SUMMER 2017 15
EACH YEAR , DESIGNERS , ILLUSTATORS AND OTHER CREATIVE TYPES AWAIT THE ‘ COLOUR OF THE YEAR ’ FROM THE PANTONE COLOUR INSTITUTE . LIKE ANY- THING “... OF THE YEAR ”, IT ’ S A SUBJECTIVE , LARGELY SYMBOLIC , GESTURE MADE BY TREND-SPOTTING PROGNOSTICATORS .
But this year ’ s colour might put a smile on the face of anyone who loves the natural world – it ’ s called Greenery . And , according to the Colour Institute :
“ A refreshing and revitalizing shade , Greenery is symbolic of new beginnings .
Greenery is a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature ’ s greens revive , restore and renew . Illustrative of flourishing foliage and the lushness of the great outdoors , the fortifying attributes of Greenery signals consumers to take a deep breath , oxygenate and reinvigorate .
Greenery is nature ’ s neutral . The more submerged people are in modern life , the greater their innate craving to immerse themselves in the physical beauty and inherent unity of the natural world . This shift is reflected by the proliferation of all things expressive of Greenery in daily lives through urban planning , architecture , lifestyle and design choices globally . A constant on the periphery , Greenery is now being pulled to the forefront - it is an omnipresent hue around the world .”
What all that means remains to be seen . But one thing ’ s for sure - it ’ s better a choice than Benjamin Moore Paints , who picked a beige-y grey neutral shade called “ Poised Taupe .” �
FIRST , THERE WAS JUST PLAIN WALKING ... ALONG WITH SOME HUNTING AND GATHERING . THEN CAME TRAMPING , BIRD-WATCHING , ORIENTEER- ING , GEO-CACHEING , AND NOW , IN THE WAKE OF POKEMON-GO ... ‘ AUGMENTED REALITY ’ AND ‘ MAGICAL PARKS ’ ARE COMING TO A TOWN NEAR YOU .
Earlier this year , Auckland and Wellington City Councils piloted a new augmented reality game designed to get ‘ tech children ’ who are glued to their tablets and iPhones out of the house and into parks with their families . Lower Hutt , Hastings and Dunedin have also signed on .
According to the Geo-AR website , “ Magical Park is the world ’ s first digital playground app using augmented reality . It is geo-located in a specific park and so the app will only open in a designated park area . Auckland and Wellington ’ s park sites have signs installed , instructing the visitor to download the app and play in the park .”
The brainchild of Melanie Langlotz and Amie Wolken , the experience includes two smartphone or tablet-based games : Augmentia and Dino Land . In Augmentia , children explore the park on their device while rounding up kittens , and in Dino Land , they must collect eggs while avoiding the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex . These apps provide park managers with an innovative way to use technology to bring digital families to a park . Once outside , the magic of outdoor activity takes hold , and kids end up playing together , often then using their imagination and getting side-tracked from the game to doing other things . �