Back to the Future

From space-age curves of the 1960s to Y2K blobjects, the RETROFUTURISM trend represents the desire for a design aesthetic that's more PLAYFUL, APPROACHABLE and OPTIMISTIC.

- CHRIS REID

DESIGN IS ALWAYS IN A DIALOGUE WITH TIME. It can be a mirror, reflecting the exact mood of the present moment, or a lens, focusing our attention on a desired future. But in an interesting twist, one of today's most compelling aesthetics is doing two things at once - looking backwards at how we used to look forward. This is the curious appeal of the retrofuturism revival, a style that is part memory, part fantasy - and in the middle of a steadily growing boom.

So what is retrofuturism? At its simplest, it's the future as imagined by a previous era. It could be the swooping space-age curves of the 1960s; the chunky analogue vision of blockbuster sci-fi; or the metallic, pod-like “blobjects” of the Y2K era. We're currently tending towards the '80s and '90s, though the focus depends - it's nowhere near a faithful replica. What's important is the bold approach and conspicuously highlighted technology. And usually some LEDs, somewhere in the mix.

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