2021 RAL劳尔色彩趋势:开放感官,重新思考和创造

2021-04-08

2021 RAL劳尔色彩趋势:开放感官,重新思考和创造

与德国希尔德斯海姆的HAWK应用科学与艺术学院色彩设计学Timo Rieke教授对话。Timo Rieke教授担任德国RAL劳尔色彩色彩趋势研究专家,并担任德国色彩研究中心董事。

RAL劳尔色彩的Colour Feeling 2021+是设计师的工具。Timo Rieke教授解释了为什么有一个完整的色彩空间而不是只有一种趋势色,什么是”reThink“和”Create“,以及为什么必须进行历史性思考。“reThink 再思考”代表了易于实现的人性化颜色运用。


RAL Colour Feeling 2021+ reThink und Create © RAL/IIT

Professor Timo Rieke im Zoom Interview. Foto: ndion © Timo Rieke

Timo Rieke教授认为颜色很少单独使用。RAL Colour Feelings系列为设计师、室内设计师和建筑师们提供了一个由15种色彩组成的色彩空间,作为符合未来潮流设计的工具。甄选的颜色完美适用于产品及建筑设计。设计师不仅想接受别人的叙事,他们想创造一种情境,一种联系——与环境、建筑、产品、自己的品牌语言等等。使用色彩空间比单个趋势色更能达到目的。色彩空间作为一个整体是一个工具。

问:趋势色是怎么来的?

reThinkCreate是由RAL劳尔色彩与国际趋势研究所IIT和国际设计师团队共同开发的。这个基础最初是由位于希尔德斯海姆的HAWK应用科学与艺术学院的趋势侦查研讨会奠定的。开发过程中,大约有20,000张来自展会访问、设计博客、期刊和杂志的图片被浏览和分析。这些洞察力,再加上大趋势和社会现象的信息,然后按照色彩和风格世界进行分类,并组合成群组。这是一个密集的交流过程。我们以前是手工操作,但现在我们通过数字解决方案来完成。整个过程每年进行两次,至今已有十余年——这让我们对市场及以后的发展有了相当精确的感觉。这意味着选择的颜色是基于对社会、技术和设计趋势的正确观察和评估。必须指出的是,观察期不仅包括眼前,还包括过去50年。如果没有这样的经验基础进行趋势侦查,其意义就大打折扣了。这个过程只有通过重复才能变得有价值。

RAL Colour Feeling 2021+ 十五个趋势色 © RAL/IIT


问:从观察到推荐的阶段是否具有秘密甚至神秘的一面?

ReThink诞生于疫情危机之后,人们正在寻找解决方案,反思世界的问题。ReThink绝不仅仅是一种被动的反应,它还意在呼吁重塑世界。在这个过程中,还有这个神秘的点,我们的方法中称之为融合。整个事情是在团队的沟通努力下产生的,这需要创新的潜力和经验。我们处理这个问题已经有很长一段时间了,这就是为什么我们有信心得出正确的结论。我们很可能永远摆脱不了这一切的准神秘性,否则,我们也可以由一些人工智能来计算整个事情。

问:为什么不推荐鲜艳的颜色,而推荐含蓄的粉彩色和大地色?这是危机、动荡、重新评估的结果还是您的分析结果? 今天是否不同于1970年代,例如当年塑料以明亮,鲜艳的色彩吸引着人们的注意力?

这充分说明了社会与技术发展导致了特定的色彩和色彩谱系。当然,我们今天的社会环境完全不同,对事物的认知也不同,面临的挑战也不同―相应地,我们选择的色调也是我们趋势侦查研讨会考察的结果。当然,市场上还存在鲜艳多彩的色彩世界。但是,在我们看来,平静的和谐尤其是引领潮流的。色彩常常与色彩多姿混为一谈,不传达人造色彩的天然色彩已经存在了非常长的时间。它们通常比可能被推荐用于广告或市场营销的高贵色彩更受欢迎。前卫派当前的克制,是一个相对较新的事物。营销部门也意识到,注意力并不是万能的,人们希望看到内容。

问:随着数字化和人工智能等大趋势的发展,你会遇到相当抽象的世界,强势推向前台。

要想了解色彩设计的含义,我们就得从社会谈起。选择颜色是相对比较容易的。但事实上,你可以传递信息,传达态度。目前流行自然色调与强烈的重色调组合,这种组合中也显示出我们这个时代的矛盾性和模糊性。我们害怕失去自然,科技提供巨大机会。我们该如何决定?我们正处于新的文艺复兴的起点?

RAL Colour Feeling 2021+ 色彩空间和阴影 © RAL/IIT


问:要想实现这样的复兴,我们需要对待设计问题的态度做什么反思?

