For color expert Kate Smith the full spectrum of hues has always been fascinating. “Long before my desk was covered with swatch decks and paint chips, my desire to put colors together was satisfied by a big box of still-in-the-wrapper Crayola crayons.

As a young girl I would arrange and rearrange the many colors into combinations I found pleasing. Other times I would group them by color and then from light to dark. I even came up with what I thought was the perfect way of arranging them in the box. At that time I didn’t have a clue that there was any theory behind what I was doing naturally. I just have always had an intuition about color.

My love of color led me to pursue a degree in fine arts, but even during my university studies, I often found myself more interested in color and the interaction of colors, than in perfecting my drawing or painting techniques. From that time on, though there was still much unknown, I was positive that colors would play a significant role in my life.

I began my career in product development and marketing, where I was able to work my way into the executive ranks of several Fortune 500 companies, learning to predict color trends and capitalize on using color effectively. I feel very fortunate that I had the chance to hone my color knowledge and trend forecasting expertise working alongside some of the best in the industry, all in an arena where the correct color direction had a significant financial impact.

The most significant insight I made as a color expert and trend forecaster was in the mid 90’s, when I predicted an upcoming explosion in an interest in color. This insight shaped the direction of my career, when first in 2001 I traded my corporate office for a home office and started consulting with many companies showing them how to understand, predict, and capitalize on color.

And again in 2005, when I started writing the first – and at that time only — blog solely devoted to sharing and exploring all aspects of color. Within one year I expanded to a full scale website to meet the overwhelming interest of thousands of design professionals and enthusiast worldwide who were seeking color knowledge.

During this time since, I have been afforded many incredible opportunities, and have earned a color-centered reputation on an international stage. Today, I lend my expertise to many well-known companies where I work with them as a consultant, media personality and spokesperson.

I am often retained as an inspirational speaker and seminar leader, blending color theory and psychology into entertaining and informative talks that engage, educate and entertain their customers and employees through color."