Delightful design in an interesting year: 2016 in review

For a lot of people, 2016 has been a pretty tumultuous year. Politically, we’ve seen some big upheavals — and socially, the world is changing. As designers, it’s sometimes pretty easy to get caught up in things. So let’s take this opportunity to look back on some delightful design from 2016, and look forward to 2017.

Bot Ross

Starting small, Brent Werness (@R4-Unit) has successfully recreated the late Bob Ross’s technique and style with a very clever Processing script. Using a procedural noise function, some tricky dithering, and an adherence to the philosophy of Bob’s approach, this little labour of love is a fun Twitter account to keep up with.

Solar Lamp

A little closer to home — @inventid studio in Manchester have released the SM100 — the world’s most affordable solar light. Beginning life as co-founder Henry James’ university thesis in 2009, Inventid worked closely with SolarAid and Yingli Green energy to develop this low-cost, adaptable, and elegantly designed portable light that is equally at home in Malawi or Mayfair.

Planet Earth II

Ten years after the BBC’s Planet Earth, this stunning 4K series has a message best said by Sir David himself:

It’s surely our responsibility to do everything within our power to create a planet that provides a home not just for us but for all life on Earth.

If you were searching for an absolute stand out episode, look no further than ‘Cities’ [Episode 6].

MasterCard rebranding

Back in July, Pentagram created a new identity for Mastercard. Using a custom typeface FFMark and retaining the iconic overlapping yellow and red circles, they’ve successfully updated a mark with 50 years of history without diluting brand identity. It’s simple, it’s nice, and it’s extraordinarily well-done.

SpaceX to Mars

It’s amazing that in 2016, one of the most powerful and influential leaders in the tech world can talk with a straight face about getting to the red planet — and not just for a visit! After decades of NASA, ESA and others working slowly but steadily towards humanity’s future in space, a young private enterprise company has sprung up and captured the world’s imagination — and they have the resources to realise their dreams.

Virtual Reality

2016 was the year that VR finally started to catch on. While we’re not at the point of ubiquity, the tech is out there and available to anyone with a reasonably new smartphone and £5 for a Google Cardboard kit. As an easy way to dip your toes in the water, I can recommend ‘Sisters’, a short VR horror experience, and also Cardboard Camera for capturing the feel of places in ways we haven’t quite been able to do before.

Monzo

I’ve never been excited by financial products, but Monzo (formerly Mondo) are doing amazing work with their service. While they have been available for a couple of years, they only launched on Android this year, and the simple UI and open API does things that the big banks can only dream about.

Spotify

While Spotify has been around for a while, 2016 was the year their brand really kicked off into the mainstream. Collins agency completed their journey from tech service to mainstream entertainment company, and the new identity is kicking goals all around the world. The real magic though, is the Monday morning Discover Weekly. Quite literally, it’s changed the way I discover music. (I am glad Spotify has backed down on their purchase of SoundCloud though — artists need that space to work non-commercially, and I think it’s the right choice.

Google’s design newsletter

A quarterly, hand picked aggregation of new and interesting things happening in the world of design. Most email newsletters I discard almost instantly, but Google have achieved the right mix of great content, thoughtful design, and pleasant copy.

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Enjoy what’s left of 2016, and here’s hoping 2017 is great! Perhaps Pantone’s Greenery can bring us something fresh in the new year.

P.S. I’m not able to publicise any of my own work this year — it’s all under NDA. Rest assured that we’re doing some great work behind the scenes at @AirPortr_UK
P.P.S. All images belong to their respective copyright holders