AkzoNobel‘s Performance Coatings business showcased its latest color trends guide in New York City on Wednesday, May 20. AkzoNobel representatives – Alberto Slikta, managing director of specialty coatings; Ted Rhee, sales director of specialty coatings; and Kiki Tang, performance coatings color and material finish designer – delivered presentations on the trends consumers can expect to see in not only electronics, but in the automotive, aerospace and yacht markets.

In order to develop this color guide, the company carries out detailed market research and combines it with input from trend agencies and its own in-house color experts. Tang said that the company translates all the information it receives into four key trends, which is composed of eight palettes and 72 color effects and textures. This year’s trends are Living Through Layers; Big Nature, Small Me; Unseen Luxury; and The Currency of Sharing.

Living Through Layers is meant to address the intersection between technology and experience. The palettes that fall under this theme are Fade Out Neon and Illusive Radiant. Fade Out Neon is comprised of soft, pastel and pale neutral colors with smooth surfaces. Illusive Radiant, on the other hand, showcases light effects and contrasting accent colors, such as soft, hidden neons.

Big Nature, Small Me is the “offline” theme for 2015. Sensing a longing to disconnect from technology and reconnect with nature, this trend represents “all that is unpredictable and untamable; it can be still and gentle or wild and savage.” The palettes under this theme, Rusted Amber and Intensive Nature, each convey the tone of Big Nature, Small Me in vastly different ways. Rusted Amber showcases warm, textured hues of red and gold, while Intensive Nature features the deepest green and blue tones found in nature with interesting textures that mimic the natural world.

Unseen Luxury is meant to inspire people to stop and take a look at the unnoticed beauty in everyday life. The Refined Iridescence palette features polished, metallic and matte surfaces with geometric patterns. Conversely, the Precious Craft palette honors craftmanship and the colors of natural materials. It features effects handmade effects with a ceramic inspiration.

The Currency of Sharing was designed to address the fast-paced, communal aspect of social media sharing on the part of today’s millennials. Both of its themes, Orange & Pink and Lively Mint, feature bright, happy colors juxtaposed with solid neutrals.

Tang shared with participants the journey of researching and forecasting color trends, and touched on every aspect of color as it relates to the consumer. When seen as a part of a larger palette, each color – inclusive of its finish and haptic properties – can be viewed as an mode of self-expression, rather than a simple electronic. As Slikta later pointed out, “Color is purely emotional.”

According to Tang, “A key part of the 2015 trend is bright, almost neon accents with a matte finish. Metallic effects are also back, while the more classic silver range is now complemented by different shades of browns and golds, including smooth copper, (AkzoNobel’s Color of the Year). Designers are also looking for different textures and tactile aspects to create subtle contrasts, or they find inspiration from nature, or in the vivid accents of fashion and sport accessories.”