Ohio State Design is excited to highlight a rewarding collaboration between fourth-year students from Interior Design, Industrial Design, and Visual Communication Design and Color Marketing Group (CMG), an organization known for shaping color trends across industries. Led by Rebekah Matheny, NCIDQ, IIDA, Associate Professor of Interior Design, this innovative project provided students with an invaluable opportunity to engage directly in the process of color forecasting, a key area of expertise for design professionals.

Professor Matheny worked closely with five fourth-year undergraduate students, who were guided through the color forecasting process with assistance from CMG expert and Ohio State Design alum Renee Hytry Derrington. Together, they delved into the steps of predicting color trends and creating thoughtful, well-researched color forecasts.

The project began early in the academic year with virtual CMG 101 training sessions, where students were introduced to the foundational concepts of color forecasting. In March, the team received hands-on training in completing CMG’s color forecasting worksheets, a critical part of the process. To support the students in balancing their busy schedules during their final year, Professor Matheny established a team chat and organized regular check-ins, ensuring they stayed on track and engaged throughout the project.

In April, the students participated in the "ChromaZone" presentation, held on a Saturday morning just before the Spring Football game on campus. The event featured students presenting their color forecasts to a group that included Design Chair Fabienne Munch. 

Throughout the project, the students enjoyed lively, collaborative discussions as they developed their color stories and imagined how their forecasted colors could be translated into real-world materials. One of the most challenging aspects of the project was sourcing appropriate copyright-free images to complement their ideas. While the students were well-versed in digital design tools, they were introduced to the NCS color system, and Vice President of Color Forecasting Montaha Hidefi helped translate their color notations to align with CMG’s established standards.

The culmination of this pilot program came in September, when the now-graduates took a break from their new professional roles to present their final OSU Color Forecast to CMG’s Board of Directors. Their work was met with enthusiasm, and the success of the pilot led to plans for continuing the partnership. Professor Matheny and Renee are already planning to work with a new group of students in 2025.

As part of the broader CMG student initiative, Board Member Susan Beiser, who leads CMG's student outreach, has expanded the program for 2025. Four additional universities will be joining the effort, all coordinated by CMG members. The Department of Design at Ohio State is proud to support this forward-thinking initiative, which provides students with a unique and hands-on learning experience that bridges academic study with real-world industry practices. We look forward to seeing how this collaboration continues to grow, helping future designers shape the trends of tomorrow.