The Colour model – Huedentity Project

The history and reasons of behind developing a new colour analysis model.

What is Colour Analysis?

Colour analysis is a method used to identify and choose colours that complement one’s natural features to propose appropriate material, makeup and decoration colours. It examines the relationship between skin undertones, eye colour, and hair pigmentation to create a personalized colour palette. Since its early rise, colour analysis aims to provide a structured way to determine which colours look best on a person based on their natural characteristics.

“Understanding individual color preferences has become increasingly important in our personalization-driven market” – Color Marketing Group

As the base of the methodology focuses on physical characteristics, it’s important to note that traditional colour analysis operates independently of Personal colour preferences, cultural colour associations, regional colour traditions and seasonal fashion trends. Highly professional analysts typically apply two distinct layers to accommodate this, where the base analysis provides with the evaluation of the natural characteristics, and the following contextual refinement provides further considerations for cultural and professional context.

Traditional Colour Analysis

Seasonal Model

In traditional colour analysis, clients are classified into established categories that have specific colour recommendations. This has a primary consequence of the palette being pre-made for the client, and the consultant is only responsible for the typification the client. Two dominant classification systems are used: seasonal analysis and tonal grouping.

The most discussed method of colour analysis is sorting people into seasonal categories – winter, spring, summer, and autumn – known as seasonal analysis, established by the earlier mentioned early practitioners. This method is commonly carried out via colour draping, where practitioners evaluate skin responses to various hues using fabric swatches in a well-lit room, held to the face of the client.

Debates surrounding the seasonal theory includes:

Subjectivity: Different consultants may interpret skin tones and seasonal categories differently, leading to inconsistencies in advice.
Client confusion: While this method requires distinction between warm and cold colours, most individuals perceive shades that resonate with them as warm, due to their emotional connection with them, regardless of their position in the system.
Restrictive palettes: The majority of palettes recommended contain only 10-20 colours from the thousands available across colour domains.
Low level of personalisation: The palettes recommended out of the box are generally not personalized and delivered as-is to each client, expecting millions of people to fit into only 4-16 colour themes.
Spot based colour recommendations: Clients are forced to rely on fallacious colour memory because the recommended palettes provide isolated colours for recommendations. It is not clear how far one can deviate from the recommended shade and in what direction before it becomes inappropriate. There is a lack of consensus between the colour naming makes the recommend colours hard to translate to other systems.

To fill few of the methodological gaps, the original four season have been further developed with subcategories, by today offering multiple variations ranging from 4 to 16 categories, with the most commonly applied being the 12 class seasonal model.

Tonal Model

The tonal classification system is widely embraced by aestheticians, cosmetic consultants, skincare specialists and makeup professionals, offers an other but slightly less nuanced approach to individual colour choices. It provides only three basic types based on the undertone temperature and the degree to which they dominate the persons natural complexion.

The absence of quantitative metrics makes the temperature-based approach to colour analysis relative and contextual, similar to seasonal theory.

The main methodological concerns of the tonal model involve:

Context dependency: Colours shift their perceived temperature based on surrounding hues, making the same colour appear warm or cool depending on adjacent colours. Particularly true in the case of blue and green, which are neighbours on the colour wheel and have a smooth transition between them.
Environmental Factors: The time of day, clouding, lighting, temperature, seasonal changes, and type of artificial lighting can greatly affect the analysis accuracy.
Personal Bias: People often associate comfort and familiarity with warmth, leading them to categorize their colors as “warm” regardless of their place in the theory
Cultural Influence: Different societies may interpret colour temperatures differently based on their cultural contexts and experiences
Physical temperature misattribution: The electromagnetic wave’s frequency and energy increase as the wavelength shortens, as in blue, making it physically warmer. Its connection with cold is based on human history, as blue is the colour of clean, cold water and the sky. The system is based on cultural perception rather than actual temperature, which leads to significant inconsistencies in the interpretation of warm and cold.

Using this method in a professional setting is tainted by debates, similar to the seasonal model, which result in a less credible result. The need for more objective and measurable approaches to personal colour analysis is suggested by these limitations, especially in profess

Human-Centred Models of Colour Analysis

Despite numerous technical advancements since the 1980s, the foundations of colour analysis haven’t been consolidated. The main approach is still based on a mix of different tonal classifications and pre-made seasonal palettes to help with colour selection. And while digitalized versions are becoming more and more widespread, they represent a less customized and thoughtful approach than 1-on-1 personal sessions. Colour analysis is still a subjective art rather than a scientific and standardized practice, delivered through colour-draping.

The reason for the lack of theoretical and methodological advancements in modern colour analysis can be traced back to the fundamental challenges of what it aims to achieve. Standardizing skin colour definitions while human skin contains thousands of different colours. Followed by applying colour harmony principles that were built to eliminate personal preferences and serve mathematical models. In order to create a colour palette for a specific person to wear it in a specific context, with the right cultural/political message, while blending well with the visual noise of the social environment. The task is incredibly complex.

