“How do you become a color consultant?” has become one of the most frequently asked (and significant) questions we receive. Some even ask where they can get a degree in color.

The first answer is that there is no accredited academic institution that offers a degree in color – the exception being scientific degrees for color technology and chemistry (such as the Rochester Institute of Technology in the U.S. and the University of Leeds in the U.K.).
(See “Where to Study Color"- at the Color Matters web site )

There are also some non-academic organizations that offer a variety of courses dedicated to color that confer a “certificate” - but many of these appear to reflect a spiritual or holistic “new-age” approach to color. There are others that focus on color trends. Not that there might be some validity to non-scientific courses, but a broader approach to color and a curriculum based on proven factual and historically valid information is the only way to get the solid foundation needed to practice as a professional color consultant.

If you are asking why this matters, the answer is that color is the most relative of all the visual elements we experience. What we mean by this is that color can’t be isolated. The impact of color in design exists only in combination with the shape of the object, the scale of the object, other colors that surround the color, and much more. The impact of color is also related to the rules of science that apply to vision, physiology, and physics. Finally, the effects of color are part of the world of psychology. In conclusion, in order to provide an accurate analysis of color (as a professional color consultant), you must be well versed in all these areas. Whether you are dealing with the color of a logo, the color of a car, or the color of an interior, the effects of color are always drawing upon multiple areas simultaneously.

Here’s a list of how to proceed:

Part I – Formal Education

1. Complete at least a two-year academic program in design, the fine arts, or interior design from an accredited academic institution. A broad foundation in the visual arts is essential because color cannot be isolated from all the other design elements (texture, shape, etc.).

2. Take dedicated courses in color. In other words, take a full semester course in color, such as Color Theory 101 (not a course that includes a two week section on color). Focus on the “rules” of color harmony. On your own, read and reread Itten’s “The Elements of Color” and Alber’s “Interaction of Color.” (Even if they are part of any color course you complete.)

(See “Where to Study Color"- at the Color Matters web site for a list of academic institutions around the world that offer dedicated courses in color.)

3. Take a course in the physics of light. This is essential for understanding how and why color affects us. It also serves as an irreplaceable foundation for assessing the vast assortment of “research” about the physiological effects of color on the human body, mind, and all living things.

4. Take a course in psychology. Although this is a “soft science,” once again it serves as a foundation by which you can measure the psychological effects of color (symbolism, personal preferences, dislikes, etc.)

5. Study optics. Learn how the eye processes color.
Note: Test your color vision. One in twelve men are color blind, one in twenty females.

Part II – Self-directed Education

Pay attention to color everywhere. No matter where you are, no matter what you are doing, color is always doing something. It’s the color of the frame around your monitor right now, it's the color of sky outside your window, it's the colors of the currency in your wallet, and look around and name three other things that surround you right now.

Get several notebooks for this phase. Self-directed study requires considerable discipline and time to develop and is a process that is constantly evolving and should be recorded in notebooks. It should become a part of your conscious awareness.

Here’s a list of self-directed study areas:

1. Study nature. Study nature. Study nature.

Take photographs from near and far. Even better, mix paint and match the colors. Analyze the colors. Describe the exact shade of the color. Analyze the color combinations. How much of each color? What texture? What degree of opacity or transparency?
Ask:
1.) Does nature make a mistake?
2.) Is it true that there are no bad colors, only bad color combinations.

2. Determine the basic meanings of color and the role color has played in the very beginning of human existence.

In other words, go back to the time of our prehistoric ancestors when they lived in caves. What colors existed in that world? What colors surrounded them? What did a color communicate? Find as many examples for every color as possible. For example find 20 examples for red (such as fire, blood, berries). Look at the present. Find at least 20 examples of how that color is used today (such as red is used as the brand identity for the Red Cross and Xerox). Why? Is there a link?

2. Research factors that influence color.

How do climate, landscape and regional elements influence color choices? How is color used on national flags? What about religion, age, and gender? Conduct an in-depth study of global color symbolism. This is an ongoing process that will continue to reveal many truths. (Note: The eBook, Global Color - Clues and Taboos is the result of many years of my research as well as data from the Global Color Survey and it’s constantly evolving.)

3. Analyze product design.

Go beyond the products you typically use and seek out the unfamiliar. For example, if you don’t play golf, take a close look at the colors of golf cars. Focus, ask why, ask if another color would make it function better or communicate better, or be more attractive. (No personal preferences!) Research the historical role of color in product design. For example, the robin’s egg blue of Tiffany and the avocado and harvest gold appliances in the 70s.

4. Evaluate how color is used in movies, television and sports.

Watch the latest from Hollywood but devote equal time to foreign and historical films. Notice the entire color composition of a scene. Pay attention to everything. Even if you don’t care for reality TV, newscasts, or the usual weekly programming, there is a lot to learn about color in all categories of broadcast. Pay special attention to commercials. Finally, sports - and especially the colors used on logos and team uniforms from countries all over the world - will provide valuable information.

5. Analyze advertising.

Compare how the communication medium (print, web, broadcast) influences the choice of color in advertising. What about billboards and signs? How and why does scale matter?

6. Get personal.

What is your favorite color? Do you prefer the same color for a shirt and a car? Would you paint your bedroom walls that color? What color do you dislike? Why? Once you get in touch with your inner colors, never ever let them influence you when you are working for a client as a professional color consultant.

7. Trends

This is a controversial topic because many think that color fads/trends at the heart of color consultation and, therefore, join color organizations to access trends reports and in some cases workshops offered by that organization. The most professional and noteworthy are Color Marketing Group and the Color Association of the United States. The groups claim strong a track record, though they admit to a certain extent that their forecasts can become something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. However, trends are only a part of a much larger and timeless picture. Once you have a strong background in all the other elements of color, you are ready to distinguish between timeless and timely - and to detect significant trends as opposed to fads. It's not mysterious … it's an awareness of the mood and essence of the times and seeing where colors are moving from, and where they're moving toward." One of the most quoted examples is how an awareness of the popularity of coffee (thanks to Starbucks in the USA) was the key to predicting the popularity of brown.

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Jill Morton, Copyright (c) April 9, 2008, All rights reserved.

On a personal note, the truth is that I never wanted to be a color specialist per se. Color found me. I received a MFA in art and wound up teaching color theory and devoting many years to the self-directed study listed in this article. Many more years of practice have followed. It has been a pleasure to get to know color so intimately and to work as a color consultant.

If you have any questions or want to continue to contribute your thoughts on any of the topics in this newsletter, please do so at the Color Matters bulletin board.