Colors, Finishes and Effects Evolving and Emerging in Industrial Design
AN ANALYSIS REPORT
A lot can happen in five years. Hindsight is 20/20. We have endured so much as a global society and are finding our way forward in spite of it all. Together, we are looking toward a new horizon.
The DesignHouse also has come a long way in five years. In fact, 2023 marks our five-year anniversary. Since our opening, we have put so many projects and colors into the world — motivating, creating and inspiring. While we are endlessly proud of all we have achieved, we felt it was time to pause and evaluate.
This year, we looked back to look forward. We took a deep dive into our four past forecasts to see what we got right, what shifted and what happened in the world that drove the realities of color. We took a data-driven approach to identify themes and overlaps from the past five years and determine what that meant for the future of each color space. With this year’s report, I’m excited to share our analysis, as well as our industrial trend color forecast that will influence color for the next three to five years.
I introduce to you, V
Kiki Redhead, CMG Global CMF & Trend Manager, DesignHouse
PROGRAM SUPPORT
TREND COUNCIL MEMBERS Brynn Wildenauer Leah Novotny MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS Paula Ryan CREATIVE MANAGER Adam Neff VIDEO & PHOTO MANAGER Brandon Woodle CONTENT MANAGER Cassie Barnes PROJECT MANAGER Courtney Nuosci GRAPHIC DESIGNER Chad Tibbits PRESENTATION SUPPORT John Eldred VIDEO & PHOTO SUPPORT Mat Lundy Norm Hadad LAB R&D SUPPORT Amanda Pevito Amily Vang Ethan Hunt Tom Yungbauer Verifying Visions Visualizing Validity [the] Vault Verses Versatile Volumes Reds and Oranges Yellows and Greens Blue-Greens Blues and Violets Warm Neutrals Cool Neutrals Finishes, Effects and Textures Visualized EVolution Valued Vanguard Vast Ventures Overarching Theme Authenticity Spread Macro Trend Analysis Color Space 1 Color Space 2 Color Space 3 Color Space 4 Color Space 5 Color Space 6 Color of the Year Technologies and PCG DesignHouse 4 6 8 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 10 30 To learn more about our industrial color trend forecast, visit designhouse.sherwin.com Overarching Theme Authenticity Spread Macro Trend Analysis Color Space 1 Color Space 2 Color Space 3 Color Space 4 Color Space 5 Color Space 6 Color of the Year Technologies and PCG DesignHouse 4 6 8 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 10 30 Overarching Theme Authenticity Spread Macro Trend Analysis Color Space 1 Color Space 2 Color Space 3 Color Space 4 Color Space 5 Color Space 6 Color of the Year Technologies and PCG DesignHouse 4 6 8 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 10 30 Overarching Theme Authenticity Spread Macro Trend Analysis Color Space 1 Color Space 2 Color Space 3 Color Space 4 Color Space 5 Color Space 6 Color of the Year Technologies and PCG DesignHouse 4 6 8 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 10 30 Overarching Theme Authenticity Spread Macro Trend Analysis Color Space 1 Color Space 2 Color Space 3 Color Space 4 Color Space 5 Color Space 6 Color of the Year Technologies and PCG DesignHouse 4 6 8 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 10 30 Overarching Theme Authenticity Spread Macro Trend Analysis Color Space 1 Color Space 2 Color Space 3 Color Space 4 Color Space 5 Color Space 6 Color of the Year Technologies and PCG DesignHouse 4 6 8 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 10 30
Verifying Visions
Variety is the spice of life, and this year we’re shaking up our annual trend report. In honor of V years of trend forecasts, we are taking a look back at our predictions — Validating what we thought would happen with color eVolutions, Verifying what actually happened and eValuating what this all means for the future of color. We believe in the Value and Veracity of our trend forecasts, and with this thoughtful reView of our Vast and Varied predictions, we emerge Validated and inVigorated.
With reVerence to our past, and Vivid Visions for our future, we bring you V: Colors, Finishes and Effects Evolving and Emerging in Industrial Design. An Analysis Report.
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Visible Value
We reminisce about the past, live in the present and enVision the future. Trend forecasting is a delicate balance between art and science, history and futurity.
VAST VITAL VALUE VERSES VARIETY VERACITY
VERSATILE EVOLUTION VALIDATE
FIVE
At Sherwin-Williams, we follow the six-step M3Trend process, developed by our own Kiki Redhead. In V, we’re taking a deep dive into the analysis step — but we’re not just analyzing future trends, we’re analyzing our past, present and future. We’re putting our predictions under a spectrophotometer to understand what we got right, what influenced unforeseen shifts and what this means for the next eVolution of color. We’re looking back to look ahead: our most thorough analysis to date educates this year’s forecast for the next three to five years.
