produce strikingly intense visual design. Typical color palates range into lighter/white tones, but even the dark wire mesh constructions possess the same gossamer lightness. Naturally, this trend would have difficulty being applied across the board to every product category. CE products or automobiles with extensive internal componentry may end up looking more complicated if those parts were shown through a translucent outer housing. But for products whose internal volume is mostly void of technical components, and if the competitive market is full of ANNOYINGLY LOUD products, then the Ephemera trend might provide a breath of fresh air for visually assaulted consumers.

FORM REINTERPRETATION

AWOLtrends — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 21:55:56 +0000

In keeping with the Reinterpretation theme’s principle of modifying a single aspect of a design, the Form Reinterpretation trend focuses purely on…FORM! This general stylistic mode seeks to present familiar cultural icons back to the consumer in fresh ways that create both a sense of familiarity and surprise. In these examples that focus only on form, it is critical that all other aspects of an icon remain unchanged (proportions, materials, color, graphics, etc.) so that the change in shape can be fully noticed and appreciated. This trend has its roots in the Furniture category, as designers sought to create bespoke pieces that would command attention at the Milan Furniture Fair in the late 2000s (and reinterpreting old icons can create just as much acclaim as unveiling something completely new). It moved into Installation Art, with artists reinventing familiar icons from bikes to aircraft, and has just started to show up in more mainstream product design. Regardless of creative category, it is critical that the designer begin with selecting an icon that is truly familiar and instantly recognizable as part of the cultural landscape: using new forms/products will not work. You cannot RE-interpret what has never been interpreted in the first place, or is still getting chewed on by the cultural molars. Lightbulb (incandescent or fluorescent)= good icon to use (see the Plumen bulb example). Burt Rutan’s SpaceShip One = bad icon to use (because it’s so new and futuristic, we’re all still getting used to it). Our own personal rule of thumb for an icon’s cultural permeation is: if five-year olds are drawing it with crayons, then that’s a good sign. In most of these examples, the result is more of a tongue-in-cheek result (the tricycle, most of the chair concepts), although in the case of the Vans iphone case, the application of this trend makes perfect sense, aligning with both brand heritage and functional need to create a viable consumer product. If applied to the right category, this trend has the potential to spark real stylistic and functional innovation, as well as jar our aesthetic expectations.

EXAGGERATED CRAFT

AWOLtrends — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 05:15:48 +0000

Some aesthetic themes arise purely as a counterpoint to an established visual mode. For decades, we’ve surrounded ourselves with increasingly polished, seamless, perfect objects; from smartphones to automobiles, the stylistic vector has been ever towards shiny, sleek, rational, and technological. Made by machines, with all hints of an artisanal human hand increasingly absent, this is a critical aspect of modernity. While we see no reason for this aesthetic to be truly challenged in the long run, an interesting visual mode has been rising up in opposition. This trend seeks to focus on traditional elements of hand-made craft, such as the characteristic zigzag pinked seamstress pattern, hammered studs or rivets, or heritage materials like felt, rope, or woven/gathered fibers. But the real key is to exaggerate those elements to a high degree, to the point they become first-read design elements. Other design elements should be purposefully downplayed to amplify the effect. For example, in the red Fury chair, the zigzag cut pattern typical of textile work is exaggerated in scale. In Helena Westerlind’s and Tanya Aguiñiga’s knitted rope accessories, the chain-knit knot pattern is scaled up to become the primary design motif. Exaggerated Craft began appearing in recent years primarily in the Furniture and Fashion categories (although Marc Newson’s early Lockheed Lounge chair (mid-1990’s) hints at early hand-made aeronautical metalwork). Some designers in Fashion, Accessories, and Furniture have carved out a niche based on Exaggerated Craft, and sites such as Etsy have created a sustained interest despite the low production quantities associated with hand-crafted items. Tom’s Shoes has been able to elevate this trend to mass-production levels of scale, yet retain key design elements that speak to the hand-crafted nature of their iconic shoe, such as the rough woven canvas and pleated toe folding. Again, not for every brand or product category, but very effective for tech-saturated markets where consumers are seeking to get back in touch with our hand-crafted heritage. Now… where did we put those pinking shears?

ORGANIC FORM/ GEOMETRIC MATRIX

AWOLtrends — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 16:11:14 +0000

The interplay between the organic and the geometric is at the heart of the Geo-Organic category. This trend is very closely related to Geometric Form/Organic Matrix, but inverts the relationship between form and structure. Whereas the previous theme employs highly rational, primitive, geometric forms supported by a chaotic cellular internal lattice (like the Water Cube), the Organic Form/Geometric Matrix trend uses flowing, curving, organic volumes constructed from an internal matrix of repeating rigid geometric modules. The type of module can be highly varied (2×4 wood planks, felt spheres, ceramic discs, sheets of translucent plastic, etc.), but is always some basic geometrically-described shape. Also, the repeating internal pattern can range from fairly chaotic to orderly repetition. Overall forms tend to be either subtly or acutely curvaceous, from blob-like volumes to dynamic flowing sheets, but never straight, angular, or rigid. The overall impression of this trend is one of liveliness, motion, flow, and a juxtaposition of both simplicity and complexity. These forms seem alive. Inspired by the natural world from veins in leaves to the structure within bones, designers have lately used this association (especially in Architecture and Furniture) to create dynamic visual statements. Due to the internal complexity of these structures, manufacturing/assembly can be a challenge. In mimicking what nature does so easily, we have to hand-assemble each matrix module, or as in the case of Trabecula invent new production technologies like 3D-printing to create them. But if these production complexities can be overcome, imagine the possibilities of seeing this trend within the Automotive or Product categories…anyone up for the challenge? We’re looking at you.

