There are a few different ways to consider color. We begin with simply how it looks and the environment in which it will appear, but we also utilize a more scientifically based analysis.
Visual Assessment
When we visually assess a color, we do so under controlled and repeatable lighting conditions. Why is that? Because we take every precaution to ensure that the color is evaluated in the exact same conditions in which the consumer and end user will observe it. We do this in order to provide both a scientific and practical basis on which to find the perfect color.
For translucent substances, we use a backlit fluorescent lightbulb and sunlight, while opaque surfaces are evaluated in a Verivide lightbox fully calibrated to replicate any lighting condition imaginable. In working with you to find the right color, we also use the Farnsworth-Munsell test, which is an exercise that tests a person’s color vision to see how it performs and the unique way it evaluates colors. In attempting to sequence these assorted tiles in different gradients of colors, we can compare the person’s perception against the spectrophotometer data we have on each gradient tiles.
How it all Relates
When choosing your color, it is imperative to take all the factors we have talked about so far into account. There are countless options out there, and the impulse for many is to pick their favorite hue, whichever one jumps out of them and draws them in. However, as we discussed earlier, there is so much more to consider.
Your decision should take into account:
- The emotional and cultural implications for the product’s end users
- How it fits in with your company’s branding
- The lighting conditions in which it will be viewed
- Whether it is will complement other colors already used
- How it differentiates your product from others