ColourFutures

This year marks 15 years of ColourFutures™. That is 15 years dedicated to the expert analysis of social, economic and design trends in order to understand what people will need from paint colors in their homes. Each year the goal of ColourFutures™ is to build a picture of what home life will be like for consumers and to create color palettes that will transform their interiors into living spaces that respond to their needs. Today, we continue to invest in our research – proof of our commitment to deliver the global color expertise for which we have become known.

Based in the Netherlands, the AkzoNobel Global Aesthetic Center leads the company’s Decorative Paint’s trend analysis, color research and design, and art direction. This creative team – led by Creative Director Heleen van Gent – is now in its 25th year and supports 80 markets around the world in empowering consumers to make paint color choices for their homes with confidence.

ColourFutures is at the heart of the team’s work, which involves identifying the Colour of the Year and four supporting palettes. This is how the Global Aesthetic Centre transforms global trend insights into the paint colors that will inspire consumers all over the world. Alongside trend forecasting, the Global Aesthetic Center creates a suite of visual assets – including hundreds of stunning room images that show how these colors translate into consumers’ homes.

The experts

As part of our industry-leading color research, each year we select 11 independent experts to join our color experts team in Amsterdam, where we forecast the emerging global design trends for the next 12 months. The expertise of this collective is extensive and for 2018 ranged from architecture and biophilic design, to technology and innovation. By harnessing this quality of research, the Global Aesthetic Center builds an immersive understanding of the world around us. This prepares us for the next step of synthesizing insight into a picture of what consumers will need from the paint colors in their homes.

The process

Bringing together designers and trend watchers from all over the world with AkzoNobel’s own color experts from the Global Aesthetic Center, gives us a unique mix of perspectives from a broad range of disciplines and cultures. This ensures that when we nominate the key trends and overarching theme for each year, we are confident that they will have universal relevance and truly capture the mood of the moment.

The next step of the process is for the Global Aesthetic Centre to identify a leading paint color that will bring the overarching theme to life in consumers’ homes, and a range of complementary color palettes that offer consumers versatility in how they use that paint color. Our internal color experts also develop a library of ColourFutures content that communicates the trends to both professional interior designers and architects, as well as passionate color enthusiasts around the world.

The color research

Color design and forecasting is the primary role of the Global Aesthetic Center and to ensure the team remains one step ahead of consumers’ needs, it continuously monitors global social, design and consumer trends as they emerge. By rooting the insights in the everyday world, the team provides credible and informed direction for its markets, and designs color palettes that are perfectly suited to consumers’ needs.

As part of our industry-leading color research, each year we select 11 independent experts to join us in Amsterdam, where we forecast the emerging global design trends for the next 12 months. The expertise of this collective is extensive and for 2018 ranged from architecture and biophilic design, to technology and innovation.