VECTOR LINES

AWOLtrends — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 17:19:52 +0000

We’ve posted several trends about the interplay between the digital and physical worlds. One aspect of the digital aesthetic that has emerged, coinciding with a broader revisiting of 1980’s design cues, is the Vector Line. Originally, this element was introduced via early 1980’s (even late 1970’s) arcade graphics: Asteroids, Tempest, Battlezone, Qix (our favorite) and the holy grail of vector-based games: Star Wars. This theme became a major graphic element in non-digital categories at the time as well. But with the evolution of more advanced graphics, the Vector Line quickly faded despite the strong visual identity it conveyed. Flash forward 30 years, and the 1980’s are back in force. Along with Day-Glo, skinny jeans, and 8-bit style, Vector Lines have shown a resurgence as well. This time around, they both pay homage to their original use as a method of graphic representation, as well as explore new modern aesthetic territory in completely new categories (Fashion, Furniture, Interiors, etc.). Designers at Nike are employing this trend in conjunction with their new ultra-light structural technique called Flywire. Here the individual lines cross at oblique angles, forming a dynamic lattice-like matrix of structural woven fibers. Marc Newson’s G-Star Raw line explores classic vector patterns with bold modern iconography and color. While probably not appropriate for every product category or market, Vector Lines can convey a nod to digital heritage, a fresh and bold graphic motif, and possibly a subliminal urge to burn a few quarters at the local arcade. Also check out two related trends: Techno Line and Pixelmania.

MODERN FORM/PRIMITIVE MATERIAL

AWOLtrends — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 15:35:39 +0000

In keeping with the Juxtaposition category’s deliberate fusion of disparate ideas, this trend focuses on the union of both form and material, and past and present. This one-two punch of clashing design elements and design eras tickles our creative minds in all the right places. Using this method, we see clean, geometric, minimal, modern forms heavily contrasted with roughly-textured natural fiber weaves, primitive rough-hewn stonework, shaggy fiber piles, or even inter-woven tree branches. Such materials and process are typically associated in our collective mind with the long human history of the aesthetics of baskets, huts, boats, and other structures. Deliberately clashing these with the frequently cold, inhuman, rational aesthetics of modern minimalism brings a sense of warmth, relevance, and humanization. The great artist Andy Goldsworthy has long employed this method to re-frame our views of the natural world around us in incredible new ways. The first consumer product category to whole-heartedly adopt this theme has certainly been Furniture. These designers began with employing coarsely-woven fibrous bands (more typical of basket-weaving) to construct very modern geometric forms. Now, they have moved into more primitive fabrics like raw felt or course burlap. Few other categories have adopted this trend yet: we like our cars and consumer electronics shiny, and this trend is definitely not a good fit for achieving shininess. Maybe a mud-brick iPhone case? Or a rattan Bugatti?

PROPORTION REINTERPRETATION

AWOLtrends — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 15:06:23 +0000

In keeping with the Reinterpretation category, this trend builds on the concept that familiar icons can be refreshed and revitalized by specifically amplifying a single key design attribute. Proportion Reinterpretation explores scaling, stretching, or compressing an object’s proportions. This can be simply scaling the object, stretching it along one of its axes (that’s the plural of axis, we had to look it up…), compressing it along a single axis, or selectively amplifying one aspect of an object while maintaining the rest of the icon (as in the Chanel and Martin Maison examples). This trend has been explored in almost all design categories (Transportation, Furniture, Interiors, Product, Architecture, although not in Digital yet), but has its origins in the historic aesthetic of luxury. Stretched limousines, high ceilings, top hats, sky-scraper-top penthouses, proportions are one of the most commonly used design elements to communicate the iconography of wealth. This method has certainly moved mainstream, although in smaller degrees. The minor stretch required to go from a Mini Cooper to a Mini Clubman (while preserving the original icon) is still palatable to the general buying public. The sky-high seat back of Ipe Cavalli’s Visionnaire chair is clearly meant to dominate a room, be a visual statement, and be accessible to only a very exclusive few. So designers: smoosh, stretch, and scale to your hearts’ content (but if it’s for the consumer market, maybe just not quite so much…).

COLOR DIPPING

AWOLtrends — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 14:08:22 +0000

As designers, we’re always looking for a strong first-read stylistic element that will attract the target user’s immediate visual attention. In the last few years, a trend has emerged that exclusively uses a single color to create this aesthetic hook. Very simply, Color Dipping involves (sometimes literally) dipping a complete form into a single uniform color. The overall effect is fresh, unified, and bold, but of course much depends on the color selected. Ironically, the roots of this trend extend to the commonplace infrastructure that is around us every day: fire hydrants, lifeguard towers, fire extinguishers, these objects have long taken advantage of the fact that a singular bright color has a powerful and immediate visual attraction for people of any culture. In modern usage, the palettes used tend to range from vibrant process and primary colors (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Red, Green, Blue), to pure whites or blacks, Neons (pink, yellow, green, orange) or muted pastels. It can be used with simplified minimal forms (like the Urban Ears headphones), or to reintroduce historic motifs (like the Victorian scrollwork on chandeliers, or chunky 1980s technology), or with entire interior environments (like the Gymnastics venue from the 2012 London Olympics). It can also be paired with a very small accent of a contrasting color, which seems to heighten the effect. Color Dipping is very useful in bringing visual unity to forms that are dis-integrated and broken up into irregular pieces: the single color ties them all together into a cohesive whole, and creates a very strong first-read identity at the same time. It is related to another trend, Color Reinterpretation, but with less focus on reinterpreting a familiar icon. So designers: off the local paint store, and dip away.