How to Pick the Best CMF for Your Product
In today’s fast-paced, design-driven market, predicting CMF (Color, Material, Finish) trends is crucial for staying competitive and delivering products that resonate with consumers. CMF trends define the emotional and aesthetic appeal of a product, influencing purchase decisions and brand perception. To predict these trends, companies must combine market research, consumer insights, cultural shifts, and technological innovations.
1. Understand the Importance of CMF
CMF goes beyond aesthetics; it is about crafting experiences. Colors evoke emotions, materials impact functionality and sustainability, and finishes influence touch and durability. Predicting and adapting to trends in CMF allows brands to create products that align with evolving consumer preferences. Whether it’s a consumer electronic device, a luxury vehicle, or a lifestyle accessory, applying the right CMF can take a good design and make it iconic.
Take Apple, for example. They have long been recognized for their mastery of CMF. When its competitors used plastics, Apple carefully selected anodized aluminum, glass, and stainless steel to achieve a sleek, premium feel. The iPhone’s color choices are just as carefully considered, designed to appeal to a broad audience. Their finishes, such as the matte back on the iPhone Pro series or the glossy glass used on others, balance aesthetics with durability allowing it to feel high-end while giving users the opportunity for self-expression.
2. Analyze Global and Industry-Specific Trends
While CMF trends are often global, each industry may interpret them differently. To forecast effectively, it’s essential to monitor trends in both the broader cultural landscape and within specific industries:
Consumer Electronics: Minimalism, sleek surfaces, and eco-friendly materials dominate this sector. Advances in technology drive new CMF opportunities, like materials that improve durability, provide antimicrobial properties, or integrate sustainability into the core design. For instance, companies like Apple focus on clean, anodized finishes that communicate quality and technological sophistication.
Automotive: The automotive industry often reflects the intersection of luxury, technology, and sustainability. Matte finishes, metallic hues, and recycled materials are rising in popularity. Brands like Tesla incorporate smart finishes, such as dirt-repellent coatings, to enhance both aesthetics and functionality.
Fashion and Apparel: In this fast-changing sector, trends like sustainability and individuality shape CMF decisions. Brands increasingly use eco-friendly materials like organic cotton or innovative fabrics with digital printing to offer customization. Companies such as Patagonia focus on natural textures and earth-toned color palettes that reflect their commitment to environmental stewardship.
Lifestyle Products: For brands like Owala, understanding lifestyle trends, such as the rise of health-conscious and eco-friendly consumers, allows them to tailor their CMF to this market. Bright, contrasting color schemes and BPA-free materials highlight both playfulness and sustainability.
3. Harness Trend Forecasting Platforms and Tools
Trend forecasting platforms such as WGSN, Coloro, and Pantone play a pivotal role in understanding emerging CMF trends. These platforms analyze consumer behavior, cultural shifts, and technological advancements to predict which colors, materials, and finishes will be in demand. By subscribing to these services, companies can access in-depth reports that provide actionable insights.
Pantone’s annual Color of the Year announcement is one of the most recognized predictions globally, influencing a wide range of industries from fashion to home décor. It is important to not just implement their predictions blindly, however, as what works for one product may not work for another. CMF designers are able to take this information and apply it to the other factors mentioned in this article to create a winning CMF strategy.
4. Explore Consumer Insights and Cultural Movements
Understanding the cultural zeitgeist is key to predicting future CMF trends. Design trends often reflect broader cultural movements, such as sustainability, wellness, or digitalization. Today, consumers are looking for products that represent their values, whether it’s through sustainable materials, minimalistic finishes, or vivid, expressive colors.
For example:
Sustainability: As seen with brands like Owala, sustainability is a significant trend. Consumers are more conscious of environmental impact, pushing for materials that are recycled, biodegradable, or made using eco-friendly processes. This has led to trends like using natural finishes or upcycling materials.
Digital-First Lifestyles: The rise of remote work, digital interaction, and virtual experiences has influenced CMF trends toward minimalism, comfort, and colors associated with calmness and clarity, like soft pastels or neutral tones.
Health and Wellness: Wellness has inspired trends such as calming color palettes, soothing textures, and materials that promote well-being, like organic textiles and anti-microbial finishes.
