At university today we had a fabulous presentation for the class by a representative of Formica.
It is a material that I have never personally been fond of as I would always favour natural materials over manufactured, particularly when it cannot be recycled.
However, it was fascinating to learn the history of the product, the initiatives to reduce the footprint of the creation of Formica and some of the essential qualities it can provide. Used in hospitals, washrooms, cladding, hallways and contract furniture, Formica can provide clean and clinical surfaces that can also perform well with high traffic volumes and acoustics. Thus, ensuring a long-term value of the product.
There are many deeply detailed finishes available in Formica from intrinsically detailed stone surfaces, metallics, woods and premium gloss.
Most interesting was the presentation on colour. It explained how differently we all perceive colour and therefore the importance of the colour sphere used by Formica for selecting colour finishes. It eliminates any mistakes made by people in the design process seeing colours differently to each other.
I found the process of how Formica is made interesting too and it is now a product I would consider specifying in designs of the future, when relevant to do so.
From this presentation I have learned a lot about how Formica is used in the industry and the importance of details such as colour. Moving forwards, I will think more on the colours of client boards to ensure that the client is perceiving the colour in the same or similar context to myself. For example, having an array of different samples for a paint colour from online images to paper swatches and painted wood samples.
06/02/20















