“Whatever route we choose to take we must stand out from the bland. These economic times are not a time for playing safe – keep it simple and make a key single statement one of either refined elegance or energetic playfulness.”

Colour overview:

• ‘Au natural’
  
• ‘Crystal palace’
  
• ‘South coast’
  
• ‘Some like it hot’
  
• ‘Sherbet bomb’
  
• ‘Faded and worn’

Au natural

“Grounded in natural finishes and organic textures, a new colour mood draws us away from artificial and garish excess. Spring’s neutral range incorporates blonde woods, bleached bone and pearly shell tones in a serene palette.”

• Grounded in colours of sand, white, cement to grey black.
  
• White is key.
  
• Grounded naturals.
  
• Natural materials lead to gentle shades.
  
• Not just about flat colour – textures are a must.

• Calming, it’s what we’re most used to.
  
• Organic texture, the look is too flat without texture.
  
• Great palette for timber products.
  
• Honest and makes us most at ease.
  
• Interesting play on bamboo happening right now in fashion.
  
• Can be used on their own or as a grounding palette used with others.
  
• Fabric direction: natural florals on textured grounds, micro florals to robust painterly. classic French country.
  
• White as key highlight.
  
• Grey neutrals are up trending.
  
• Pastel work back with naturals.
  
• Lilacs as highlight and pinks continue.
  
• Black and white work better with highlights and textures.
  
• Deep chocolate and charcoal emerge.
  
• Bright colours to accent and make either sophisticated or playful.
  
• Work as a grounding palette for all others.
  
• Gold as a highlight continues and silver does too in smaller amounts.
  
• White is key for contrast.
  
• This palette can also be as light as air: recycled polystyrene cups as art installation.
  
• Shimmering and glimmering.

Resene colour palette:

Understanding consumers

“It’s about meaning” – its time to think

Engaging in emotional values – today’s products have to have meaning, we have to understand why we have to have it.

Navigating complexity, trends – new opportunities.

Emotional consumption – we can put consumers into two contrasting mindset prototypes.

• Hunters – ME
  
• Gatherers – WE

Key society drivers

• Globalisation/glocalisation.
  
• Asia and new economies.
  
• Convenience technology.
  
• Connected.
  
• Smart technology.
  
• Transparency.
  
• Global sustainers.
  
• Rethinking energy.
  
• The creative class.
  
• Ageing population.
  
• Female empowerment.
  
• Health and wellbeing.

Trends are never black and white more a shade of grey!

Major trend – Woman’s empowerment – Womenomics

It’s not about talking to women because it is fair, it’s because it makes business sense.

It’s not about revisiting the feminist doctrines of the 70s or male vs female Issues, it’s about recognising the rising economic, social and cultural importance of women in the future, in terms of design, marketing and manufacturing.

• What does this means in terms of design?
  
• Time stretched – work/families/friends/cultural.
  
• We need efficiency, clarity, simplicity and sleekness.
  
• These relate to the traditional female desire to focus on the whole rather than details.
  
• It’s not about adding features and details, woman are too busy it has to be simple and precise, based on female values rather than masculine.
  
• Made less fluffy and pink but elegant, refined and feminine.
  
• Women are open to change much more than traditional male consumers.
  
• Nokia, Sony, Apple have known about this for some time.
  
• Female demand on technology focuses on its functionality – efficient, clear and intuitive in addition to looking the part.
  
• We have gone from heavy, solid and masculine to lightweight and designed with beauty.
  
• Woman respond better when aroused by all sensory levels, they are strong on relationships.
  
• Women need a brand they can trust and empathise with, honest and real.
  
• Time saving services are key… it’s about saving time, communication is fundamental to the female psyche.
  
• Women are the heart and soul of the referral economy.
  
• Women are much harder to please than men, if woman are happy men will follow.

Tomorrow’s people

Free stylers – Rational hunter

• Effective – give them more.
  
• Experimental – entertain them, engage them and give them something theatrical.
  
• Energetic – give them high levels of stimulation.

The world is their playground, out of the box thinking, give them more.

Happy bohemian – Rational gatherer

• Entertaining – entertain them and keep them coming back for more.
  
• Educational – will invest in the future.
  