Known for its innovative water bottles, Owala has mastered the art of CMF by focusing on bold colors and matte finishes that appeal to consumers’ sense of fun, individuality, and practicality. Owala taps into these consumer desires through their use of vibrant colors like electric blue and punchy pink, while also emphasizing wellness, hydration, and sustainability. This has made their products stand out in the highly competitive hydration space.
5. Collaborate with Cross-Disciplinary Experts
Successful CMF prediction requires collaboration across design, engineering, and marketing teams. Engaging with experts from different industries can offer new perspectives on material properties, finish durability, and consumer appeal. Partnering with material scientists or sustainability experts can also help in developing innovative solutions that meet future trends, such as smart materials or bio-based composites.
For example, a brand like Nike works closely with material scientists to ensure that their shoes are made of comfortable, lightweight, and durable materials. The combination of futuristic materials like Flyknit, coupled with various finishes (glossy, matte, or reflective), makes each pair of Air Max sneakers unique. The use of vibrant colorways, including limited edition collaborations, allows Nike to tap into cultural and fashion trends, constantly pushing the envelope in both style and performance. This collaboration ensures that CMF choices not only look appealing but also function as high-performance products.
6. Leverage Technological Advancements
Technological innovations in materials and finishes are constantly pushing the boundaries of design. 3D printing, for example, allows for intricate textures and new materials that were previously impossible to manufacture. Similarly, smart coatings and finishes that adapt to environmental conditions or change color under different lighting conditions are emerging trends in industries like automotive and wearables.
An example of a product that incorporates color-changing technology into its CMF is BMW's iX Flow with E Ink. This innovative vehicle concept revealed at CES 2022, uses electrophoretic technology to change the car’s exterior color with the touch of a button. The surface of the iX Flow is coated with a special material embedded with millions of microcapsules containing different pigments. By applying electrical stimulation, the pigments shift to display varying shades of white, gray, and black. This not only provides aesthetic customization but also has functional benefits, such as helping regulate the car’s temperature by reflecting or absorbing heat depending on the chosen color, offering both style and energy efficiency in one dynamic package
7. Monitor Emerging Startups and Niche Markets
Startups often serve as incubators for radical CMF innovations. By observing emerging companies that experiment with bold aesthetic choices, and how consumers respond to them, established brands can find inspiration and stay ahead of the curve. design firms can use behavioral map marketing analysis to identify niche markets that often pioneer the use of innovative materials. Industries like fashion and sustainable packaging often establish trends that are later scaled for larger industries.
Owala also exemplifies a startup that brought fresh energy into the space by focusing on highly functional, well-designed products with fun and engaging color schemes. Larger brands can learn from Owala’s success by incorporating playful yet practical CMF elements into their own product lines.
8. Adapt to Regional Preferences
While global trends are important, it's equally essential to recognize regional preferences. Color symbolism and material preferences vary significantly across cultures. What works in one region may not appeal in another. For example, while bold, saturated colors might dominate the North American market, consumers in Scandinavian countries might prefer more muted, earthy tones that align with their minimalistic design preferences.
An example of a product that considers regional preferences in its CMF is the Samsung Galaxy S21 series. Samsung offers different color options and finishes depending on the market, catering to varying aesthetic tastes across regions. For instance, in North America and Europe, the Galaxy S21 comes in more subdued, premium finishes like Phantom Gray or Phantom Silver, which align with the preference for sleek, minimalist designs. In contrast, markets in Asia, particularly in countries like South Korea and India, have additional color options such as Phantom Violet and vibrant hues, reflecting a stronger preference for bold, expressive colors. This customization of CMF based on regional preferences allows Samsung to connect more deeply with consumers by offering products that resonate culturally and aesthetically with their local tastes.
Conclusion
Predicting and staying ahead of CMF trends requires a deep understanding of target market dynamics, technological advancements, and cultural shifts. Companies that focus on CMF have design teams that stay ahead of these trends and can drive success by offering products that not only meet functional needs but also resonate emotionally with consumers.
At Acorn Product Development we have industrial designers and engineers working together to bring ideas to life. By leveraging cross-disciplinary collaboration, and technological innovations, we can ensure products are both aesthetically pleasing and aligned with future market demands. Fill out the form below to see how Acorn can help you master the steps above and find the best CMF for your product.