Clariant ColorForward® 2019 Inspires Mold and Texture Design Experts

Clariant announced the completion of a collaborative project with Pel Plastic srl, an Italian company specializing in mold texture and surface design. Inspired by the 2019 forecasts from Clariant's color forecasting system ColorForward, Pel Plastic decided to experiment with radical changes in product design. Normally the design process begins with a product concept, continues with drawings and prototype parts, while color and texture selection comes last. However, after viewing the ColorForward 2019 presentation, Pel Plastic designers approached Clariant to propose trying a different approach. "We learned that ColorForward was developed through research on social trends and the power of color perception in consumers," said Mirella Sala, Sales Manager for Major Customers at Pel Plastic, continuing: "We were already working on textures; finding a way to address textures and colors together so that one supports and highlights the other was very compelling to us." The Pel Plastic team working with Clariant began by selecting one color from each of the four ColorForward 2019 themes. They created mood boards to better understand the possible interaction between theme, color and texture. As a result, the designers selected the "Do Not Disturb" trend theme and "focus," a transparent light green color.

Do Not Disturb Theme

At the core of this trend theme lies the idea that technology is excessively distracting people's attention. Consumers overwhelmed by too many options reduce their options to make decision-making easier. For this reason, the color palette in the Do Not Disturb theme consists of simple, peaceful, pastel and minimal tones like the "focus" green that Pel Plastic favored.

An Unusual Texture

Having determined the color, the Pel Plastic team began working on the texture to be applied to the plastic in the mold. The result was highly compatible with the trend theme, somewhat mysterious and contradictory, yet ultimately presenting the focal point with great clarity. The transparent polymer (polycarbonate) and transparent color gain a frosted, nearly opaque appearance through the texture. In the prototype produced in a standard mold used by Pel Plastic for texture evaluation, the outer surface of the part is completely smooth, while the texture is applied to the inner or back surface of the part. Although there is no pearlescent pigment in the color, this construction method provides depth and an almost pearlescent appearance.