It's oftentimes when you're in the middle of things that you realize you've got the next big idea.
For Samantha Smith, co-hustler at Collective Hustle, the journey to her new startup Vishion came via a simple observation over dinner with her husband.
The place? Kindred. The thing? The color of its cabinets. The problem? The pair couldn't find suitable end tables in the exact shade of captivating green.
Regardless, the hunt got Smith thinking. What if there was a search engine that allowed users to find decor in the exact color they were looking for, a tool that would help designers (both the professional and casual) nail their looks?
"That was not the only instance [of color frustration]," Smith told Charlotte Inno. "Finding the right color is always a relevant issue."
Enter Vishion, an app-based resource that allows users to do just that — with a little help from partners Pantone and Sherwin-Williams. Upon downloading the free iOs app, searchers have 3,600 colors to search from. The engine draws across brands for result, unearthing "the right item in the perfect color."
So, say one loves the color of that flower from a morning walk and you're dying to get a throw pillow in the same shade? Vishion's technical capabilities allow users to match hues and search related products.
There's also options for color storage for future reference; design curation and a weekly trending color and subsequent palette brought to users by Vishion's partners for design inspiration.
Regardless of how users employ the tool, Smith said it was developed so designers could "get started right away with [their] color search."
Said development process entailed testing with shoppers in South Park Mall, a beta test in February and eventually, a soft launch earlier this month.
"Finding the right color is always a relevant issue."
"It went extremely well," Smith said. "There were over 1,100 color searches instigated. We very nervous going in it, [after] working on your baby for so long, [but] the results are exactly what we’re looking for."
Plans for Vishion's future include developing an app for Android users and expanding its search options, as well as continuing to fundraise full-time.
These are challenges that Smith said her four-person team (which is also bolstered by a group of talented interns) is well equipped to handle, especially with the help of the local tech ecosystem.
"Charlotte has very much embraced Vishion," she explained. "The kind words that were given, other founders in the area who I call my close friends ... we're very proactive in helping each other."
