In the last issue we looked at two different takes on the climate crisis: in this issue we move on to two polarised opposites. One is a story about speeding up, the other, the other is about slowing down. Both are viewed through a prism of art. We’ve found ourselves, and many of the people we talk to, increasingly looking to artists, not just for inspiration on colour and form, but also for insight into future design directions.

So, this issue is very much dedicated to art and artists. They and designers are at the vanguard of the AI digital revolution which, as much as anything, evokes seismic philosophical questions about the nature of art, creativity and sentience.

For some, as we explore in our story Hack, these new paradigms are as exciting as photography must have been at the start of the 20th century. There is delight in playing with perceptions and codesigning with machines. For others, highlighted in Still Life, this technology stands as proxy for a dystopian age of human redundancy. Here, design embraces the analogue, thinks about longevity and engages with the physical.

The future, as ever, takes many paths.

Also, in this issue

– Features essays, and interviews exploring the drivers behind the 2025 forecast.

– 40 pages of design and colour and material direction and analysis.

– Global colour palettes and geographic variances for Europe, Middle East, Africa,      North America, Latin America, Asia, India, Australia & New Zealand.

– Early adopters of our 2024 directions Provenance and Submerge.

– Directions from London Design Biennale, Art Basel, Design Miami/Basel, 3daysofdesign and Jerusalem Design Week

– Focus on contemporary art.

For 2025 forecasts, geographic focuses, in-depth seasonal CMF forecast, editorial images and more, become a Colour Hive member today.