REMARKABLE TRENDS – THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR (PART 2)

Our last article about remarkable trends was mostly regarding 3-Dimensional shapes. This time we are leaving behind one dimension and will focus on a few graphical trends that we see coming up. There are many trending optical effects and a lot of them seem to be related to the big trend of surrealism: an escape from the real world into a new and more exciting place.

In search of new ideas designers are always playing with colour and shapes and effects. There are many kinds of optical illusions, and the one we are highlighting now is one where designers try to trick and surprise with visual illusions that create a sense of depth. A subtle example of this are the nuances rugs by Patricia Urquiola: with clean lines and subtle colours they suggest a illusion of depth which can make an otherwise regular looking space look much more visually interesting instantly. (Or an amazing room even more amazing)

(Image source: www.gan-rugs.com)

Computer graphics are another way to deceive the eye. Optical effects can consist of waves in the water that actually seem to move. Something you need to watch over and over again until you go crazy or get a headache. When you were young you most likely have seen a Kaleidoscope, a tube with mirrors and transparent colored materials at the end, which made the most amazing symmetrical stars and shapes when you twisted the tube. With a bit of artistic freedom Susi Bellamy has turned this effect into printed cushions and other textiles and with her many artists are exploring the possibilities of this great retro optical effect.

(Image source: www.susi-bellamy.com)

We have also seen a rise in decorative data driven graphics generated with the help of computer algorithms and ai. A noticable example of this is the Rugture project by architect Kourosh Asgar-Irani where the artisinal craft of carpet making was combined with generative AI. Traditional patterns from Persia, Anatolia, Armenia, Turkey and Southern Russia were selected and then transformed by computer software that used the architectural elements of the space where the rugs were to be placed as transformation parameters to create new patterns for rugs. The rugs are a response to the layout of the room. In the future we will see more and more items generated with the help of AI.

(Image source: https://www.rugture.com/)