Ahead of the Curve | Our Top 5 Commercial Design Trends for 2017
With 2017 fast approaching, we are seeking out the newest design trends this season to keep our clients current and modern in their new spaces. Commercial design is catching up with the rule breakers in places like Silicon Valley, looking to a future that brings a deep connection to a space with a focus on how the end user lives and interacts with the space, these are our predicted top 5 commercial design trends for 2017.
- Focus on Form and Function
Moving into 2017 we are becoming more fast-paced and connected with the digital era, the urge to see beauty in the simple things in life and respite from modern life is on the rise.The trend focuses on form and function and the need to connect and bring value to the end-users’ life within the workspace. Within commercial design the simplicity of a beautiful engineering of each product will be the focus.
Dice Furniture – Designed by Torafu Architects - Organic Vegetation
Social pressures and a growing number of eco-conscious people has pushed commercial designers to explore organic eco-friendly spaces. It has gone way beyond a token plant in the corner, there is a real demand to feel a connection to nature within the office space. Pushing designers to break the boundaries of combining industrial with organic, bringing natural elements into the workspace.With new advances in eco technology, externally glass has become the staple of all future energy generating eco-builds.
Seoul Sky Garden in South Korea – Picture MVRCV Shangai - Industrial Revival
The 70’s are back! One surprising trend we have noticed is the increasing popularity of post-modern designed furniture. The relaxed nature of the 70’s is enticing to many designers, conjuring thoughts of sleek low urban metallic couches is enough to bring nostalgia back to any free spirit.
Danish Designed Furniture - Bold Tones
With spaces no longer being defined by walls and hallways, designers are using colour coordination to define larger departmental spaces. By colour coding with strong bold tones it can help streamline project management and increase organisation. Pantone have released their 2017 palette which is usually a good indicator of the palettes we will start to see in the new year.
Pantone Top 10 Colours for Spring 2017 - A Collaborative Approach
Gone are the days of the isolating, 4 walls cubicle box with no access to natural lighting. Commercial design is embracing a future of seamless functionality, with an end to permanent workspace layouts. In 2017, as commercial designers we will start to see a demand for workspaces that have collaborative environments that allow new desk configurations, non-assigned seating as the new norm and a rise in “plugged in” spaces that increase communication transfer.
The new UTS building in Sydney epitomises the new 2017 trend of community tables and environments. Image by: Andrew Worssam