Heading to Portland Oregon for this year’s International Summit? Plan your travel and hotel to include the Future Thinking Workshop taking place on Thursday November 9th.
“A valuable resource for CMG members who are looking for inspiration on how to work with trends, where to look for them and what to look for.” Per Nimer, Akzo Nobel
We launched this Member-only Workshop last year in Albuquerque and it was a tremendous success. Over 100 CMG Members participated in discussions about new processes and techniques to implement into color forecasting methods, as well as forward thinking trend insights to use in your work.
Peggy Van Allen – Future Thinking Workshop Committee
This year the session will, once again, be taught by three world-class CMG futurists including Mark Woodman of mark woodman design + color and Narss Lapinid, Senior CMF Designer for Electrolux. Peggy Van Allen of Colorfuel and Per Nimer of Akzo Nobel, Future Thinking Committee Chairs will guide the Workshops and we invited them to share with you some information about Future Thinking!
• What is the Future Thinking Workshop – goals, objectives?
The primary objective of the Future Thinking Workshop is to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas about the direction members see for global trends and how this will impact color and design. It also deals with how we can successfully move an idea to a relevant trend using our own skills. We hope that the participants will push each other in this group setting to think further into the future.
“The one commonality is an understanding of the importance of having the right colors for our products and services. We understand that while there is an emotional and personal component to color, it is incumbent on us to analyze and forecast based on evidence and experience to benefit our business.” Peggy Van Allen, Colorfuel
• What will attendees be doing during the Workshop?
Three Guest Speakers from CMG membership will present at the start of the Workshop to share their methods for trend research. It is interesting to see inside the head of our fellow forecasters and to learn from their personal experience in the process. During the second part of the workshop, participants break into groups and share their own insights. They will then look for ways to connect the dots within their group and present the ideas that they see having a strong impact in the future.
Per Nimer – Future Thinking Workshop Committee
• Who should attend?
Future Thinking is a member’s only workshop and it was developed with the intention of providing a forum for the exchange of ideas among members who desire a deeper discussion about where the trends are heading as well as to get a broader understanding so that they can then apply that knowledge in their industry via color, materials and/or finishes. The Workshop is valuable to everyone who is looking for inspiration on how to work with trends, where to look for them and what to look for.
• How will it benefit participants and what are the take-aways?
The primary focus on the workshop is the actual process itself. The deliverable, while valuable to the members, has been considered by most to be secondary. This workshop will help propel members into 2019 and beyond so that they can confidently forecast the color direction for their product into CMG’s ChromaZone Color Forecasting Workshops in 2018. The final report will be a compilation of video taken of the final presentations by each group and a snapshot of their forecasts.
• What were the highlights of the inaugural FT Workshop in 2016?
The highlight for me was seeing the passion and joy that CMG members have for what they do. There is nothing quite like sitting with your color tribe and sharing. Some may live color every day and for others it may only be a small part of their job. The one commonality though is an understanding of the importance of having the right colors for our products and services. We understand that while there is an emotional and personal component to color, it is incumbent on us to analyze and forecast based on evidence and experience to benefit our business. It was fascinating to see how members found a way to talk about their work and to verbally explain color and trends, which is an important asset when you are defending your choices to a non-color colleague or line manager. Those who observe the process for the first time and who are new to color forecasting are often surprised by how serious of a business it is.
Remember to plan your hotel and travel to include this Pre-Summit Optional event taking place on Thursday November 9th!
