I was puzzled when my group leaned an earthy, cozy, coffee shop vibe. How could I be so “off” with my color forecast?
Color comes in waves!
You’ve probably wondered why you see the same colors over and over again when walking through the mall. You think, “lime green must be really popular this year.” Then you walk outside and a shiny new lime colored automobile flies by…
Color forecasting starts here:
Two years ago, a group of color professionals from a wide variety of industries from around the world got together—as they do every year—to collect and curate color trends to forecast the colors you are seeing now.
Color professionals from the paint, furniture, ink, packaging, textiles, automobiles industries put their heads—and palettes—together to look for common themes and stories about where the collective psyche will be in two years.
Taking the cultural temperature…
As I prepared for this process, it was my opinion that by 2022 we would be post-Covid. We would be desperately seeking optimism, hope and the great outdoors. My proposed palette included clean, vibrant colors (yellow, orange, green and blue) and a couple of “new neutrals.” (I believe near grays have run their course and we’re not ready for a return to beige.)
Imagine my confusion when my group leaned heavily toward earthy, cozy, coffee shop colors—moss, mocha and charcoal!! I chalked it up to the fact that most came from an interior design perspective rather than graphic design. But I still wondered why I was the outlier.
In the end…
Several weeks later, palettes from around the globe had been curated down to four (North American, European, Latin American and Asia).
I received the final color boards in the mail. To my delight, the North American color board was made up of three distinct categories:
- Pure, vibrant, LOUD colors
- Tranquil “new” neutrals
- Earthy hues
The European forecast is similar, but decidedly more subdued.
The Latin American colors are also similar, but with a slightly more earthy spin.
And the Asian Pacific palette has a chalky feel.
When 2022 comes rolling around, be prepared to see outrageously vibrant tropical colors, alongside a pale sky blue and a delightful version of periwinkle.
To learn more about the color forecasting process contact us!