• Engaging – want quality of life.

A new informed world will enlighten them, they’re joyful and don’t want a lot of stress in their lives. Seeking a better world for people, health, wellbeing and design.

Caring explorer – Emotional gatherer

• Emotive – emotional memory value, will make decisions based on memories.
  
• Extraordinary – move beyond today’s innovations.
  
• Expressive.

They want an equal world for everyone, huge social conscience.

Spiritual tourist – Emotional hunter

• Esoteric – awakening a new level of spiritual and heritage.
  
• Enlightening – instant communication in our global world - but resist the flow.
  
• Eternal – passion for the timeless.

Sit around to watch the sunset, money can’t buy happiness, how will design enrich their lives?

Key society trends

• Smart anything
  
• Health concern
  
• Politically correct
  
• Polarization
  
• Patchwork society
  
• Personal design
  
• Self actualisation
  
• Time management
  
• Communication nation
  
• Convergence

Key opportunities 2011+

Innovation nation – educational and emotionally connecting.

Empowerment branding – emotional response and meaningful interaction.

Empathic architecture – sustainability and ethically correct.

Sensorial solutions – multi-dimensional touching all the senses.

To reach tomorrow’s people and reach society’s demands you must deliver innovative, empowering, empathic and sensorial solutions.

Tomorrow’s consumers – It’s all about meaning!

Interiors

No difference between commercial and residential, breaking down the boundaries, race and globalisation, there is no longer vast differences between people and cultures.

1. Creativity – the ordinary becomes the extraordinary.

2. Emotion – engage heart and head, if we don’t love something we shouldn’t have it.

3. New order – relook at communication and knowledge.

4. Tactility – bringing in new levels.

5. Simplicity – remove all the distractions and focus on what is important.

6. Detail – it is the small things that make all the difference.

2010 is a time of uncertainty, a time for creative energy and a time for considered applications.

Our concern for sustainability and global ecological awareness doesn’t mean sacrificing quality… it enhances the necessity for it.

Architects and designer have to give their clients the best of all worlds, inspiration drawn from the natural world, especially in structure.

Colour application

Free stylers

• ‘Weathered and worn’ and ‘Au natural’.
  
• More about texture than colour.
  
• The world is their oyster.
  
• Highly polished surfaces.
  
• Layered textures.
  
• Heavy use of stone and natural products.
  
• Sense of luxury.
  
• Freedom to be anything that you want to be – but be appropriate.
  
• Black, white, new age greys.
  
• Primary brights as highlights.

Spiritual tourists

• ‘Au natural’ and ‘Crystal palace’.
  
• Soft natural palette teamed with dreamy pastels.
  
• Softened, emotional pastels teamed with calming naturals.
  
• Delicacy and strength, two contrasting elements.
  
• Interesting combinations.
  
• Sculptured, soft misted and diffused.
  
• Ethereal.
  
• Light and how we use light is one of the biggest changes, driven by environmental and energy saving trends.
  
• New age antiques.

Free-spirit bohemians

• ‘Weathered and worn’ and ‘Crystal palace’.
  
• New greys.
  
• Not about discipline – an eclectic mix.
  
• Organic, nostalgic and humour.
  
• Worn.
  
• Individual and personalized.
  
• Not about conforming.
  
• Faded and weathered.
  
• Mid-tones for comfort.

New age explorers

• ‘South coast’ and ‘Some like it hot’.
  
• Visible.
  
• Naturals add an interest of sophistication and engage nature.
  
• Clear bright colours team with organic naturals.
  
• Organic and natural does have a place here.
  
• We are most creative when we are relaxed.
  
• Solo black and white.
  
• Neutrals can ground.
  
• Adventurous.
  
• Synthetic, sophisticated, confident.
  
• Edgy and bright.
  
• Deep and Intense.
  
• No barriers to where you apply it, just is it appropriate?

Key points – Commercial interiors

• Public vs private space.
• White noise.
• Personal space for creativity.
• Transparency.
• Domestication of corporate environments.
• Engaging nature.
• Does your built environment reflect corporate values and culture.
• It’s about meaning!

Book recommended for reading

Best Ugly – And Other Principles of Design Connectivity by Avroko