We recently see many old pictures and videos restored in color. They are the products of modern AI technology, which semi-automatically restores the original images captured in the era when photos and films were shot in black and white. It’s quite amazing how today’s innovative technology has achieved such a remarkable feat.

Many of those pictures appear so close to present-day photos that at first glance, we can hardly tell whether they were taken in recent years or decades ago. If they carry a person or a thing that symbolizes the old times, we can understand they went through a restoration process. But without such clues, it’s almost impossible to determine when they were shot.

Although uncertainty remains over the effects of color restoration, restoring the lost colors makes it possible for us to significantly reduce the gap between the present and the past. Restored images can tell us about social and cultural aspects and people’s lives in the past as if they existed just the day before. The use of AI technologies challenges the stereotype that what happened in a distant past should be depicted in faded monochrome images. I believe it’s an invaluable tool that offers clues to new findings. At the same time, however, a bit of concern arises in my mind: Digital technologies will leave no room for humans to fondly remember the past from faded images.

When working on coloring design, we often explore the themes of nostalgia such as “tones of color reminiscent of long usage,” “faded textures,” and “surface treatment that allows the product to appear differently as it ages.” In doing so, we utilize our memories and past experiences to make arrangement for good old qualities to be fit for the modern age. This does not mean simply restoring the things of the past. Rather, it is a process of incorporating a wistful longing for the past into a modern product. For example, gradually fading images on printed photos have provided clues for designing modern products. As the digital photography replaces the printed pictures, the timeless feature of never-fading images will become a new standard. Designers are likely to use the characteristics of past periods and the value of changing over time in different ways in the future. Hybrid images these days make me think a lot about the future of design.

Ikuya Taguchi

CMFG Design Dept.

Unit Leader