Hey Community,
With each new product release, comes a new challenge that often slips right under the radar. You know we code our software, test our products, and polish off the lock screens right up until launch day. But there may be stages of that process that surprise you. Today we’re taking a moment with Lucy and Esmé to tell all about what they do in the Colour, Material, and Finish department of Nothing.
When you pick up the Phone (4a) Pro for the first time and feel the cold aluminium in your hand for the first time. When you see that transparent back panel on Phone (1). These moments matter more than most purely by design, they are the first impression after all. That’s where our Colour, Material, and Finish team come in, while CMF does exist as its own brand, it’s also a function of what we do here at Nothing.
Lucy and Esmé have done incredible work on making these experiences something special, let’s hear from Esmè on how they make this possible. 👇
When you are taking on a new project from scratch, where do you start?
Esmé: Approaching a new project is always really exciting, we like to take time and look at what’s going on in the world around us. We see what’s popular on social media trends, in the world of fashion, and any current art exhibitions going on around us. Centering ourselves in London has definitely helped with this step, we’re often at the epicentre of so many of these points of inspiration that we don’t need to look far to see what’s popular.
Our process is very well thought out and considered through research and planning. Most people may think we simply choose a colour and start working but in reality there’s a lot of thinking, strategy, discussions and trials to find the right look that we are looking for. When we began work on Phone (4a) Pro for example, we knew we wanted to highlight the transparent panel on the rear of the device. When looking at how we could separate this feature visually when compared to Phone (4a), this made us think differently about if the transparent panel would match the body of the device like we do on Phone (4a).
Colour is always such a major point of speculation in the world of Tech, how do you even start to decide on which shades or tones to go with?
Esmé: The world of colour is vast, colours can mean different things to different people but they often convey a specific emotion. Good Colour, Material and Finish strategy is vital in design as it transforms a product through sensory engagement, ultimately enhancing a brand’s identity. You really have to learn to trust yourself in this role as oftentimes the feelings we have will be the same when our community sees those colours on the finished product.
When it comes to choosing or exploring new colours for future products, it’s a combination of working closely with the ID team, discussing the design and features, thinking about what current trends are going on in the world from tech to fashion to consumer behaviours to also thinking about the Nothing brand, and what feels right to Nothing as it’s a very distinctive look. We explore different CMF options through digital visualisation such as Photoshop or Key shot to then making physical models to help bring the vision to life.
We use an overall strategy to help define each colour and which device they work best with, for example, paler hues are favoured for larger wearables to evoke lightness and comfort such as Headphone (a) while deeper and more saturated colours may be used to signal durability or function and proportionally work on a smaller scale such as Ear (a). We look to find that balance or uniqueness and approachability whilst thinking about the context of that product and the environment it’ll live in. Some shades even invoke the opposite reaction we might be looking for, we don’t want to use tones that might feel like a toy or unprofessional.
What kind of tools are used in the world of CMF?
Esmé: Inspiration is a large part of what we do and should absolutely be considered a tool, it helps define our intentions and how we take on each project. We create mood boards and deep dive into digital archives as well as looking through our many books on design, fashion, magazines, and catalogues we have here at our studio, to find pieces that inspire and speak to us, just like what we did on the blue Ear (open). We also have our internal reference material library which we’re constantly updating and use it as a living reference tool. It consists of a variety of materials from plastics and bio-polymers to metals, textiles, coatings and various colour swatches. On any project we aim to find a balance of physical and digital pieces that inspire the work.
How many versions of each project do you go through from beginning to the end of each timeline?
Esmé: Wow this is definitely the most in depth part of what we do, for each visible piece there can be countless versions. On a phone there are somewhere around 20 parts we have to spec while on Headphone (1) there are over 40. Once we decide on a more focused direction we move to the model making step to get a more granular feel.
What product’s CMF are you the most obsessed with?
Esmé: I’m definitely obsessed with the latest Phone (4a) series colours, but I still feel the best is yet to come. I’m especially excited about one of our future products which will launch later this year. There’s one colour in particular I feel very strongly about and is a bit of me.
What advice would you have for someone who wants to do this and is looking for where to start?
Esmé: I mean honestly, express yourself. As with any facet of art, it’s best to be who you are and put that into your work. Show your passion in your work no matter what it is, there are careers in CMF through all sorts of functions from textiles to product ID like we do here at Nothing. Some brands that have their own in-house CMF department, there are more than you may think! See if they have internships or host talks to get your foot in the door, you may find a way to gain experience that way plus it’s a great way to make connections.
Did you know how involved CMF as a department is when designing? If you have your own questions for our Colour, Material, and Finish team leave them down below and we will do our best to answer a few!
