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Monday, December 21, 2009

Color Forecasting

I’m teaching Business Forecasting next term and was looking for syllabi for similar courses. I stumbled on http://www.mcad.edu/register/product.php?productid=16499&cat=321&page=1, which is a course on
Color Marketing and Forecasting.


I had never heard of Color Forecasting, but it sounds interesting.
The instructor, Kate O'Rourke, (PB/Minneapolis College of Art and Design) is a Global Colorist for Target Corporation, headquartered in Minneapolis, MN. She studied Surface Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. With ten years product development expertise emphasizing color, Kate researches and forecasts retail color trends for both apparel and domestic goods. 


The course description sounds interesting as well, and makes you think about what Target might be doing with all that red.
“Choosing the right color for a product, website, or brand identity program might at first seem like a frivolous concern. Research has shown that the reaction to color is emotionally based, and has a direct impact on consumer choice. Color is one of the most powerful selling tools available to the designer and marketing professional. It is important to know from a commercial aspect the way color can spell success or failure for a package, poster, logo, display, internet or retail store environment. This course is designed to expose students to the realm of color marketing. Students will gain a basic understanding of color strategies used in brand identity and product design. Successive classes will culminate with students creating their own color forecast study and collage board, based upon findings and ideas taught in class. Weekly topics include: the personality and language of color, the role of demographics in defining cultural color preferences, color in branding and corporate identity, packaging, product and web site design, retail color and future trends and influences.”

I’m still not sure what a color forecast is, and I lack enough of an artistic eye to do well in the course, but it sounds fascinating.

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