Color forecasting

C o l o r s

The impact of color is there in all level of communications ( corporate identification, packaging, signage, advertising on television, billboards )

Is a silent sales person

Many cases it is a must immediately to create a brand identity and most importantly, help to make the sale

Is a must to create enough interest or curiosity to induce the would-be buyer to find out more about the product

Every color has its own light wave or frequency

A human eye perceives a color according to the wave length it reaches eye.

Each color is defined by hue and value

Color can make or break a decorators home furnishing scheme

Color: The perceptual characteristic of light described by a color name.

Hue: another word for color; the name of a color.

Intensity: The brightness or dullness of a hue. One may lower the intensity by adding white or black.

Saturation: the degree of purity of a hue.

Luminance: A measure of the amount of light reflected from a hue. Those hues with a high content of white have a higher luminance or value.

Shade: A hue produced by the addition of black.

Tint: A hue produced by the addition of white.

Value: The amount of light reflected from a hue

Primary Colors: Colors at their basic essence; those colors that cannot be created by mixing others.

Secondary Colors: Those colors achieved by a mixture of two primaries.

Complementary Colors: Those colors located opposite each other on a color wheel.

Analogous Colors: Those colors located close together on a color wheel.

Monochromatic Colors: Variations of shades or tints of the same hue.

Hue is the term for the pure spectrum colors commonly referred to by the "color names" - red, orange, yellow, blue, green violet - which appear in the hue circle or rainbow

Complements are colors that are opposite one another on the hue circle. Such opposite pairs can be compared in terms of their relative warmth and coolness. Warm-cool contrast of hue can cause images to appear to advance or recede

In this 15th century painting, for example, the warm reds of the man's doublet and his son's cap reinforce the cues of placement to make these figures seem very close. On the other hand, the cool tones of the sea and sky suggest great distance.

Colors:
Advance or recede Appear heavy or light
Appear warm or cool Create visual movement
Are symbolic Create illusions
Relate forms/shapes/text Enhance form

Color Proportion refers to the impact of the relative quantity of a given hue or value used in color compositions. In order to achieve over-all unity, and/or create emphasis, one should make a clear decision as to which colors should be assigned the largest and least areas. This can be seen in the set of panels shown here. The very same colors are used in each panel. Yet depending on the choice of dominant color, the feeling of the composition, and even the appearance of each color, is altered.

Simultaneous Contrast is the phenomenon which occurs when a color appears to change when seen against a different background.. The print shown here is made up of wavy bands of colors. Some of the bands extend from the center panel to intrude into areas of contrasting hue in the side panels. These extended bands are in fact the same hue and value throughout, but appear to change from left to right.

C o l o r -Psychological Implications

Emotional responses of people to color is powerful and fairly universal
Same time it is culturally biased
Example In EU and US Color of mourning is Black
In trophical and East Asian Countries color of mourning is white against the white color being an Americal Bridal wear.

Red is associated with blood, and with feelings that are energetic, exciting, passionate or erotic. Most colors carry both positive and negative implications. The downside of red evokes aggressive feelings, suggesting anger or violence

Orange is the color of flesh, or the friendly warmth of the hearth fire. The positive implications of this color suggest approachability, informality. The negative side might imply accessibility to the point of suggesting that anyone can approach-- a lack of discrimination or quality

Yellow is the color of sunshine. This color is optimistic, upbeat, modern. The energy of yellow can become overwhelming. Therefore yellow is not a color that tends to dominate fashion for long periods of time.

Green In its positive mode, green suggests nature (plant life, forests), life, stability, restfulness, naturalness. On the other hand, green in some tones or certain contexts (such as green skin) might instead suggest decay (fungus, mold), toxicity, artificiality

Blue suggests coolness, distance, spirituality, or perhaps reserved elegance. Some shade of blue is flattering to almost anyone. In its negative mode, we can think of the "blues"-the implication being one of sadness, passivity, alienation, or depression

Violet is the color of fantasy, playfulness, impulsiveness, and dream states. In its negative mode, it can suggest nightmares, or madness.

COLOR FORECASTING

Is an art of visualizing the invisible?
Involves more issues and concerns
Thru color organizations and associations involving themselves on research, forecasting and design and styling activities

IMPORTANCE OF COLOR FORECASTING

Color forecasting is important to industry since a product introduction cycle often takes two-three years

An automobile manufacturer introducing a car three years hence must be sure that upholstery and finish colors will coordinate and be in vogue

Furniture manufacturers must be sure that their products will coordinate with carpeting and wall coverings that will be available at the time of introduction

Design and color have a direct influence on the image that a product projects and ultimately on its sales. If either is inappropriate, the consumer may hesitate to buy.

For example, the Japanese and Korean car industries initially had problems gaining acceptance in North America. Colors were unappealing, particularly to women buyers and little thought was given to interior and exterior coordination.

THE COLOR CYCLE

Human Eye can perceive atleast 6 million hues but theoretically there are infinite number of possibilities

color spectrum moves through definite cycles depending on fashion, politics, technological advances and other influences.

Color directions do not abruptly change, rather they are continually evolving (A group of colors will be in vogue for a period of 10 to 12 years.)

colors may first appear in costume fashion spreading quickly to high-end commercial interiors including restaurants, offices and boutiques and then gradually to the residential sector

Method of Color identification-

Trend colors
Contemporary image color
Preferred Colors
Ordinary Colors
Environment Colors

The Closer the color is to the base of the triangle , the more it resist changes, the closer it is to the tip of the triangle , the more likely it will quickly go out of fashion

• Environment colors - Colors of natural, social and cultural environment. These include colors of nature ( sea, earth, vegetation ) and colors of and urban landscape
• Preferred colors- colors that people like which vary between men and women and type of life style.
• Ordinary Colors -colors used with particular frequency in the commercial realm e.g in lipstick and interior designs
• Trend Colors - Projected colors which gains popularity once if it is adopted by manufacturers for use in their products
• Contemporary Image Colors- Emphasis is given to these colors as it has assortment of colors that defines a general image covering a wide range of fields including not only fashion ,but also construction, interior designs and other products.

