Ch17. Unwrapping CMF Design on Material Driven Design
When speaking of CMF design, many people would focus on the first letter, which is color. When I first stepped into the field, I also thought that CMF should start with color: after deciding on the color, the next step is to explore the applicable materials and processes. However, a speech in 2013 inspired a reverse direction of design thinking, and that is “Material-Driven Design”. (中文版)
CMF is a specific discipline within industrial design that focuses on the development of a product’s color, material, and finish. Unwrap CMF shares bite-sized stories of CMF Design to inform and inspire those interested in this niche yet fascinating field, with digestible contents for anyone and everyone.
I was lucky to join a speech by Ms. Grace Boicel in 2013 at a Shanghai design conference, who was leading the CMD team at Nokia (short for Colour & Material Design).
As Grace shared, Nokia used double-shot injection on the latest Asha 500 series, playing with the contrast between solid and transparent plastic to present the layering look and feel.
“The transparent material of polycarbonate is very strong but has the great ability for internal transmission of light, nearly the same capacity as glass. This means it is a great material to make colours vivid and strong since colour always is dependent on light. It is critical to select the right material and finish because that has a huge impact on the colour. This is why you can’t look at a colour in isolation of the material and finish.”
- Grace Boicel, Creative Director at Boicel Design.
Later, the design team introduced edge-glow semi-transparent plastic, which comes with fluorescent glowing around the sharp edges. To bring out the full potential of edge-glow plastic, double-shot injection was used with a neon palette for the portfolio. This is what Grace refers to as “Material-Driven Design”, starting from the edge-glow material, and then dive into form factor, manufacturing process, and the choice of colors.
This design thinking has further expanded my CMF vision. I was also fortunate enough to join Nokia in 2014 and work closely with many talented designers.
Lastly, carbon fiber is another example of material-driven design: because of its strength and light-weighted material properties, it is widely used in various industries, especially the ones with critical demands in lightweight. Ultimately, the pattern of carbon fiber became a visual element, where carbon-fiber-like patterns started to appear in the market, on top of its root in material-driven initiative.
Enjoy learning? Use the CMF terminologies mentioned above and continue on with your own research journey on the web. Comments and inspirations are welcome!
Instagram LinkedIn Unwrap CMF