Venture with us as we Verify, Validate and Vaticinate.
5 VISION
Visualizing Validity
Authentic forecasts are Venerable, Viable and Visionary, and now, thanks to V, Verified.
Authenticity resonates deeply because we recognize it as a truth — by definition, authentic means not false. For V, we inVestigated eVery catalyst that droVe our mega trends, eVery mega trend that inspired our macro trends, and eVery
Corporations
Infrastructure
Well-being
Infrastructure
Relational
Workplace
Well-being
Technology
CONNECTIVITY
Well-being
Product
Built Environment
Innovation
ACCESSIBILITY
Societal Education
RESILIENCE
ADAPTABILITY
Infrastructure Technology
Science
Product Education
INNOVATION
Sustainability Technology
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macro trend that led to our micro trends. We were left with one Veritable connection among them all: authenticity. Whether through the lens of authentic
governments, corporations, relationships, programs for sustainability, work, beliefs or being, there is no denying that authenticity is at the epicenter of our trend forecasts.
SUSTAINABILITY
7 Media Innovation Sustainability Government Corporations Well-being Technology Service Relational Built Environment Society Government Society Corporations Climate Product Relational Corporations Government Global A airs
EMPATHY TRANSPARENCY
Built Environment Workplace
ACCOUNTABILITY ETHICS
Vault
TREND FORECAST
A SPARK OF FAMILIARITY
The desire to connect exists globally and locally, through art, culture, belief systems, nature, environment, government, science and technology. It is our responsibility to not only honor connection, but to challenge and disrupt the familiar. The themes in this forecast originate from the complex overarching global and societal mega catalysts that translate to consumer-centric, industry-identifiable, productproducing macro stories and motivate us to explore, escape and be empowered.
environment, our people, our planet. The Adapter, Alchemist and Advocate collections in this forecast originate from entangled mega catalysts that distill to macro-level facets, like technology, community and sustainability.
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EXPLORE ESCAPE EMPOWER
O W N
compassion and unity. Corten steel, brick and clay tones are reminiscent of old and grassy green pay tribute to farmscaping the cultivation and sharing of food. These community-centered colors embody collective good, living in ADVOCATE COLORS
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[the]
Propelled by the multidimensional nature of individual perspectives, existence isn’t bound by a dichotomous world. We leave behind the “or” mindset. Instead, we embrace the “and” by intuitively making decisions that bring us inner joy. In this fusion of influences, reality can exist physically and digitally, life can thrive at work and home, and wellness can extend to both the individual and community.
9 DESIGNH
DESIGNH DESIGNHOUSE
Layers of influence driving the future of Visit the Sherwin-Williams Industrial Trends site to see previous forecasts: industrial.sherwin-williams.com/color-analysis retrospection prompts pause. It invites us to recall people, places and products in history that changed our way of living while simultaneously instilling warmth and security cherished Peggy Van Allen, President of Color Marketing Group “When we look at nostalgia … it’s our history and our experiences. They make us who we are.” Karl Bertilsson, Creative Director at NCS Colour “We can appeal to nostalgia if we understand where we are at in this trend cycle.” Paul Haney, Industrial Design Director at General Electric Appliances “That’s what we do as industrial designers – solve problems.“ HEAR FROM THE EXPERTS “People want to be expressive; and that could lead to more wild designs, more out-there designs.” Peggy Van Allen, President of Color Marketing Group “It’s the subtleties within big cyclical changes that are important to corporations when figuring out product lines.” Karl Bertilsson, Creative Director at NCS Colour “You want wellbeing in city or an urban area. The more colors you have on the street, the more contrast … and the more people feel happy.” Peggy Van Allen, President of Color Marketing Group “I think AI will be used more and more when it comes to forecasting trends. And that is new to the equation.” Cathy Hackl, Tech Futurist & Metaverse Growth Strategist “When something happens in a virtual space, it doesn’t make it less real.” Paul Haney, Industrial Design Director at General Electric Appliances “One of the advantages of VR is color. We can go through 5, 10 colors and get feedback, which helps speed up the design cycle.” HEAR FROM THE EXPERTS SEE THE INSPIRATION FOR FAST FORWARD Encrypted in the essence of our lives, technology connects, observes and informs. Reality recalibrates amid what is tangible and simulated. At the beating robotic heart of it all, technology and its overseers have immense obligations. Life remains governable, whether