Product designer, Jenna Bagnall investigates beyond the aesthetic powers of colour and explores the science with her impressive design to help babie’s eye develop. Jenna gives us a sneak peek into her trend forecasting and explains why colour is so integral to her design world!
It is clear that colour is an integral part to your design process, tell us – what does colour in design mean to you?
Colour is everything! When I first began designing, I never realised the importance of colour, and it took until my final major to understand how integral it is to our psychological system. Colour can completely alter the product itself and specifically how the consumer perceives it; more importantly it can influence the type of feeling you want to provoke within the user. With I-Glo, the colour was fundamental in creating an accurate, purposeful product which would act as a stimulant; combining colour and lighting, I designed a product that could adapt as a baby’s eyesight develops.
Choosing a colour palette not only enhances the design but can entirely shift a mood or perception. How do you go about curating this experience for your audiences?
For me, it’s all about how colour can make us feel. This starts with research and evidence from studies, whilst carrying out your own research and continuously testing and receiving feedback from experts and consumers. When designing I-Glo, I had to understand colour psychology and the science and developmental aspect behind colour in order to create a product that could improve visual development; if you provide continuous visual input into a baby’s eyes, the optic nerve grows, and the greater the development in the brain.
Do you have any predicted trends for 2020?
I have just completed a project on forecasting 2020 trends and Maximalism is about to dominate interior schemes, optimising our spaces with brighter, bolder prints and striking, pigmented colours. I think this will resonate throughout the year, alongside sustainable living which will be the driving force in many 2020 designs; in conjunction with dynamic, multifunctional products that will adapt to our way of living.
Creative block is just the worst, what are your tips and tricks for smashing through this wall?
Switch up your location, for me when I’m having a creative block, being in a new environment, surrounded by different scenery, always helps to stimulate the mind and I find helps you discover a new perspective and outlook on things.
A world without colour! Tell us how you would cope?
Colour is definitely undermined, especially in design. Colour is absolutely integral in whatever we do and subconsciously influences how we feel. Colour can help us develop and is much more powerful and influential on our minds than most people realise. So, a world without colour would be very dull!
Hypothetically, if your studio was a blaze and you could save 1 thing, what would it be? e.g. Our Marketing Manager has 3 paintbrushes that have travelled the world with her but are no longer any good to paint with.
I would have to save my notebook, its filled with ideas, drawings and contacts, all of which I could not lose!