说到文艺复兴,首先是指回到我们已经形成的价值观,同时也是对我们对待设计问题的态度的反思。这涉及到感性、缓慢、体贴、自然等方面。你必须从历史上进行思考,这在建筑上比在产品设计上更明显,但这也是在历史经验中发展出来的。即使是纯技术性的创新,也要符合历史背景,转化为产品。自20世纪50年代以来,人们一直在巧妙地描述合理和可持续的生活是什么样子的。同时,在过去50年里,我们受到了技术发展的极大推动–我认为,现在我们需要稍作停顿,不是要成为技术恐惧症患者,而是要能够理智地塑造。

问:在建筑和室内设计中,色彩空间的流动和谐很容易想象。这在产品设计中并不那么容易。

是的,在reThink上,我们刻意地更加深思熟虑。我们可以再做一份趋势报告,这里面会有很多与数字世界有关的内容,而在其中,室内设计几乎会消失。公寓就会是白色的、或黑白的,给房间带来色彩和刺激的是屏幕,当我打开屏幕的时候,所有极其美好的世界都会跳出来。请不要让环境分散对数字世界的注意力!这是另外一个方面,一个在技术上和体验世界上的方向,这可能会导致我们在某些时候真正进入虚拟的3D场景,也会在那里度过我们生活的大部分时间。对此,我们用reThink树立了一个反潮流,这同样具有现实意义。两者同时存在,这又显示出我们的矛盾性。

问:你说的是重新思考,而不是感情的变化。色阶是为了抑制情绪而不是激发情绪吗?

抑制或激发情绪,这始终是一个问题。我觉得更准确的应该说说什么颜色支持一定的场景,用服务的方式来使用色彩。颜色不是目的,他们不试图煽动人们做某事。一个常见的误区是如果我把办公室的墙面刷成绿色,工作起来会更轻松。这是一个谬论,除非考虑到整个环境,包含房间室内设计和灯光设计,否则是无法达到放松的效果的。我们普遍认为,工作环境将变得更加像家、更加温馨,这意味着更多的柔和色彩。这一点也适用于技术和产品设计,那么也就有了,应该说是更人性的色彩。比如,当智能家居中的技术设备在色彩上与室内生活场景相融合。

RAL Colour Feeling 2021+ 应用案例 © RAL/IIT


问:您认为目前重新思考和创造中最重要的方面是什么?

最重要的是“创造(Create),不过首先是“再思考(ReThink)在前,才能创造出有意义的情境。从对历史和社会背景的讨论中形成一种塑造未来的态度,然后也表现在CMF设计中。例如,我们试图根据社会学家安德烈亚斯-雷克维茨关于文化产品价值的思想,开发可能的应用。这样一来,我们最终得到的是最大限度的不同的、精确区分的、有明确应用参考意义的色彩配置文件。

问:是否有一些颜色——或处理色谱的方法——让你特别兴奋?

我总是对色彩矩阵和进行组合的可能性感到兴奋。能够想出完整的色彩故事,这就是令人兴奋的部分。如果我面前只有一种颜色,我往往会很失望。对于一个色彩设计师来说,游戏从第二种颜色开始——有了第三种颜色,游戏就变得有趣了。在一个有光影的具体空间里,色彩就有了意义。色卡的颜色或者油漆桶里的颜色其实可能很好看,但必须在生活场景中才有意义。我们需要色卡和色彩设计工具来绘制可行的色系。

问:那你没有喜欢的颜色吗?

我最喜欢的颜色是跟情境联系在一起的。一种蓝色在一个地方可以很精彩,在另一个地方却完全不适合。我喜欢的是色彩情境,无论是有计划的或随机的。但我希望的是,我们可以利用reThinkCreate,让我们设计色彩环境。

RAL Colour Feeling 2021+  创造色彩组合 © RAL/IIT


问:与PC材料制造商科思创Covestro的合作对您起到了什么作用?

我们在早期阶段就与科思创Covestro分享了色彩,从而获得了材料样品。对我们RAL劳尔色彩来说,在不同的表面、不同的触感和质感的真实材料上测试新的色彩标准是非常重要的。通过科学、设计、色标人员和工业界的共同努力,我们可以为所有使用某些材料的人提供良好的服务。我们提供故事,并邀请更多的材料商与我们合作。

问:“再思考和“创造合起来意味着:以负责任的态度和历史意识塑造新事物。

是的,这是非常重要的。我们在本系列中所描述的责任和信任的主题在这里很明显。前缀“再”反映了我们视历史为知识宝库,用当代的方式解读历史,并将其反映到未来的态度。这个“再并不意味着回去,而是——按照德国抽象派画家库尔特·施维茨Kurt Schwitters的说法——顺应未来的设计,认识到我们自己也参与了这个设计。

RAL Colour Feeling 2021+ 色彩趋势单页 © RAL/IIT


RAL劳尔色彩网站上了解更多关于Colour Feeling 2021+的信息。

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THE 2021 RAL TREND REPORT: THE RENAISSANCE OF THOUGHTFULNESS, SENSUALITY AND CREATION

Putting the question: an interview with Professor Timo Rieke.

