Clever Paint Set Created by Japanese Designers Could Revolutionize the Way Kids Learn Colors

Probably the first thing kids learn about colors is their names. Only after that, they try to mix different paints to see what color they can come up with – let’s say, blue + yellow = green. But what if we didn’t teach our children to label colors with specific names in the first place? Imagine how different their perception of color would be.

Two Japanese designers Yusuke Imai and Ayami Moteki known as Ima Moteki came up with a very simple but quite an ingenious invention to change the way we learn and think about colors. Their paint set called Nameless Paints consists of tubes that are not labeled with color names. Instead, they have equations that involve the three primary colors (magenta, yellow, and cyan) and the proportions needed to create one or another shade.

In fact, the CMY (cyan, magenta, and yellow) color model is widely used in printing to produce a wide range of colors out of three pigments only. Nameless Paints uses the same concept, aimed to reach a deeper understanding of how exactly color works and which primary colors need to be mixed together to make a specific color.  

According to the designers, learning color names from a very young age negatively affects children’s perception of color. “By not assigning names to the colors we want to expand the definition of what a color can be, and the various shades they can create by mixing them,” says Imai.

Before becoming commercially available, the concept of Nameless Paints won a Kokuyo Design Award in 2012. Starting from this October, the paint set will go on sale in Japan for around $15.

Such a simple invention could indeed alter the way future generations think about color, as well as help enhance their creative potential. Modern people certainly need less labeling and more understanding of how things work, don’t you think?

What is your opinion? Do you agree that Nameless Paints is a great idea that our kids could benefit from? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Photo Credits: kokuyo.co.jp