→ Tell us a little bit about your talk and what you think the key takeaways will be
For anyone who loves colour and wants to know a little bit more about it, this should be the perfect way to spend an afternoon at New Designers. What could be better than a full immersion dive into colour with someone who has over 30 years industry experience and still gets excited at finding new ways to make it and use it?
Colour is more than skin deep. It is more than just decoration and can be one of the most powerful elements in design if used creatively. Colour has the power to change the way we see and respond to the world around us and it is one of the most effective forms of non-verbal communication. As a designer, knowing more about it as a tool helps to unlock greater potential in your work, whether it’s simply to appreciate the cultural differences and similarities in our responses to it – or knowing what drives global trends that will make your designs more appealing to the widest audience. Learning about how we see it, how we can adapt behaviour with it, how we describe it, forecast it and actually mix new colours should give you the knowledge to use it with more confidence.
→ Tell us a little about you and your design background
I have been working in industry with a focus on colour and paint since I left college. I studied art though found expressing feelings and abstract concepts really difficult. It was the discipline
of drawing and painting, particularly mixing colours and applying paint with accuracy that I loved more than anything so I went back to
college and studied signwriting and decorative painting techniques. The first great
job I had was working for a Showman’s Decorator where I painted traditional fairground rides for a living. It’s where I learnt about the theatre of colour and its power to entertain and make people happy. I set up my own specialist decorating business and when I had kids moved away from the fairground and back to college for a bit more study – then out there again with a focus on interiors. During the course of my career I’ve been lucky enough to work with the most talented craftspeople and experts in their fields of creativity and now as the Creative Director at Dulux I get to work for the biggest and most trusted brand in the industry plus meet leading innovation specialists, scientists and global colour experts on a daily basis. The best part of my job by far though is meeting new designers and seeing how they interpret the word through their own creativity and unique voice. I know what it will take to get to where they want to be – and if colour is important to them, it’s part of my mission to help them get there.
→ What aspect of design do you see yourself most wanting to contribute to?
Colour – the way it affects the design and how people respond to it.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? / What piece of advice would you give to future designers?
The best piece of advice was to “use your hands less and your head more”…. Creative people are generally happiest making tangible things they can see at the end of the day. Having a plan and a clear strategy for success takes a quit space and a clear head. My advice to anyone starting out on a path to a career in design is to focus on your direction, work bloody hard and don’t give up.
→ Give us an insight into your company?
Dulux is an iconic British paint brand that is rooted in originality, aesthetics and innovation. It’s unashamedly modern in its approach to colour and
it operates in a space where science and art meet. We have one of the biggest colour Research and Development departments in the world and some of the most passionate experts in the business working on making the world a more
colourful place.
→ What are the inspirations?
Our inspiration is using the power of beautifully designed colour and innovative products to tackle some of the burning challenges of the day like sustainability and creating environments that are rooted in the well being of those who occupy them.
→ What are the upcoming mover and shaker projects?
Using the science of biomimicry to unlock greater potential in the qualities of our colours and products.
We are currently working on ‘Superhydrophobic’ water and stain repellent surfaces inspired by plants and colours that can be created by light reflected from surface structure rather than pigment. That’s what I mean by colour being so much more than skin deep…
