Avient Corporation, an innovator of materials solutions, today announced the launch of ColorForward™ 2026, its annual color trend forecasting tool for the plastics industry developed to support the design of impactful aesthetics for new consumer products.
ColorForward 2026, created by the ColorWorks team at Avient, outlines four global societal trends that will likely affect consumers' emotions in the coming years and, in turn, influence their color choices for plastic products. These narratives are translated into aesthetic concepts using the expertise of a global team of color, material, and finish (CMF) and industry specialists. The result is a set of twenty color aesthetics that aim to guide and inspire designers and marketers in their color selections for new polymer applications.
"This edition marks the 20th anniversary of ColorForward, a platform which started with the ambition of offering to brand owners, designers, and marketing experts a unique perspective into relevant societal trends and their impact on consumers' behaviors and preferences in the foreseeable future, and the connection to the aesthetics that could better intercept those preferences. Offering an annual color direction tool was an unconventional and daring concept for a plastic solutions provider twenty years ago. A concept which has proven successful," said Maurizio Torchio, Global Manager of ColorWorks at Avient. "Coincidently, yet unsurprisingly, all the trends identified by the global team for this anniversary edition focus on the attempt of society to rechart itself post-pandemic, exploring different and unfamiliar ideas."
Following a period of poly-crisis that led to adopting coping mechanisms and showing resiliency, people often enter a period of experimentation as they seek solutions to global challenges such as carbon emissions, rising power demand, digitalization, and an increase in artificial intelligence (AI). There will be an eagerness to investigate different angles, look into new, unconventional ideas, or dust off old concepts to increase the chances of success. It could sometimes lead to a feeling of chaos, but it is an essential step to collectively and individually restructure people's lives. These recent developments prompted Avient's ColorForward team to develop the following four societal trends:
- Carnival of Fuels examines humankind’s quest for alternative energy sources to meet the increasing power needs driven by the growing electrification of our world and a surge in data centers.
- Bio-funk delves into technologies, from the uncanny brain organoids to quantum computers, that could break through to help meet the data processing capacities in an increasingly digitalized world. The unpredictable evolution of AI factors in both stories and a need to favor solutions that positively impact carbon emissions.
- Viviendo de Noche captures people’s ability to embrace a more nocturnal lifestyle as a strategy for navigating high temperatures during extended heat waves. This adaptation reflects our efforts to explore different ways of coping with changing conditions in this somewhat chaotic period.
- Wonderland delves into the different tactics used to find little moments of joy and respite through celebrating "minorstones" (as opposed to milestones), self-gifting, and seeking original experiences.
"This year's color palette is as eclectic as the trends, highlighting our journey through a period of redefining chaos," said Roberto Romanin, Designer at ColorWorks EMEA. "Lighter, harmonious shades and more complex neutrals partner with vibrant colors to embody cautious optimism and brightness in a complex world. Special effects continue to provide depth and dynamism to a palette that is generally less saturated than the previous edition."
Avient offers ColorForward seminars at its six ColorWorks design and technology centers worldwide, as well as selected conferences and customer sites.
