Pantone has declared PANTONE 15-3919 Serenity and PANTONE 13-1520 Rose Quartz as the PANTONE® Color of the Year selection for 2016.
It is “a harmonious pairing of inviting shades that embody a mindset of tranquility and inner peace. As consumers seek mindfulness and well-being as an antidote to the stress of modern day lives, welcoming colors that psychologically fulfill the yearning for reassurance and security are becoming more prominent. Weightless and airy, like the expanse of the blue sky above us, Serenity comforts with a calming effect, bringing feelings of respite and relaxation even in turbulent times. Rose Quartz is a persuasive yet gentle tone that conveys compassion and a sense of composure.”
Explains Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute: “With the whole greater than its individual parts, joined together Serenity and Rose Quartz demonstrate an inherent balance between a warmer embracing rose tone and the cooler tranquil blue, reflecting connection and wellness as well as a soothing sense of order and peace.”
The combination also challenges some more traditional perceptions around color association. “In many parts of the world we are experiencing a gender blur as it relates to fashion, which has in turn impacted color trends throughout all other areas of design,” said Eiseman. “This more unilateral approach to color is coinciding with societal movements toward gender equality and fluidity, the consumers’ increased comfort with using color as a form of expression which includes a generation that has less concern about being typecast or judged, and an open exchange of digital information that has opened our eyes to different approaches to color usage.”
With regard to Graphic Design, Pantone says the combination is strong, yet calming, romantic yet subtle, consumers are immediately drawn to this combination, making it an enticing shade for a variety of products from food and beverage to cosmetics and accessories. With packaging becoming increasingly more tied into lifestyle color trends, the combination of Serenity and Rose Quartz is a natural fit for many kinds of packaging materials.
In general, the Color of the Year selection process requires thoughtful consideration and trend analysis. To arrive at the selection each year, Pantone’s color experts at the Pantone Color Institute seek new color influences everywhere. This can include the entertainment industry and films in production, traveling art collections and new artists, fashion, all areas of design, popular travel destinations, as well as new lifestyles, playstyles and socio-economic conditions. Influences may also stem from new technologies, materials, textures and effects that impact color, relevant social media platforms and even up-coming sporting events that capture worldwide attention.
