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The color of money – 2010
by Margit Whitlock-Espinosa, AIA
Principal
Architectural Concepts, Inc.
Should we make decisions based on color? Of our five senses, our visual response accounts for more than half of our sensory responses. What is it about Black? What is it about Green? In fact, what is it about Color?
If you are in the vacation ownership industry you should be very concerned because … what color is your money?
Every new decade brings new thinking and new opportunities. It is already time to look ahead to the year 2010. For forward thinking decision makers, planning is already in place for 2010 for both new construction projects as well as many renovations.
How do you turn color into profit? Don’t fall behind the trends.
Trends are reactions to present day culture and events turned into forecasts. Be smart about the trends you follow. Envision the colors that represent the emotions related to key indicators. Based on my own interpretation of the indicating factors, I’ve taken a snap shot of our society and given these indicators identified some contemporary labels and defined them in architectural and design terms:
Information Technology = POSH
GREEN – Sustainable Design = HARVEST
Lifestyle Desires = PASSION
Politics = NEUTRAL
International Influences = SMOOTHIE
POSH = Information Technology is a metal color and dominated by gray. Gray is the new black in design with colors like slate, gunmetal, iron, charcoal and oyster. Gray is also a blending color used throughout the color spectrum. Depending on if the gray tone is warm or cool; gray will work with any other color carrying it forward. I predict gray being a predominate trend easily into 2020.
HARVEST = The green movement is developing new beginnings in all aspects of our lives. Although not a new idea, the future of our world depends on our participation in the green machine. Harvest is about growth, fertility, luck, health and wealth with colors like sage, emerald, forest, leaf and martini olive. This is a color group that will not go away.
PASSION = The lifestyle desires of our traveling guests have changed considerably and I would guess by 2010 our minds and bodies will be the most important aspect in our buying considerations. Passion, is viewed in the milky colors of LOVE like pale pink and lilac. You will see a movement towards lots of sparkle, porcelain and satin finishes. An almost mirror like sheen on a pale floral color will set the mood.
NEUTRAL = Politics has had its year in 2008 yet by 2010 I predict politics will be “White Noise” in the back ground. I do love white but not “White White”. We will see white tinged in other hues. Colors like sand, pearl, ivory and canvas; these colors soften the impact of the other elements taking place in the space.
SMOOTHIE = International Influences, aside from our falling dollar, have been and will continue to be extremely important. With the globalization of our lives we have access to the best of every country. As Americans, we tend to blend everything together and this works amazingly well, just like a good smoothie. Mixing tangerine, currant, banana and papaya is refreshing. Smoothie is the POP color which accents the palette.
How do you make money out of color? Think about the sensory input and the human reaction. From every point of contact – marketing, sales, pre-arrival, stay and post-stay the guest is touched possibly 200 times. We have just one point of visual view at a time and within 90 seconds we have summarized and cataloged our impressions. Utilizing color to stimulate one’s experience is basic psychology. Color is a language of its own and can deliver results when carefully executed. When developing your next project think about the visual experience as if you were the guest. To garner greater results, focus on the quality of the color and use less complicated patterns and combinations.
So it is not about Black, Green or White; the results and profits are in the creative implementation of color to evoke a specific response. With careful thought and planning color can be your secret weapon yielding an increase on the bottom line.