The Pantone Colour of the Year 2019

So, Pantone has announced the colour of the year for 2019, and the winner is…drumroll…Living Coral!!

“Living Coral”.

Doesn’t the sound of it feel warm, energetic, happy, youthful and, most importantly, alive? The colour is true to its name. It indeed portrays each of these characteristics. The colour for 2018 was Ultra-Violet – a shade that reflects “originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points us toward the future”. Right after this comes a shade that is full of life.

Why Living Coral?

Last year, Laurie Pressman, the Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute had mentioned that the Pantone colour of the year is not just limited to what’s trending. Rather, it is an expression of what is needed by the world at the very moment.

It is probably true. After a year that has seen so much technological advancement in various fields, and many a venture into the future to bring our imaginations into reality, perhaps we all need to sit back for a while, and get back to our roots, and to feel the life within – the real life, not the one we juggle with in AR and VR (it’s fun, though).

In Pantone’s words,

“Vibrant, yet mellow PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral embraces us with warmth and nourishment to provide comfort and buoyancy in our continually shifting environment.”

I’d agree to that. Living Coral is a colour that emits positivity and confidence. It is full of life and energy yet is subtle and warm. Put it up all alone in the foreground or with other colours, it never fails to make statement. Even when in the background, it accentuates the protagonist, and yet does not fail to make its presence felt. And it does this perfectly without being loud. Ooh! The grace of it!

Some Coral Inspiration

Let’s take some examples to validate our point here. First and foremost, let’s look at the source of the colour: the coral reef. The adjectives that promptly come to my mind are:

• Beautiful
• Magnificent
• Strong
• Elusive
• Lively

And these are exactly what the colour of the year is all about. Pantone says, “In reaction to the onslaught of digital technology and social media increasingly embedding into daily life, we are seeking authentic and immersive experiences that enable connection and intimacy.”

So, shall we look around for some more coral inspiration?

See? From interiors to print to digital media, living coral embraces every sphere elegantly.

Living the Coral Life at DS

At Design Studio, we decided to try out some experiences with this dynamic shade. We looked around for inspiration in a myriad of fields – from fashion to daily life to branding to the digital world – and the result of our craze combined with creativity…well, you can see that for yourself below.

So, how did our experiments go? Do tell me.

2018 was all about being flamboyant and flying high into the ‘world beyond’. Guess 2019 will have us being elegantly bold while keeping us rooted to the reefs…I mean, to the ground!

Stay ahead of everyone in 2019 with a mind blowing coral design!