Color forecasting is both a science and an art. Armed with data,
research and the power of observation, Color Guild Colorists work
tirelessly to predict and present trend colors 12 to 18 months in
advance of their entrée into the marketplace. Color Guild color
gurus carefully separate the fads from the facts as they identify
the color trends that keep their customers ahead of the ever
changing color curve.
When it comes to predictions, Color Guild colorists deal in the near to mid-term future. Many are accredited members of global professional organizations that specialize in color forecasting and design, such as the Color Marketing Group and Color Ways. Most, if not all, subscribe to a variety of trend publications and many attend global trade shows and/or travel to the far corners of the earth in search of TNBC…the next big color. Focusing on 2010 (already!) our colorists have identified the following four trends to watch out for.
Anthropology
Cycles
Hope Springs Eternal
Colortivity
Our color specialists analyzed a variety of areas in order to determine what is driving trends. Trend drivers include societal shifts, ecological considerations, economic realities both present and future, and technological discoveries. It’s important to note that these changes and the subsequent shifts in colors occur at different rates, with different impact and at different times. In other words, don’t expect these colors to all “hit” at once. Color shifts, like those of tectonic plates, are gradual – but when they do shift – it really shakes things up!
Anthropology is the collision between ancient civilizations in Africa and South America and the need to feed modern day cultures. Geo-economics drives the relentless exploration and usurpation that erodes both environment and culture. In the current scenario, the environment and some cultures will be altered or destroyed. On a more positive note, a new global social consciousness is now at work to try and safeguard land and tradition. .
Our global complexion is comprised of the ubiquitous and iconic greens of nature; the common blue of sea and sky and the local color of crafts and treasures
The Cycles trend embodies the circle of life
philosophy. It’s about birth,
death and all that
goes on in between. On one hand, we try to
balance the fear and uncertainty of today
against the hope for a
better tomorrow.
For this palette the color scale is dipping
slightly in favor of the safer and more sedate
colors of grays
and beiges. As a counterpoint
to these practical neutrals,
look for splashes of
tertiary colors like clay, mauves and
periwinkle
to lighten things up.
Looking on the bright side of things, the colors of the
Hope Springs Eternal palette
combine optimism (hope)
with the renewal (eternal). There are
several
factors that
are literally at “play” here from internet
arts and crafts
and team sports to visual
media and mass customization. Everyone
is a
designer.
Picking a color from Hope Springs Eternal is as easy
as picking
your favorite
fruit or flower from the garden.
Choose from the berry
blush of wild raspberries or
the sunny shades of sunflowers. The
“wow” colors of nature can be found in
abundance in this palette.
On the other side of our hopeful color spectrum are manmade colors
that are
electronically generated and digitized. These are the electric hues
that dance about as screen savers; make it on our walls as posters so alive their images seem to be in motion or brand our daily lives with team and corporate colors that tell us who we are.
We coined the word Colortivity to try and explain the merging of color
and surfaces from the traditional to the technological. This palette is
one of transformation. The addition of traditional materials:
micas,
metals or pearls add luminosity to colors. The new
technology utilizes the latest in
nanotechnology and cool
beam lasers to push the outer dimensions of color –
creating
colors that change from one minute to the next
making them
indefinable.
This is the palette of special effects taken to a new level utilizing new pigment
technology, new substrates and lighting techniques. The colors in this palette will
result from the interaction of all of the pieces / parts. The term living color takes on new
meaning here as technology creates a palette that has depth, luminosity, undulation and vibration.
We may live in uncertain times, but one thing we know for sure, when it comes to color trends whether they are exotic or electronic or something in between… the future is bright.