Colour Feeling 2021+ by RAL is a tool for designers. Professor Timo Rieke explains why there is a whole range of colours instead of one trending colour, what “reThink” and “Create” mean and why it is important for colour researchers to think in terms of history.


RAL Colour Feeling 2021+ reThink und Create © RAL/IIT

Professor Timo Rieke im Zoom Interview. Foto: ndion © Timo Rieke

Professor Timo Rieke: Colours are rarely used solely by themselves or because of their strikingness. The RAL Colour Feelings range was conceived as a tool for designers and architects, and for it to be used optimally it must be able to adapt to different ways of working. People who design do not want to just accept someone else’s narrative; they want to design a context and develop a connection – with surroundings, with architecture, with a product, with their own brand language and so on. These things are more possible with a colour space than with individual, trending colours. The difference is this: the colour space as a whole is a tool.

How did these colours in particular come about?

RAL developed the themes of reThink and Create with Institute International Trendscouting (IIT) and a team of international designers. First, a trendscouting workshop at the Faculty of Design at HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hildesheim provides the basis. Roughly 20,000 images from trade fair visits, design blogs, journals and magazines are viewed and analysed. These insights are coupled with information about megatrends and social phenomena, and are then sorted by colour and style category and combined into clusters. This is an intense communicative process. We used to do it by hand, though now we do it using digital solutions. The entire thing has been going on twice a year for more than ten years and it gives us a relatively accurate feeling for developments in the market and beyond. Specifically, it means that the colours selected for the trend report are based on well-founded observation and analysis of trends in society, technology and design. What is important is that the period studied is not just the present day. It considers the last 50 years. If we were to do trendscouting without this wealth of experience, it would definitely deliver less-convincing results. The process only gains value when it is repeated.

RAL Colour Feeling 2021+ Farben © RAL/IIT


Does the transition from watching to recommending have a secretive or even mystical aspect to it?

ReThink was created based on the idea that people search for solutions and reflect on the world’s issues during a crisis. ReThink does not at all mean just a reaction. It is also meant to be an appeal to redesign the world – and when it comes to colour, this is even quite feasible. There is of course a secretive point within this process which we refer to as fusion in our method. The overall product is created through communicative teamwork, and creative potential and experience are needed for this. We have simply worked on this topic for a very long time, which is why we are confident that we come to the correct conclusions. We will likely – and hopefully – never be rid of the almost mystical aspect in everything here, otherwise we could get some form of artificial intelligence to calculate it all for us instead. If we were to lose our sense for such things, I think we would be in a world that we no longer want.

Why do you tend to recommend subtle pastel and earthy tones rather than vibrant colours? Is this a result of crisis, upheaval, reappraisal or your analysis? Is the present day loud in a different way to the 1970s, for example, when plastics drew attention with bright, lurid colours?

That is an excellent example of how the context of societal and technological development leads to specific colours and colour spectra. These days we have a very different situation in society, perceive things differently and face different challenges. Accordingly, the colour tones we have selected are the results of our scouting process. Vivid colour palettes still exist in the market, of course. However, calm harmony in particular seemed to us to be trendsetting. Colour is often confused with colourfulness, and colours that do not convey artificiality have been around for a very long time. They are often more popular than the exalted colours that might be recommended for advertising or marketing. The avant garde’s current exercise in restraint is a relatively new thing. Attention is not everything, and marketing departments are noticing this. People want to see content.

However, with megatrends such as digital transformation and artificial intelligence, you are confronting rather abstract worlds that are now strongly in the foreground. How does this tension present itself in the discussion about trending colours?

We speak a lot about society in order to understand what colour design means in the first place. Choosing colours is easy in comparison. In doing so, you can also send a message and convey an attitude, and that is something that has to be learned. Currently it is the combination of natural tones with extremely strong accents, a combination that also reveals the ambivalence and ambiguity of our time. In this instance, the nature we fear losing as well as the technology that offers enormous opportunities. How are we to choose? Can we integrate both into our actions? Are we forced to pause? Or are we at the beginning of a new renaissance?

RAL Colour Feeling 2021+ Farben+Schattierungen © RAL/IIT


What would be needed for such a renaissance?