Innovative approaches have emerged in recent years that promise solutions to tackle the complexity of colour analysis and better account for the diversity of human skin tones and preferences. Leading the efforts to build a robust foundation for modern colour matching is the Huedentity project, with the following advancements:

Addressing the lack of standardized skin-tone analysis by building machine learning-based skin analysis and pigment colour reduction methods
Addressing the issues with swatch-based colour palette recommendations that rely on fallacious colour memory, don’t indicate the boundaries of suitable colour variations, and use inconsistent colour names
Addressing the overly restrictive pre-made palettes by using comprehensive colour charts that encompass the entire spectrum and selecting matches from all colour domains
Addressing the low customisability of the pre-made seasonal colour palettes by creating a multidimensional, completely personal colour chart for each person
Addressing the confusion around warm and cool colour distinction by removing temperature typology and using individual skin matching
Addressing the inapplicability of scientific harmony creation rules by expanding the formulas with contextual parameters, recommending colour pairing from the client’s own palette with purpose of the look considered

Skin-Matching Instead of Skin-Tone Matching

At the very heart of the advancement is the technology that can tackle skin tonal diversity. Huedentity assign a so called distinct general tone to each person, which is a dynamically created perceptual summary of the colours of the skin that provides a singular representation of the variety of hues involved. This tone is not merely a single shade picked to represent the skin; rather, it is calculated from an estimated 16,000 distinct colours that contribute to the final impression of skin colour.

The skin tone calculation process adapts to different lighting conditions and environmental factors using advanced imaging technologies to analyse skin tones and to provide accurate colour matches. With that, typisation of skin tone into warm-colour, or light-dark becomes ommittable and a hyper-personalised matching protocol can be provided.

The matching protocol is called the Human Centred Colour System® and provides client-specific colour palettes that built around the perceptual skin tone of a client, the distinct general tone. This process removes debates and conflict of opinions from the colour matching practice and greatly improve the credibility of the result.

The Human Centred Colour System®

The Human Centred Colour System® built on a perceptually even colour space and colour harmony rules defined by the empirical research of Nemcsics and colleagues (2007). The model employs 48 distinct basic colours that fall under 7 colour domains, which research has shown to be visually distinguishable from a human with regular colour vision. For easier use, the chart created only displays 12 of the original 48 basic colours for the clients for whom it was created.

A two-dimensional model is used to present the 12 colours, taking into account the most crucial colour attributes such as hue and value (lightness-darkness). Match selection is done by placing the client’s distinct general tone into the centre of this colour space to define the harmonising intervals within each domain. The dynamic, contextual display eliminates the need to memorize individual colours and makes it easy to remember colour matching patterns.

The next level of personalization applied by the model is the client-specific colour pairing guide, which incorporates the purpose of selection, environmental noise, and the colour dynamics principles known from scientific approaches. All pairing guidance is built from the previously defined personal palette of the client, resulting is a fully custom pairing guide.

The final Colour Book delivered also contains personal matching with global colour trends, providing feedback on how the current colour trend sits with the client. Recommendations are given on where to shift the colour choice to stay aligned with the trends without venturing too far from the personal colour palette. This approach represents trend-sensitive consulting, incorporating social surroundings into the equation.

The Huedentity project’s professional appeal lies in its technical sophistication and cultural sensitivity. It provides the long-desired credibility to those offering colour analysis as a part of their image consulting services. The research-based model removes client scepticism, and raises the reliability of the results to match the other components of image consulting. Most notably, it distinguishes the consultant as a leading service provider, as clients rely on their hired professional’s objectivity and expect their methods to be grounded in evidence.

Artistic Approaches

As an inspiring, artistic approach to embracing diversity and complexity instead of reducing it into artificial classes is the Humane project. The Humane project attempts to document humanity’s true colours rather than the untrue labels “white”, “red”, “black” and “yellow” associated with race. The mission of the project to shape skin colour definition and diversity deeply resonates with the Huedentity project and its popularity shows the increased interest in putting humans to the centre of the palette creation method.

The background for each portrait in the Humane project is tinted with the tone that is taken as a 11 x 11 pixel sample from the nose of the participants and matched with the industrial pallet Pantone®. Although the sampling method is significantly simpler than Huedentity, it nonetheless offers the chance to showcase skin colours in their variety.

