Pantone unveils two colors of the year for 2016

Ben Moss.
December 03, 2015
Pantone unveils two colors of the year for 2016.

In a fairly radical break with tradition, Pantone has revealed that the Color of the Year’ for 2016 will in fact be two colors blended together. Or, in other words, a gradient. The colors selected, based on trend analysis, emerging techniques and materials, guesswork, and marketing, are 15 – 3919 Serenity and 13 – 1520 Rose Quartz. colours Pantone selects its color of the year each December. The prophecy is largely self-fulfilling as the publicity garnered by the announcement ensures that the color selected is front and center of a lot of marketer’s minds, not to mention designers. Many see Pantone’s color choice as an official’ selection and a way of being on-trend.

[Rose Quartz and Serenity are] a harmonious pairing of inviting shades that embody a mind-set of tranquility and inner peace — Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone Color Institute

The fact that Pantone has selected two colors highlights the reemergence of gradients in design after several years of flat color. The pastels are a calming blend that stray far from the current preference for bright, vibrant colors. It’s notable that the two colors are blue and pink, traditionally colors associated with the two genders. The blending of the two will be seen by many as a metaphor for the growing cultural acceptance of a full spectrum of genders. 

In many parts of the world we are experiencing a gender blur as it relates to fashion, which has in turn impacted colour trends throughout all other areas of design — Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone Color Institute

paletteIn addition to the colors selected, Pantone has also named a full range of complimentary colors that work well with the pairing. combinations

Ben Moss

Ben Moss is Senior Editor at WebdesignerDepot. He’s designed and coded work for award-winning startups, and global names including IBM, UBS, and the FBI. One of these days he’ll run a sub-4hr marathon. Say hi on Twitter.

Read Next

Are Simple Websites Better For Business?

As web design technologies raise the bar on what it is possible to achieve on a realistic budget, there’s a rising deba…

Apple Opts for AR over VR at WWDC

An Apple VR headset has been one of the most widely-rumored devices of the last few years, and it was finally settled a…

Exciting New Tools for Designers, June 2023

We’re halfway through 2023 already, and the number of incredible apps, tools, and resources for designers is mounting.

3 Essential Design Trends, June 2023

This month we are focusing on three trends within a bigger website design trend – different navigation menu styles and …

15 Best New Fonts, May 2023

The choices you make when selecting a typeface have more impact on your design than almost any other decision, so it’s …

10+ Best Tools & Resources for Web Designers and Agencies (2023 updated)

Having the ability to envision a tastefully designed website (i.e., the role creativity plays) is important. But being …

20 Best New Websites, May 2023

This month, there are tons of great new agency websites to get excited about. 3D animated prisms are a popular theme, a…

How to Find the Right White Label Website Builder for Your Agency

Web design agencies face a lot of obstacles in closing the deal with new clients. One of the most common ones is the ar…

Exciting New Tools For Designers, May 2023

There are hundreds of new tools for designers and developers released each month. We sift through them all to bring you…

3 Essential Design Trends, May 2023

All three of the website design trends here mimic something bigger going on in the tech space, from a desire to have mo…

10 Best AI Tools for Web Designers (2023)

It’s time to stop worrying if AI is going to take your job and instead start using AI to expand the services you can of…

10 Best Marketing Agency Websites (Examples, Inspo, and Templates!)

Marketers are skilled in developing strategies, producing visual assets, writing text with high impact, and optimizing …