Colours of Casablanca
As Design Researchers, it is essential to keep a few Design Probes handy. You may ask yourself: “What are Design Probes?” To put it simply, they are interactive game-like exercises that are used during In-Depth Interviews. Design probes are important because they are a great way to engage in conversation with respondents in a fluid, natural manner and uncovering valuable insights.
For many projects, we brainstorm ways in which colour, a powerful tool heavily linked to memory and emotions, can be used to help inform us about a person’s relationship to an environment. For example, in a recent project aimed at understanding the motivations, aspirations, worries, and goals of Singaporean people, many respondents were able to articulate what chosen colours meant to them and how they relate to physical spaces within Singapore. This week’s blogpost is inspired by this approach, using its essence as a tool for reflection on the town I grew up in: Casablanca, Morocco.
For this exercise, I chose a rather visual approach: below, you will discover images that were taken around the city since the start of the year 2020, which are grouped according to colour. Meant to be viewed as a link between space and colour, the selection is arranged in a palette illustrating atmospheres, impressions and observations within Casablanca. That being said, I humbly recognize that I have merely scratched the surface of what this large metropolitan city encompasses. Although there are countless colours that can be attributed to Casablanca, this blogpost hones in on a handful that I found particularly striking.
#1. Blue
Blue is an obvious synonym for water and sky: because Casablanca is a port city with a coast extending several kilometres along the Atlantic Ocean, it is self-evident to include blue as a category. Besides the large bodies of water and open sky, accents can be found within the cityscape through doors and building façades.
#2. Ochre
In contrast with the cool blue shades, above are the warmer tones that can be found within Casablanca. I associate ochre with the comfortable Mediterranean climate that blesses Casablanca for a large portion of the year. The colour ochre is part of a family of Earth tones — In the alley-ways of Casablanca, one can spot warm light, clay, spices, bricks… ranging from beige to yellow-ish hues, this palette evokes creativity and generosity, a fitting description as Morocco is known for its hospitality.
#3. White
It would be impossible to talk about Casablanca without mentioning white, the very nature of the city’s name. Originally called ‘Anfa’, the city’s name morphed into Casablanca under Spanish influence, which translates to ‘White House’.
The soon-to-be-completed Grand Théatre de Casablanca pictured above is by the Pritzker Architecture Prize recipient Christian de Portzamparc, who was born in Casablanca. Several areas of the city are becoming populated with modern architectural and urban design projects such as this one, with several shopping centres and public spaces opening their doors within the last decade. It is interesting to witness the city’s Moorish and traditional architecture, and the Art Deco buildings of the 1920-40s, gracefully coexist with contemporary projects — all in a single skyline.
#4. Green
From olives to mint tea, passing by foliage and palm trees, green touches can be found in local parks, streets, and plates. Symbolizing nature and the environment, green spaces are often referred to as “the lungs of a city.” Walking past markets and alley-ways, one can stop for a moment to notice the plants that residents placed outside their home, using recycled paint buckets as pots — a small but impactful contribution to the neighbourhood.
#5. Red
Big cities have a sense of condensed, boiling fiery energy, which is instinctively associated with red. The intense colour can be seen dotting Casablanca in elements such as tapestries, the city’s tramway, or even the iconic red ‘Petit Taxi’ that zoom by boulevards 24 hours a day.
As Casablanca continues to evolve and cement its place as a strong city within Africa and the world, one can only acknowledge the incredible advancements that are constantly unfolding before our eyes. This exercise has allowed me to discover and re-discover aspects of my home city, wearing a Design Researcher hat and peeking through a colourful lens.