in the metaverse, mesaverse We expect and enforce accountability from businesses, policymakers, healthcare providers and employers that the novelties piloting our lives are designed to support us, not backlog or harm us. Inviting technology into our sacred spaces, we adopt meta mindfulness and uphold responsibility. BUILDING FULFILLING FUTURES Brick by brick, fiber by fiber, code by code, built worlds arise from what was once only illusory. Our infrastructure is more than physical; it’s the scaffolding we traverse between places and relationships. The gradations constructing psyches, mass disruptions paving biospheres and ambitious plans to lay new groundwork are fiber-optic connections stimulating growth. Dullness and dilapidation know no home here. We cast our decisions onto the blueprint of the future, curating spaces that harmonize environment, wellness, policy and intention. Hospitality returns home, yesterday’s meccas adopt new conventions and immersion pervades the senses to build layer upon layer of awe-inspiring experiences. We step, not gingerly but CHIEF EMPATHY OFFICER T3 Emulsified in cultures at varying levels, empathy seated at the desk of decision-making. We attune and atone for compassion’s presence in work, health and relationships. In our melting pot or sit idly by. As conglomerates, we must design programs that include and diversify, and products tomorrow’s reuse. Sequentially, care culture fuses into the fabric of our economy. Empathy delegates life and its cycles, nurtured by we our own CEOs? Do we make our decisions, or
UniVerse
E Verything. The uniVerse is the world of human experience — the entire celestial cosmos — moving beyond time itself and morphing into the multiVerse, pushing the boundaries of scientific advancements and exploration.
Spark: Explore
Own: Adapter
Perspectives: Fast Forward
MesaVerse
The mesaVerse goes deeper — it’s about human life on Earth, the reality of interacting with society and the surrounding world to build a community of interpersonal relationships and infrastructure.
Spark: Empower
Own: Advocate, Alchemist
Perspectives: Pause & Rewind
FUSE: BFF, CEO
EcoVerse
Where humans and the natureVerse intersect. The ecoVerse embodies the responsibility and connection of humankind to Earth’s ecosystem through sustainability and biomimicry and their colossal impact on the future.
Own: Advocate
Perspectives: Push Play
FUSE: ACT, BFF
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NatureVerse
Quite literally the world of nature, the natureVerse represents air, animals, rivers, wildflowers, grasslands, deserts — the intrinsic environment that makes up planet Earth.
Spark: Explore, Escape
Own: Alchemist
MetaVerse
Separating from the traditional human experience, the metaVerse centers around technology and the fastpaced, eVer-changing network of immersive Virtual and digital worlds.
Spark: Escape
Own: Adapter
Perspectives: Fast Forward
Fuse: ACT
PhysioVerse
Narrowing in on the individual, the physioVerse centers on the self and the psyche, highlighting the importance of holistic wellbeing on the physical, mental and spiritual planes.
Spark: Escape
Own: Adapter
Perspectives: Push Play
Fuse: CEO
11 VERSES
RED-ORANGES
The split realm of light and dark red-oranges are shifting into a more neutral presentation, with the lighter hues moving toward dusty mauve and the darker toward clay tones.
RED-VIOLETS
The powerful punch of red that ignited the red-violet trend slowly shifted into a very jewel-like magenta before beginning its current trajectory toward a fluorescent, iridescent fuchsia that gives the illusion of being backlit.
REDS
True, high-velocity reds aren’t emerging at this time but hold a valuable place in brand-identifying colors, now and in the future.
DARK REDS
Dark reds with a European flare ranged from almost black to really dark brown-reds (think oxblood) before swinging into tonal shades influenced by deep, dark woods — a journey that will continue as dark reds warm up into the red-brown space.
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FULL CHROMA PURE HUE
WHITE BLACK
EVOLUTION
TAKE CARE
Verses: mesaVerse, physioVerse
Industries: medical device, furnishings, packaging, recreational vehicle
GRITATUDE
Verses: mesaVerse, natureVerse
Industries: appliance, building products, fixtures, furnishings
EMBOLDEN
Verses: mesaVerse, physioVerse
Industries: appliance, automotive/aerospace, furnishings, packaging, recreational vehicle
RARE
Verses: ecoVerse, natureVerse
Industries: building products, furnishings
YELLOWS
Bright, optimistic yellows will continue to exhibit as a punch of color for brand identification.
YELLOW-GOLDS
Yellow-golds have seen immense transformation, Veering from shades with a high content of yellow and yellow-green to those with a more true, gold appearance.
YELLOW-GREENS
In years past, yellow-greens have bounced between yellow and green dominance, but moving forward, this crucial, organic color will soften to a less chromatic, more natureinfluenced hue.
