Every year Pantone selects a color that is expected to dominate the design space in the upcoming year. For 2019, the Pantone Color Institute has chosen PANTONE 16-1546, also known as Living Coral — a warm, joyful hue that offers a sense of comfort in the midst of so much digital overwhelm. Forecasted as the most influential color of the year, Living Coral will make an appearance in every single design discipline, from fashion to interiors to graphics.
It's no secret that having so much technology at our disposal often leaves us with a sense of detachment and coldness. Pantone color experts picked Living Coral because, in their words, it "emits the desired, familiar, and energizing aspects of color found in nature.
Living Coral is an invitation to leave apathy behind, rekindle our senses, and immerse in nature. To explore the depths of creativity with awakened wonder.
Announced today, 6 December, the Living Coral colour is described by Pantone as an "animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energises and enlivens with a softer edge".
"Sociable and spirited, the engaging nature of Pantone 16-1546 Living Coral welcomes and encourages lighthearted activity," said the company.
Following on from 2018's colour of Ultra Violet, dubbed by the company as a "dramatically provocative and thoughtful purple shade", this year's vibrant shade of golden orange is meant to reflect the "innate need for optimism and joyful pursuits" as a response to social media and digital technology.
The colour is also said to reference the nourishing impact of coral on sea life, as well as the "devastating" effect of today's society on the environment.
Pantone announces a colour of the year every December, based on trend-forecasting research from the Pantone Colour Institute.
The colour is chosen based on "what is taking place in our global culture at a moment in time". According to the brand, Living Coral is already being spotted on catwalks in fashion shows, as well as on social media.