Living Coral | Pantone’s Color of the Year

As any designer, or even psychologist, can affirm, color is extremely important in our lives. One simple hue has an immense power to shift our mood and focus. From the calming energy of blue to the passionate power of red, colors have a great responsibility within our lives – and brands. As a designer and artist, the Pantone color of the year is always so fascinating to me.

Every year the Pantone Color Institute researches trends to choose a Color of the Year. As a result, their vibrant choice is a forecast of the year to come both visually and emotionally. This year, it’s Living Coral.

According to the institute, Living Coral offers a glimpse of a year full of excitement and playfulness! When describing the color themselves, Pantone described their choice as:

An animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge”
–Pantone Color Institute

This is an incredible shift from last year’s futuristic purple. I am incredibly excited for this color to sweep the design world. Almost as excited as I am to see it bleed into every day life as well. For me, this color always brings a smile to my face. With its rich golden undertones, and peachy orange vibe, it is close to the secondary color in my brand palette.

Filled with optimism and livelihood, Living Coral is a kind of call to action for the environment, symbolized by the delicate survival of the coral reef itself, a barometer of the ocean’s health. In times where this kaleidoscope of color seems to be losing its wonder, this color waves a bright flag. It’s not an SOS red or an emergency worker orange… yet.

From clothing to graphics, furniture to artistry, this hue will have it’s impact in the year to come – I’m curious to see just how.