SOFT GREENS
The light, clean, soft greens of yesteryear are swerving into a very natural green with hints of blue.
TRUE GREENS
After marking time in the true green space, these shades galvanize to a much darker, bluer-green sphere.
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BLACK
WHITE FULL CHROMA PURE HUE
EVOLUTION
BLEISURE
Verses: metaVerse, physioVerse
Industries: appliance, automotive/aerospace, building products, fixtures, furnishings, packaging, technology
REGENERATE
Verses: ecoVerse, natureVerse
Industries: building products, furnishings, heavy equipment, recreational vehicle
MINTED GREEN BUILD
Verses: metaVerse, uniVerse
Industries: appliance, medical device, technology
Verses: ecoVerse, mesaVerse
Industries: building products, heavy equipment
LIGHT BLUE-GREENS
Lofty light blue-greens started in a greener space before diverging to a bluer, almost white color, now finding a balance between the two, appearing with a very soft, slight gray undertone.
MID-TONE BLUE-GREENS
Inspired by lighting and transparency, mid-tone blue-greens are not eVolving but will continue to find inspiration from the tech space.
DARK BLUE-GREENS
Beginning its tenure with a stint in the true blue-green arena, this popular color family consistently got darker, now splitting in two, presenting both as a more classic turquoise and an almost-black shade with an undertone of blue or green.
NEUTRAL BLUE-GREENS
Neutral blue-greens will continue to play in the world of dusty, soft-touch gray shades, with steady influences from grays, bluegreens and metallics.
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WHITE BLACK FULL CHROMA PURE HUE
EVOLUTION
LENITY
Verses: natureVerse, uniVerse
Industries: appliance, automotive/aerospace, building products, medical device, technology
ECOSYSTEM
Verses: ecoVerse, natureVerse
Industries: appliance, automotive/aerospace, furnishings
APPROACHABLE
Verses: metaVerse, physioVerse
Industries: automotive/ aerospace, commercial vehicle, medical device, technology
TRUE BLUES
Highly chromatic pops of Vibrant true blues will remain key colors in the automotive and power sports industries or be used for brand identification.
NAVY BLUES
As a classic hue, navy triggers Visions of sailing off the coast and holds a prominent place in the world of color, seeing a slight increase in green or violet undertones.
SOFT VIOLETS
This playful color space is moving from a nature-inspired green into a Virtual violet with Versions in solid, mica and color shift adding Variety.
BLUE VIOLETS
Chromatic blue violets have gotten bluer and slightly darker over the years and will linger in this space in the years ahead.
DARK VIOLETS
Dark violets hold court in the almost-black domain with hints of purple undertones and will remain there for the foreseeable future.
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WHITE BLACK FULL CHROMA PURE HUE
EVOLUTION
BOLT
Verses: metaVerse, uniVerse
Industries: automotive/ aerospace, commercial & recreational vehicle, fixtures, recreational vehicle, technology
CONSTANT Δ
Verses: metaVerse, physioVerse
Industries: appliance, building products, commercial & recreational vehicle, furnishings, medical device, packaging, technology
SYNTHESIZE
Verses: physioVerse, uniVerse
Industries: appliance, building products, medical device, technology
BLACK
WHITES AND GRAYS
Warm whites and grays are in essence the perfect representation of how the blend of warm and cool neutrals will take form, using colors as a composition between the two, slowly incorporating grays, soft tans and beiges as time rolls on.
METALLICS
Shimmering metallics have metamorphosed from cool gray silvers to glimmering champagnes to golds, where we’re now seeing an emergence of brassy and true golds that will eventually give way to a softer balance between cool silvers and warm golds, closer to the middle evolution of champagne.
BRONZES AND COPPERS
Rose golds inspired by millennial pinks are gaining more hue and eVolving into the red-orange space, becoming more copperized and oxidized, a movement that will only gain momentum in the years ahead.
WARM BLACKS
Warm blacks will continue to get warmer and more bronzy as they materialize as the dominant illustration of black, ultimately pairing seamlessly with metallics and metals.
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WHITE FULL CHROMA PURE HUE
EVOLUTION
COMPOSITION
Verses: mesaVerse, ecoVerse
Industries: building products
META-MINERAL
Verses: metaVerse, natureVerse
Industries: automotive/ aerospace, appliance, building products, furnishings, medical device, packaging, technology
CONSCIOUS CONTACT
Verses: physioVerse, natureVerse
Industries: appliance, building products, fixtures, furnishings
GOLDEN NOIR
Verses: mesaVerse, natureVerse
Industries: building products, fixtures
BIOEQUITY
Verses: mesaVerse, ecoVerse
Industries: appliances, building products, heavy equipment, technology
WHITES
After more than a decade of filling the societal desire for a clean slate during times of economic upheaval, bright, clean whites are warming up, satisfying humankind’s craving for connection that resulted from years of forced separation during the period of health-related turmoil worldwide.
