ALESSIA GIARDINO, CMF LEAD DESIGNER AT JPA DESIGN HAS FOUND THAT
COLOUR CAN INFLUENCE WELLBEING, AND ALSO INFLUENCE IT IN DIFFERENT
WAYS FOR PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES AND NATIONALITIES
aircraftinteriorsinternational.com
NOVEMBER 2019 089
Colour aids wellbeing
We are seeing a mesmeric and meditative quality
of colours injected into art, design and interior
spaces. Colour is itself becoming a material,
highlighting the tactile nature of an object,
defining its shape and working to tap
into people’s emotions.
This is evident across a number of disciplines.
In the ‘field series’ artwork by Ana Montiel,
attention is focused on consciousness,
neuroscience and perception as well as the
design and technology, as showcased by
Google in a ‘space for being’ at Milan Design
Week this year.
Tapping into the neuro-aesthetic field, Google
is measuring biological responses to a number
of environments. At Milan people were given
bracelets which monitored individuals’ reactions
on entering three different rooms, enabling
an understanding of what type of space – for
example those decorated in muted tones – the
user felt most at ease in. Such work supports the
theory that wellbeing is an experience connected
to aesthetic, and colours are beautifully
enabling this. Interestingly, diverse cultures and
nationalities would react differently to colours
in a particular space; for example, the room with
the most vibrant and bright colours saw those
from Latin America countries feel at their most
comfortable. This bears a particular significance
when it comes to introducing colours and finishes
to aircraft cabins.
The fluid tension of colours is well reflected
in new industrial processes; iridescent, gradient
and ombre’ effects sprayed over metals present
an aesthetic that blurs the line between the
digital and physical space. This approach lends
new value to standardised processes while
allowing for structural parts to become a visible
feature, as was achieved beautifully in the
M-L-XL furniture range, also featured during
Milan Design Week.
Enhancing metal finishes and making the
structures more appealing in aviation interiors
can open a range of opportunities – negating the
need to cover those structures with decorative
panels, for example. Limiting the number of
components on board an aircraft serves to reduce
weight, which is what we strive for in designing
onboard products, such as our Monocoque seat
that recently launched in Singapore Airlines’
business class cabins.
Additionally, reducing the number of elements
used is accounting for a more sustainable
and versatile product, one that can be easily
assembled and disassembled – ideally tool free –
offering a great opportunity for end of product
life recycling and ease of transport in an era
where people are moving globally and quickly.
We need to rethink the design of structural
elements, minimise components and use
(where possible) the material’s natural
tension as a structural strength.
CMF T RENDS
RIGHT: THE ELLE STOOL
FROM THE M-L-XL RANGE
BLENDS STYLE, STRENGTH
AND LIGHT WEIGHT
BACKGROUND: ANA MONTIEL’S
FIELD SERIES ARTWORK
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