Many consumers have their home walls painted in neutral shades. They ignore their personal preferences, interior style, mood boards and traditional color cards and go for safer ‘whites’. Research proves that most people are simply afraid of making the wrong choice. We developed a great solution for FLEXA (part of AkzoNobel): the FLEXA color testers; a miniature paint roller to easily test various colors on your own wall before making your final choice.

The new color testers allow customers to try out different paint colors on their own walls and help them find a color scheme and style that best suits their interior. The applicators are available in a range of 36 different shades, with each tester containing 30 ml of paint, enough to cover a considerable surface (70×70 cm). Unique is the integrated paint roller that ensures easy application and a truly representative result.

The multinational client challenged our design team to find one single solution for the French, Benelux and U.K. markets, as well as for their online retail channels, aiming for a better global appearance. These markets all have considerable differences regarding retail environments, consumer needs and demands, shipping costs in relation to the outer dimensions, paint recipes and legal restrictions, which made it challenging to find one solution that suits all.

In close collaboration with the client’s international team and with a multi-disciplinary approach, our team managed to find an innovative solution. We created a colorful design (branding Design Bridge) that stands out in all different retail spaces. But even more important, the applicator’s integrated roller delivers better paint quality than existing testers on the market today. The product locks the customer in: once you feel comfortable with a particular color on your wall, you will order exactly this shade and not a competitor’s look-alike. The new tester keeps the brand one step ahead in a very competitive environment.