AkzoNobel has launched its latest color and trends guide for the automotive and consumer electronics markets. As well as offering a glimpse at the design direction for cars, smartphones and tablet computers, it also includes the company’s color of the year for those markets, “My Gold.”

The 2016 guide was launched at a special event staged at the McLaren Technology Center in Woking, U.K. AkzoNobel supplies the hi-tech coatings for McLaren Racing’s Formula 1 car and worked with McLaren Automotive to develop the spectacular color range for its road car series.

“Our team searches the world for the latest in design,” said Stephie Sijssens, color design manager for AkzoNobel Performance Coatings. “We translate these into four key trends, eight palettes and 72 color effects and textures. We want to inspire our industrial customers and together develop the colors, effects and textures for the products of the future.”

Now in its 11th year, the company carries out its own detailed market research to develop the guide and combines that with input from external design experts. The company says the key word for the latest trends guide is “transition.” “It’s about finding a balance between extremes to create change from within,” said Sijssens.

“This trend is epitomized by ‘My Gold,’ which makes a timeless, yet personal statement. It has the brilliance to turn heads, but also combines extremely well with other shades, such as classic black and white, or new neutrals like dark tones and soft pastels.”