Age and Gender Specific Colour Considerations in Wardrobe Planning

An additional layer of colour consulting that is often provided on the top of colour analysis is incorporating a wider cultural context of the client, beyond their psychical complexion. Wider cultural context also shapes colour choices (Lamb & Bourriau, 1995) and research found significant variations in colour perception across different age groups (Dittmar, 2001) and genders (Bonnardel, 2013). The following distinct patterns identified in colour preferences by studies (Ou et al., 2011):

Young adults (18-25) gravitate toward vibrant, saturated colours
Middle-aged individuals (35-50) prefer muted, sophisticated tones
Older adults (60+) show increased appreciation for lighter, softer shades

Gender-Specific Colour Responses

Both genders share common responses to basic colour harmonies
Women display heightened sensitivity to subtle colour variations
Men demonstrate stronger preferences for pure, unmixed colours

The Business of Colour Analysis in Image Consulting

Colour analysis is an integral part of professional image consulting, which is a growing and lucrative market. The market size is reported to be $762 million globally, with an average monthly income for consultants being around $6,250. However, the highest tier of image consultants are reported to earn more than $30,000 per month. Certification or authorised partnership with evidence-based providers can greatly enhance client trust and allow for premium price positioning.

Distinctive position is particularly important in the case of corporate image consultants, where clients expect robust backing for the recommendations provided to them. Considering that consultants told to generate an average of 22% of their business through networking forums and 12% through referrals and returning clients, providing cutting-edge and distinctive services can lead to a significant increase in both corporate and private referrals.

Conclusion

The service of colour analysis is a crucial component of image consulting and personal branding, and there is a steady interest in it due to the significant impact of colours on a person’s perceived professionalism and emotional maturity. Following its rocky beginning with unstandardized methods and conflicting theories, recent innovations, such as the Huedentity project, have begun to raise the credibility of colour consulting to the same level as other styling components. With its human-centred approach, the Huedentity model is not only capable of providing a hyperpersonalized palette, but also addresses the technical challenges of standardizing skin-tone matching and providing contextual colour harmony recommendations.

While traditional methods are still in use and periodically reach their peak in the market, the need for consistency and flexibility has brought great interest to innovative approaches. The science behind colour matching, along with its practical use in planning wardrobes, lay the groundwork for quality service and satisfied clients.

Huedentity is the sole provider of a research-backed personal colour analysis service and a hyper-personalised colour matching method that uses both advanced skin-matching and trademarked colour model. It provides a solid foundation for contemporary consulting services and takes the pressure of colour analysis of the shoulders of consultants with an evidence-based service and deluxe delivery. Advantages of embedding Huedentity colour analysis into consulting services are many:

Increased credibility: The use of advanced colour science eliminates ambiguity in colour recommendations and increases the credibility of the consultants.
Professional distinction: It raises consulting services above the competition with a cutting-edge solution that is new to the market.
More referral: By providing consulting services with a premium touch, it generates referrals. Each package is created with care and expertise to make the clients of the consultant feel like royalty.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

How is the Huedentity personal colour analysis is different and why is it important in styling?

Huedentity is built on The Human Centred Colour System®, which provides a practical model for creating hyper-personalized colour palettes. Our colour analysis model uses dynamic, contextual color model instead of pre-made categories. This means that we can provide each client with matching colour variations from the entire colour spectrum, rather than just a limited set of swatches.

What Huedentity uses for skin-tone matching?

The Huedentity Color analysis method uses advanced technology for matching skin tones. Instead of relying on cold-warm tone models, it focuses on understanding an individual’s unique skin tone. This approach solves the problem of accurately representing human skin colour, which has approximately 16,000 different shades, and eliminates the need of classification. This innovative approach opens up new possibilities for creating a standardized method of matching skin tones with material colours.

What result the Huedentity colour analysis will provide?

The Huedentity model displays 12 colour domains, that research established as visually distinguishable by a human with regular colour vision. By placing the individual skin colour into this colour model, we create personal palettes that displays the matching colour variations as intervals in the whole spectrum to showcase the pattern of match instead of providing random swatches. With that, we eliminate misinterpreting a mismatching shade with a full colour domain which often ends up clients thinking that e.g. green is not working for them.

What academic insights Huedentity utilises for its colour analysis?

The scientific base of the Huedentity project is the Human Centred Colour System® utilising the aesthetically uniform system of the empirical Coloroid model that brings about harmony of hue, saturation and lightness, placing greater importance of the aesthetic evenness than on the technical equality of colour differences. We adopted the colour classification including 7 colour domain and 48 basic colours as foundation for our palette creation, while optimising its nomenclature and harmony creation rules to our context.

How can the Huedentity model be integrated into an image consulting or styling package?

We love working with image consultants and stylists who are passionate about offering hypercare to their valued clients. We offer a variety of ways to work together, including direct reselling, white-labelled integration that is fully tailored to a consulting framework or custom solutions. The collaboration is risk-free. There is no need to purchase anything upfront to be able to offer it to clients. The custom package is provided after the clients of the consultancy have inquired and pre-purchased.

Where to contact for more information about the model and partnership options?

We’re looking forward to hearing about your interest in the model and ideas of integrating it into your specific consulting model. Please feel free to reach out to us on contact@huedentityproject.com. We’ll come back to you withing 24 hours.