MID-TONES
Representing balance, stability and wisdom, gray and silver have been having a moment for even longer than whites — and for the same reasons — and will continue to shine, but now as a warmer balance between grays and browns, nature’s neutral, instead of blacks and whites.
BLACKS
Black is timeless in any iteration, especially in matte finishes, but like the other cool neutrals is warming up with an undertone of a hue, like dark forest green or dark violet, while also softening to a dark charcoal.
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WHITE
FULL CHROMA PURE HUE
BLACK
EVOLUTION
FULL SCOPE
Verses: metaVerse, uniVerse
Industries: building products, commercial & recreational vehicle, fixtures, medical device
PROSPEROUS CRYPTOCARBON
Verses: mesaVerse, natureVerse
Industries: building products, furnishings, technology
Verses: metaVerse, ecoVerse
Industries: appliances, automotive/aerospace, building products, commercial & recreational vehicle, fixtures, furnishings, heavy equipment, technology
MICA METALLICS
Sparkle can be subtle, and mica metallics are taking their cue from scientific revolutions that created finer flakes and soft shimmers that mirror the appearance of anodized metal, enhancing every color they touch.
COLOR SHIFT
Subtle color shifts that danced between organic shades and virtually inspired hues, as well as those that played between chromatic and black, will now gleam iridescent as all the colors of the rainbow meld together for a brighter, more dramatic showing.
FLUORESCENTS AND NEONS
While neons spark visions of the ’80s, technological advancements have intensified fluorescents, drawing visual connections between the physical world and the digitally augmented reality these colors exemplify.
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TEXTURES
Tactility satisfies the yearning for human touch, and the options for building this corporeal connection are seemingly endless — from river texture to spice blends to wrinkles to sand to soft touch — only multiplying in due time.
PRINTS AND PATTERNS
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and prints and patterns are mimicking wood, metal and stone, as well as perforated leaves and weathered looks, offering the look of nature.
WOOD
Minimalistic woods are giving way to natural inspiration that highlights the intrinsic elements of the material, bringing emphasis to the grain to the point of near tactility.
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Visualized eVolution
Explore how eVolutional shifts from previous forecasts — A Spark of Familiarity, Own, Perspectives and FUSE — resulted in V ’s emerging colors.
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TAKE CARE
GRITATUDE
EMBOLDEN
REDS AND ORANGES
RARE
YELLOWS AND GREENS
REGENERATE BLEISURE
MINTED GREEN BUILD
BLUE- GREENS
LENITY
ECOSYSTEM
APPROACHABLE
BLUES AND VIOLETS
CONSTANT Δ
SYNTHESIZE BOLT
WARM NEUTRALS
META-MINERAL COMPOSITION
CONSCIOUS CONTACT
GOLDEN NOIR BIOEQUITY
COOL NEUTRALS
FULL SCOPE
PROSPEROUS CRYPTOCARBON
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UPWARD
SW 6239 (224-C1)
We find a sense of steady optimism and easy tranquility with Upward SW 6239, an honest and uplifting blue that encourages gentle forward momentum as our 2024 Color of the Year. As constant and endless as the highest heights of sky above, we open up to a color of classic comfort and the kind of tranquility that is forever available to us — ever present, always possible — if only we know where to look ...
We’re Ever Ascending With Upward.
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CELEBRATING FIVE YEARS
OF THE DESIGNHOUSE
Inspiration Meets Implementation
BOOK YOUR VELOCITY COLOR WORKSHOP TODAY!
The Sherwin-Williams DesignHouse — located in Minneapolis, Minnesota — is a first-of-its-kind facility for the industrial sector where teams can collaborate, find inspiration and receive assistance with increasing speed-to-market for new colors and products.
The DesignHouse offers a wide Variety of services and workshops that lead to efficient and customized solutions.
To learn more, visit designhouse.sherwin.com, email us at swdesignhouse@sherwin.com or contact your Sherwin-Williams representative.
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CONTACT US
website: designhouse.sherwin.com
email: swdesignhouse@sherwin.com
instagram: @swindustrialdesign
Colors shown are an approximate match.
© 2023 The Sherwin-Williams Company
GI-1096812-02 9/23
