News

Focus on colour – partnerships between business and education

In France

Beckers in Montbrison, France, has set up an initiative with the local Lycée de Beauregard to help students discover both the world of colour and the world of industry.

The first work-experience programme within this initiative started in November 2003 and will run for nine months. The student’s knowledge of colour will be recognised with a certificate and a portfolio showing their competence.

This initiative builds on earlier work in Montbrison since 1997 with the aim of interesting Baccalauréat-level students in careers as colourists in industry. Following a feasibility study in 2000, a syllabus was put forward to the French national education authorities for approval. This will prepare students not only for the coatings industry but also for other professions such as designers, architects or artists.

Whatever their backgrounds, the students will experience a novel study regime, based on 16 weeks of vocational training in the Lycée and 13 weeks full-time in the business.

In Sweden

Beckers opens their door to the colourful world of design

A group of students from the Konstfack University College of Arts Crafts and Design in Stockholm visited Märsta in Autumn 2003 to meet members of BIC’s Colourstyling team and see design in an industrial environment. The Konstfack masters programme is one of the most exclusive in Sweden, preparing ambitious young designers for design management, as well as broadening their design skills.

One module of Konstfack’s industrial design programme deals with colour and aims to develop student’s understanding of the breadth of the colour palette and its relationship to form and function. They saw the vast repertoire of effect colours and the wide range of nuances in textures such as leather and soft-feel. They saw pigments with stunning flop effects – although they were warned that for some of these the price was comparable to gold!

Juicy and fruity – or patinated and pearly?

They were entertained by the emotional language used in trend contexts to describe effect colours. Gunnel Gustaver, who with Jonas Thunstedt led the course visit on that day, explained, “It may seem odd to an outsider to describe a colour in terms such as pastel, intense, soft, fruity, patinated, transparent or pearly. But this is often how we communicate with our customers.”

Colour stylists need to be aware of new trends. “Often the pace is set by the fashion and cosmetic industries, but we must be right up there,” said Gunnel. “We arrange customer workshops and develop a range of colours and effects to match the verbal sensory and emotional profile the customer has specified – expressed, of course, in current fashion trends.”