Research: Existing purple products

 I decided to start some research on existing purple products to see how they use the colour in designs. I could draw inspiration from some of these designs for my own products.

When I googled 'purple products', the majority of the results were female products. I could either see women's perfumes, hair brushes, make up, shampoos. I googled 'purple furniture' and more accurate results came up.

The colour Thesaurus 

I will be using this as a colour guide for this blog.

Purple modern living room

What I really like about this design is that it allows me to visualise how purple products can co-exist within a space. At first, I was very concerned that creating many products with the same colour might not look good together in a space. This is a great example of how products can work together and look very coherent and organised. 

This specific shade of purple is one of my favourites as it is very calming to the eye. The lilac and lavender shades of purple are the ones that stand out to me the most. The are not as rich in colour like the eggplant shade. 

The colour lavender represents tranquillity, gracefulness, loyalty which is why it appears to be so calm to the eye. Bold colours can be very tiring to the eye. This colour is unique and broadens the market as it is neutral for both girls and boys.

They provide a perfect balance and look really nice in a space. Each element in this picture stands out on it's own which makes the image so powerful. I really like the symmetry used in each of the items which makes them look very neat together. Additionally, the matt finish really adds to the overall image as there are no reflections to interfere with the colour and make it very appealing to the eye. 

I definitely want to look into these colours and the symmetry in my own designs and also consider the finish of the products. 

Presidio Heights

What stood out to me in this design was the intricate magenta texture on the chair. Using this texture made the chair look very high end and expensive. I like how the detailing is only on the main body of the chair and not on the legs. The arms and legs of the chair act as negative space to contrast the purple detailing. The detail on the chair appears to be of a flower which is repeated throughout. 

The colour magenta represents universal love, compassion and kindness. I can also consider this colour as one of my options as it is a very pleasant and rich colour to look at. It is a very eye-catching colour and I can use the meaning of the colour to create the shapes and the patterns in my own designs. 

As I want my products to stand out from the market, implementing a texture or pattern might help to make them more unique. I can look into the history of purple and create embroidery on my items that symbolise something. This would be a personal element that would add to the overall image. 

Interior purple sofa

Unlike the previous picture, in this one the sofa appears to have a really dark shade of purple. The shade eggplant appears to be a very dull and heavy colour. I personally really dislike this colour as it is not appealing to the eye. It is very rich in colour, therefore, designing many products using this colour might end up looking very dull and monotone. Eggplant is a shade that is not very pleasant.

I think eggplant would look good in houses that are very rich and high-end on the inside. The colour is very mature and it targets an older section of the target market, not university students. 

Brighton Residence

In these design, we can see that the chairs are in the shade of heather. Heather represents admiration and solitude. In this design, I like the shape of the chairs. The shape of them can easily be foldable and I can consider creating something like this in my design. 

This shade of purple does not excite me as it looks boring. I could not imagine many products of this colour as it is not as eye catching and exciting as the rest. Looking at the first two examples, those colours excite me and made me feel calm and happy. However, I find this colour to be rather dull in comparison to the previous ones. 

The Astors

The shade Amethyst represents calmness. Although this is a very calming shade, I do not think it is suitable for university students. The undertones of this colour consist more blue than red, which makes it very dark. This shade gives off very mature and elegant vibes which is not the best solution for university students. Additionally, the elliptical chairs are not of my preference. I can keep this shape in mind and conduct surveys regarding which shape and shade is most preferred by university students. This will allow me to explore the preferences of some university students.

Microsuede purple flip floor chair convertible lounger/ sleeper

The innovation of this lounger is what stood out to me the most. Seeing a chair shaped lounger with no legs is something very unique. The chair has a magenta colour to it just like one of the products above. I really like this colour as it is not too bright nor too dark. It stands out from the surroundings but can complement various of colours. I feel like this shade is perfect for university students as it provokes a feeling of happiness and liveliness. It gives off really positive and happy vibes which is ideal for university students. As they spend multiple hours in their accommodations, they have to be inspired by their surroundings and they need a positive and happy atmosphere to work in.

Looking at some colours and shapes on existing products was very informing as it helped me realise that I am leaning towards brighter colours in my own design. I would like to further research existing products so I can analyse both the shape and their colour to ensure that I explore many colours, finishes and shapes for my own development. 

Additionally, I focused more on chairs in this blog post. Once I finalise my items and what I will be creating, I will add individual blog posts and greater research for each item.