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RGB, CMY = OMG!

By Rhona, Graphic Designer on 01 December 2010 | Category: Design Industry 0 comments

One thing which has blown me away recently is 'RGB'; a series of designs using the relationship between colour (CMY) and light (RGB) to its full creative potential. The result is innovative, inspiring and engaging; showing just how limitless creativity can be.

'RGB' was designed by Carnovsky, a Milan-based studio for wallpaper brand Janelli & Volpi. Three layers of overlapping illustrations created solely in cyan, magenta or yellow are all visible in normal light but by applying a red, green or blue filter, elements remain or disappear, providing an innovative, interactive experience for the consumer. The cyan illustration appears in red light, the magenta one is visible in green, with the yellow illustration appearing in blue.

'RGB' is being exhibited in Berlin until February 2011, with the concept being applied on a smaller scale with equal success. Prints and playing card designs are just as effective as the wallpaper but slightly more portable!

Two blogs about 'RGB' on Creative Review's website, the latest one posted last week, have had rave reviews with seemingly even the most deadpan of creatives getting excited by its potential.

Stefan Sagmeister's 'Made You Look: Another Self-indulgent Design Monograph' (2001) has a front cover with a similar concept to that of 'RGB'. A red PVC sleeve when removed from the cover reveals a hidden image. The Grammy-nominated front cover for H. P. Zinker’s 'Mountains of Madness' (1994) is another example of combining CMY and RGB innovatively. Sagmeister, a design heavyweight and founder of New York based Sagmeister Inc. is one of the world's most celebrated designers, with a reputation for pushing the boundaries in creativity and design; something we as designers all aspire towards. His latest book, 'Things That I Have Learned' also features an interactive front cover, and has been critically acclaimed.

I can only imagine how amazing it would have been to be a part of these projects, or indeed to use the 'RGB' concept in the future with Optima. The creative potental is limitless, especially working with illustration or typography where it could be really effective. Both Sagmeister and those at Carnovsky have shown that the concept can succeed commercially on large and small scales but more importantly it is inspiring to see design be successful whilst being creative and interacting with the client/consumer.

The IHEEM exhibition stand designed by Optima for British Gypsum has been a recent example of how good design and interactive areas can work well, with particularly the interactive 'scuff' and 'thwakk' areas being very well received by BG and visitors to the exhibit. Our Target Zero website for Corus features a zero carbon interactive town and was recently named in the 25 most beautiful websites according to a popular design tutorial site. These are just a few examples of how Optima can deliver successful creative solutions by combining strong, engaging design with user interactivity. Long may it continue!