Why are the First Order's weapons designed this way?

Question

In The Force Awakens, the stormtroopers's weapons have a toyful black and white look. Does it serve an actual purpose or is it just fashionable ?

I think all armies consider black to be a standard issue for weapons.

Example:
_{(source: figures.com)}

Answer 1

The stormtroopers themselves aren't colored like real-world soldiers, they're black and white. The new black and white weapons at least now match their armor.

The filmmakers wanted The Force Awakens to feel new and updated but still stay firmly rooted in the familiar.

As Mark Hamill said in an interview,

Nothing's changed really. I mean, everything's changed, but nothing's changed.

Other examples of familiar, yet slightly updated things:

• stormtroopers look very familiar
• their blasters look like they simply added a bit of white paint to them
• the new TIE fighters are old TIE fighters with the colors inverted
• C-3PO looks identical but has a red arm now
• etc.

It's just one if many ways the filmmakers tried to show us something familiar, but slightly new or updated.