ColourNext 2022 trends seen in international design

One of the key trends identified late last year and presented as part of ColourNext 2022 was called ‘Hope you’re well’. This reflects the rising awareness about mental health struggles, ‘empathy for the fallibility of the mind’ and an overall sensitivity toward one another as human beings. The Colours, Materials, Finishes and Textures that reflect this pensive mid-tone palette are colours that represent a certain vulnerability through its grey undertones, like Aluminium (8337), Weathered White (8442) and Pink Embrace (8698) Sunrise Ray N (9963), Sunkissed (7833) and Sonnet (L146). In terms of products and materials the mood is represented by lightweight, soft sculptural forms. Though ColourNext is researched and translated in India, in our interconnected world, societal shifts are almost universal. 

Ordinance of the Subconscious Treatment by Duyi Han

“Ordinance of the Subconscious Treatment” designed by Duyi Han is a collection of spaces modelled inside an apartment in Jiangnan, China, that essentially reshape a holiday accommodation into a live-in art encounter. Duyi Han is a Chinese designer with an architecture degree from Cornell and experiences from award-winning studios like Herzog & de Meuron and Gensler. He is largely into translating virtual and physical environments as intangible occurrences that generate a feeling of beauty.

Design with Nature by Mario Cucinella Architects

The Italian studio- Mario Cucinella Architects at this year’s Salone Del Mobile designed a multifaceted installation of 1,400 sqm area, that attempted to stress on the importance of a reunion between man and nature. The installation at S.Project’s Pavilion 15 primarily consisted of three themes such as “ecological transition”, “home as the prime urban element” and “the city as a mine”.  All of these themes together further raised critical questions about recycling and upcycling while magnifying the relevance of sustainable ecosystems. Titled as “Design with Nature”, the materials used to create this installation were sourced from natural supply chains that acted both as a landscape as well as a refuge for discussion and reflection.

OTO chair by LABAA

The OTO Chair, crafted by designer Alexia Audrain, is an innovative piece of furniture developed for those with autism but at the same time to be used by anyone, even those who are not autistic. The chair was formulated as a design object rather than a medical aid and therefore it offers passive compression, in a way that the user remains in control of their body in comparison to commonly-used restraint devices or shock treatment systems.

Also titled as the hugging chair, it intends to make one feel calmer and more available so that they’re able to actively participate in learning or social interaction. The inflatable inner walls of the chair apply deep pressure on the body causing reduced anxiety particularly in people with sensory disorders. 

Human Nature by NewTerritory

This was a conceptual wellness product that looked forward to a future when substances are legalised for mental health treatment. These drugs are contained in biodegradable capsules and dispensed via a simple inhaler. Therefore, when these pods are pressurised at lower levels it would enable users to breathe in their contents in smaller sips at a slower speed.

The proposal imagined by “Human Nature” involves the futuristic possibility of consuming LSD, a psychoactive compound released by hallucinogenic mushrooms that tend to improve mental wellness. 

Emotional Clothing by Iga Węglińska

Iga Węglińska, a designer and researcher who has specialised in human-garment interactions has proposed an intelligent garment collection that reveals the psycho-physiological changes inside one’s body. It contains two polysensory silhouettes that work on a system of biofeedback and take notes of parameters like body temperature, heart rate and sense of self-movement.

Confessions by TABLEAU

Another exhibition in June at Milan Week, was aimed at addressing the silent crisis specifically involved with men’s mental health. To create an open-minded space that emphasizes vulnerability and individual struggles including a positive attitude towards LGBTQ communities and other minorities were the key concepts of this installation titled ‘Confessions’ at the Alcova venue. TABLEAU, a multidisciplinary studio in collaboration with a therapeutic clinic, Post Service based out of Copenhagen, investigated the complex relationship between art, design and mental health. Thoughts and feelings that cut across men in their day to day lives such as, they are not capable enough or a longing to seek truth or an excitement to open up one’s true emotions were few of the concepts based on which the installations were composed.