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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?

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.

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.

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.

Discarded flyers and broken vinyl are but some of the abandoned materials transformed by collage artist Robi Walters.

With an extraordinary archive and enviable reputation, Britain’s oldest family owned and run paint and polishes manufacturer Mylands is getting on with business.

Previous iterations of Shell Pink have grouped it in similar tonal pairings, earning this colour an underserved reputation as a safe if uninspiring choice. Now though, designers are subverting previous associations, developing a new edginess to previous prettiness.