By renaissance, the first thing I mean is a reference back to the things we have already developed. It also means pausing and thinking about the attitude we have for design issues. This involves aspects such as sensuality, slowness, thoughtfulness and naturalness. If you design in context, you have to think historically, which is more obvious in architecture than it is in product design. However, even product design develops based on historical experiences. Even a purely technical innovation has to integrate into a historical context and translate into products. There have been intelligent descriptions of what a sensible and sustainable life could be like since the 1950s. At the same time, we have also been extremely driven by technological development over the past 50 years. I think we now need to pause for a moment, not to become technophobic, but in order to design it sensibly.

It is easy to imagine the flowing harmonies of the colour space in architecture and interior design. It is less easy for product design.

That is correct. We have consciously taken a more thoughtful direction with reThink. We could always have done another trend report with a strong emphasis on digital worlds, something that interior design would almost disappear in. The homes in it would be white or black and white; the thing bringing colour and excitement to the space would be the screen – all the fantastic worlds that pop up when you switch on the screen. After all, your surroundings should not be too much of a distraction from this great digital world! This is the other side, a direction which operates more technologically and through experiences. It will likely lead to us actually entering virtual 3D scenarios at some point and spending a large part of our lives there, too. We are setting a countertrend with reThink and it is just as relevant. The two exist simultaneously, which again shows our ambivalence.

You are consciously talking about “rethinking”, not about changed feelings. Should the colour scale mute emotions rather than rouse them?

Muting or rousing, that is always a question. I think it would be more accurate to talk about what colours support. They are about supporting specific scenarios and being used in a serving way. Colours are not an end in themselves; they do not seek to incite people to do something. It is a frequent misunderstanding that painting your office walls green makes you more relaxed at work. This is a fallacy. It does not work if the overall context, interior design and lighting design are not considered. In general we see that workplace environments are becoming much more homely, and that means more muted colours. This also affects technology and product design, which, I would say, are gaining a more human colour scheme. Like when technical smart-home devices fit into an interior’s colour scheme, for example.

RAL Colour Feeling 2021+ Anwendungen © RAL/IIT


What do you think is the most important aspect of the current reThink and Create narrative?

The most important aspect is the Create, although the reThink needs to come first in order for a sensible context to be created. The task is to discuss historical and societal contexts and, based on that discussion, develop an attitude for designing the future. This is then also expressed in colour and material and surface. I hope that we can provide help here. We have, for instance, tried to develop applications based on sociologist Andreas Reckwitz’s ideas about the value of cultural goods. That is how we ultimately obtain colour profiles with maximum difference and precise distinction, and which have clear practical relevance.

Are there colours – or possibilities for using the colour spectrum – which make you particularly excited?

I am constantly inspired by the colour matrix and the possibility of making combinations. Being able to come up with entire colour stories is the exciting bit. I get somewhat disappointed when I only have one colour in front of me. For a colour designer, things only really get started when there is a second colour – and they become interesting when a third one is involved. Colour only gains purpose and comes alive when it is in a tangible space with light and shadow. The colour tone on the colour chart or the colour of the paint in the bucket, neither really says much; they may look attractive where they are but they only come to life when put in context. For us to plan this, on the other hand, we need the colour charts and colour design tools so that we can illustrate the achievable spectrum of colour tones.

Does that mean you do not have a favourite colour?

My favourite colour is absolutely context-dependent. A blue might be wonderful in one place and then be completely inappropriate somewhere else. What I love are situations of colour, whether planned or accidental. What I hope, though, is that we can provide stimulation to design our environment consciously with reThink and Create.

RAL Colour Feeling 2021+ Kombinationen © RAL/IIT


What role did your collaboration with materials manufacturer Covestro have in your opinion?

We shared the colour tones with Covestro at an early stage, and material samples were created based on them. We and RAL find it important to assess new colour standards on real materials on different surfaces with various feels and textures. By getting science, design, colour standard organisations and industry to work together, we can offer a good service to anyone who uses specific materials. We provide the narrative for this and invite everyone to cooperate on it.

So, reThink and Create together mean designing responsibly and with an awareness of history.

Yes, that is very important. The theme of responsibility is apparent in this, as is the theme of trust, which we have described in the series. The prefix “re-” reflects our attitude of seeing history as an academic approach, interpreting it in a contemporary context and reflecting it into the future. For me, as someone from Hanover, this “re-” does not mean going backwards. According to Kurt Schwitters, it means going along with the plan for the future and recognising that we are involved in this plan ourselves.

RAL Colour Feeling 2021+ Leporello © RAL/IIT


Learn more about the Colour Feeling 2021+ on the RAL website.