Björn Ottosson, a Swedish engineer, is the creator of the Oklab color space, which aims to provide a more intuitive and effective way to work with colors in digital environments. In an interview with Philip Jägenstedt, Ottosson discusses his background in the gaming industry, where he worked on popular titles like FIFA and Battlefield, and how his interest in technology and art led him to develop Oklab. Ottosson explains the challenges of working with colors in software, noting that while colors may seem simple, the common color spaces like sRGB and HSL do not accurately reflect human color perception. He highlights the limitations of sRGB, particularly its tendency to produce unexpected results, such as purple hues in gradients, due to its design based on CRT monitors rather than human vision. The conversation delves into the complexities of color perception, emphasizing that it is influenced by various factors, including lighting conditions and background colors. Ottosson references historical models like CIE XYZ, which laid the groundwork for understanding color vision, and discusses the shortcomings of existing color spaces that fail to account for the intricacies of human perception. Oklab was born out of Ottosson's desire to create a color space that balances hue uniformity with accurate lightness and saturation handling. He combined elements from CIECAM16 and IPT to develop Oklab, which he describes as a simple yet effective model. The name "Oklab" reflects a sense of humility, as Ottosson aimed to create a color space that was "okay" for practical use, acknowledging that further research could enhance its capabilities. The rapid adoption of Oklab across major browsers surprised Ottosson, who initially expected it to be used primarily in the gaming and visual effects industries. A blog post he shared garnered significant attention, leading to discussions with industry professionals and ultimately its integration into CSS and software like Photoshop. In addition to Oklab, Ottosson introduced Okhsl and Okhsv, which aim to address some of the limitations of HSL while maintaining a user-friendly parameter space. Okhsl, in particular, was designed to improve color selection and manipulation by ensuring that all combinations of hue, saturation, and lightness remain within the bounds of sRGB. Throughout the interview, Ottosson emphasizes the importance of compromise in color modeling, as the complexities of color perception often require practical solutions. He acknowledges that while Oklab has its strengths, there is always room for improvement and further exploration in the field of color science. In closing, Ottosson shares his personal favorite colors, which include burgundy, dark greens, and navy blues, and expresses gratitude for the opportunity to discuss his work. The interview provides valuable insights into the development of Oklab and the ongoing challenges and innovations in the realm of color spaces.