Color identification

Graphic - Colors of black, grey and white
Naturals- colors of sand and earth tonalities
Ethnic -Colors of Brown and ochre tonalities
Fruity Pastels - Fresh and acid coloration
Vivid - Basic tonalities
Halftones -.grey-tinted tonalities
Nordic - grey tinted tonalities
Ecological- Natural tonalities
Classical tradition -dominant dark tonalities
Latin tradition - warm tonalities(terra-cotta)
Neoclassic- wood tonalities
Graphic-.white/black/grey

METHODOLOGY OF COLOR FORECASTING

The analysis of color trends by gathering information from newspapers, magazines and TV broadcasts on contemporary period trends, fads and popular products

Products and environment analysis consists of two parts

• Market color analysis on products such as men’s and women’s fashions , interior designs, home appliances and automobiles
• Image scale analysis of images associated with men’s and women’s fashions , interior designs, home appliances and automobiles

Research on people includes studying the degree of interest in or liking for certain images and the study of tastes &life styles

The fore gone analysis are then gathered together on one of the image’s scales helping for an understanding on volume images and accent type images in vogue

A comparison is made with past results to ascertain increase or decline of popularity for both volume and accent images

Finally, as the forecast relates to forthcoming year it is also necessary to examine political and economic predictions and to check on any upcoming events such as Olympics

By applying the data gathered over ten years of color forecasting related to cyclic changes in contemporary images and of the images associated with particular periods then accurate forecasts are prepared

COLOR FORECASTING AGENCIES

Comprises largely of creative people who “style” or “color” a line products ( fashion, automotive, furnishings etc.,)

Also there are technical & marketing people

Some are focused on color education & research and others provide dynamic range of education , forecasting and styling services

Member designers collaborate at two conferences annually in which they attempt to plot color directions two years hence, industry by industry

Consumer and contract forecasts are generated for every industry and are then combined in an overall forecast color card which is published and available to all members.

A few names of International color associations & organizations:

• Color society of Australia
• Color Marketing Group, USA
• Nippon Color & Design Research Institute, Japan
• Canadian Society for Color, Canada
• International Color Authority, UK
• Global Color research, UK

INFLUENCE BY FASHION

Fashion is perhaps the most important influence on the color and design of home furnishing products.

– elaborate and exaggerated fullness of the floor length skirts favored by Queen Elizabeth I led to the design of the armless Farthingale chair.
– Queen Elizabeth also set the trend for makeup, which consisted of white lead for the face and red ochre for rouge and lips. This lethal concoction was then varnished with an egg white glaze.
– Today, couture fashion is a major source of ascendant colors which then work their way gradually through the color cycle.

INFLUENCE BY THE ECONOMY

Economic conditions can, and do, influence something as personal as color choice

– In the hard pressed 30s house paints, fabrics and floor coverings were chosen to "last forever" and protect the owner's investment
– The color palette of buffs grays and muddy blues and greens reflected this philosophy as they were less likely to show dirt.

INFLUENCE BY TELEVISION & THE MOVIES

• The glitz and glitter of Dynasty, the most popular evening soap of the '80s had a direct influence on the home furnishing market.
• Metallic appeared in fabrics, wall coverings and furniture finishes. Walls were treated with mirrors and light reflective metals
• Blockbuster film hits such as Star Wars and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles became instant décor for every kid under the age of twelve in the form of posters, wallpaper, toys and even clothing.

INFLUENCE BY TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE

Technology has, and will continue to have, a direct influence on color and design.

– Colors of the Victorian era were a result of the discovery of aniline dyes which were stronger and more harsh than previous coloring agents
– Victorian colors included Pompeii red, tobacco brown, buff, olive and maroon which may not be acceptable now.
– During the '50s a revolution in the paint industry was spawned by the introduction of tinted colors. Up to this time, the choice of color was limited to ready-mixed "safe" pastels and neutrals. The new tints gave the consumer the possibility of an infinite choice of colors for the first time.

How long a trend can last?

Trends in color and pattern normally have a five year cycle from the first time we see it until the moment it’s gone.

During this time its movements are as below

Speciality retailer -departmental stores-higher volume sellers-mass merchants-finally to low end retailers

When the trend is incoming, distribution is limited and the price is at its highest point and the retailers can make more money on gross margin

As it moves further down the line both the price and margin will drop but the volume increase to whereby increasing turnover to make their money.

Of late, the trend cycle is speeding up but still the profit level remains equal both in up level and lower level
Color Forecasting and Marketing for Home Furnishings

• This season’s trendy colors, designs, shapes and styling reflect social change, global economics, technological advancements and much more.
• Good designers are a reservoir for information storing and reflecting the most important things they see and hear
• Be receptive to new ideas from films, art, books, TV, people and technology
• Arrive at the focused essence of a new directions , style, color or product
• This focus in turn become a trend

1. FASHION IS FICKLE, BUT GOOD CLASSIC DESIGN LASTS FOREVER”

2. TO STAY AHEAD YOU HAVE TO LOOK AHEAD”

About the Author:

V.R. Sampath has done M.tech in textile, he is Assistant Professor Textiles, Bannari Amman Institute of Technology and have actively conducted many conferences.

Email: samsid3@rediffmail.com