Clariant
World leader in specialty chemicals Clariant is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its colour forecasting guide for the plastics sector with the release of trend-divining ColorForward 2016.
ColorForward was conceived to assist plastic product designers and marketers in their colour choices. Each edition presents four global societal trends that can be expected to influence the behaviour of the consumer.
Clariant's specialist team has selected different colours and colour combinations to evoke an emotional response relating to each trend. These are surveyed annually and week-long creative workshops play a vital role in the broader selection process, which requires a collaborative effort from specialists in the colour and the plastics fields, consumer science experts, designers and marketers, and the wider industry.
ColorForward 2016 features the following trend themes:
Liquid Minds
We have reached a breaking point where new thinking is needed.
Stop looking to the past for inspiration. Nostalgia is over. Bureaucratic over-analysis does nothing but stifle fresh thinking. Now is the time to drain away your preconceived notions and limitations and to train your intuition, is the time to unlearn and take risks, to walk away from linearity and start again from basic elements.
Oh, my go(l)d!
Watch me now! This is an exhibitionist era where, to some, fame matters as much as money. Super-rich millennials, jaded by possessions, are moving from owning to experiencing luxury. While they may have a very avant-garde taste, they certainly create their own style. Outlandish gaudy baubles and outrageous behaviour is in - all this for the unique pleasure of being admired.
Love
Technology and human existence have become one. For many, technology and its ways of connecting to us are perceived as a vital organ we can’t live without.
Contemporary technology complements and amplifies our senses, enabling us to feel what cannot be spoken or observed. Immersed in the cloud, wireless connected sensors can track our personal health and the wellbeing of others: we can access medical information, monitor vital signs and carry out a wide range of tasks. Reliability on this type of technology has elevated it to the status of an invisible caring family member, whose comforting presence we’re aware of even though we can’t see them.
Work It Girl
Feminism continues its evolution. We see the rise of a new generation of women. She is comfortable with herself and has nothing to prove.
Matthias Brommer, Global Head of Marketing, Clariant Business Unit Masterbatches, said: "Through my involvement with ColorForward I have really come to appreciate how colour moves people, informs their view of the world around them, and can even influence their purchasing decisions. The fact that ColorForward has been around for 10 years and continues to attract more and more interest over time, reaffirms our belief that we have created something useful for the marketing and designer community. Therefore, we are very happy to be celebrating the 10th anniversary on March 11th in Frankfurt/Main."