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Dogs as a recurring design motif, from historic portraits to playful urban prints. From pugs to dachshunds, dogs appear on textiles, wallpapers and accessories.

Sometimes consumers just want a little bit of unabashed prettiness and this sugary confection of a pink more than delivers. Yet, alongside its reputation for slightly retrograde sweetness, this colour can also prove surprisingly anarchic.

Cloud motifs continue their rise, from surrealist art to streetwear and kitsch accessories. Soft pastels, pictograms and nostalgic references define this latest wave of enduring cloud-inspired design.

Like the wheel, inventing rope was a game changer. Without this twisted cord there would have been no sail boats, no musical instruments, no pulley systems for building the pyramids. Furniture too was transformed, and this legacy continues to be felt today.

The destructive force of fire has acted as a driver for many design decisions, from material innovation to protective systems. Yet fire can be used in creative processes too, forming strikingly beautiful objects and architecture.

Many of the most intense and brilliant colours are produced by synthetic dyes that cause considerable environmental damage. This clearly has to change, but can nature feed the consumer demand for mood-boosting, dopamine brights?

By exploring the principles of colour theory we are able to create palettes that set our personal tastes to one side. In this essay, we focus on the science behind triadic schemes and what history can teach us about creating colour harmony with three main colours.

Shell motifs resurface in design, from Rococo-inspired furniture to modern fashion and architecture. Once a symbol of luxury, now a reflection on marine fragility and sustainability.