Pantone’s 2022 colour of the year:
Personal inventiveness and creativity
Pantone’s colour of the year 2022 is PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri, whose courageous presence encourages personal inventiveness and creativity.
Each year the high court of colour, The Pantone Color Institute, announces a colour that defines the incoming year. The colour is chosen based on trend-forecasting research but is also heavily influenced by what is taking place around the world. This year, for the first time in the 22-year history of Pantone’s colour of the year, the Pantone Institute has created a brand new colour for the franchise, made just for 2022: PANTONE® 17-3938 Very Peri is a dynamic periwinkle blue with a vibrant, violet-red undertone designed to evoke the glowing touchscreens of the digital world and the creative possibilities of the future.
“As we move into a world of unprecedented change, the selection of PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri brings a novel perspective and vision of the trusted and beloved blue colour family, encompassing the qualities of the blues, yet at the same time with its violet red undertone, PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri displays a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expressions.”
At Katanya we draw inspiration from the colour of the year and we’re delighted how this year’s colour takes into consideration how colour trends in the digital world are being manifested in the physical world and vice versa. We work and live surrounded by screens and their “blue light” and even more since the pandemic started, so we understand screen fatigue and the adjustments we have all had to make to the new reality.
Will we be using Very Peri in many projects? In our palette? Absolutely, Periwinkle aligns perfectly to the way we love to use pastels. Our clients? We’ll have to see! And we are very excited to see what becomes of the new partnership between Microsoft and Pantone. We are eager to get inventive and creativity is core to our brand, so we will be living the Peri spirit throughout 2022 — including some Peri-inspired festive lavender martinis
Tools for designers
Pantone has a special section with tools for designers, which is really useful to learn more about applying the Color of the Year 2022 across various industries, determine colour values across colour systems, explore palettes and colour harmonies, and more.
Source: Pantone
PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri blends the faithfulness and constancy of blue with the energy and excitement of red to introduce an empowering mix of newness to apparel, beauty, home furnishings, product design, and packaging.
How is Pantone’s colour of the year chosen?
Pantone normally hosts top secret colour meetings twice a year in a colourless room so that nothing influences their choice. We’re not sure yet if these meetings were in person in 2021. A congregation of designers and creatives from all over the world pitch and debate which colours suit the current world climate.
Once sealed away, colours are rigorously analysed against everything that is appearing across the world. The committee combs all surrounding environments and ventures into multiple industries to identify colour trends. This can include the entertainment industry, modern art, fashion, technology, design, travel, environment and socio-economic conditions. The team then takes photos of what they see, what is being used ubiquitously and starts finding patterns, themes and trends. Eventually, a colour is chosen which represents the zeitgeist.
A brief history of Pantone’s colour of the year 2000-2021
Beginning in 2000, Pantone’s colour of the year has become the ultimate source of truth for designers and creatives alike. Take a look below at all the previous winners:
Two in one?
Pantone’s 2021 pick of two colours (representing resilience and optimism) followed a difficult 2020 that everyone will remember forever. For 2022 the colour of the year was created from the steady tranquillity of blue with an energetic infusion of red tones, to create the “happiest and warmest of all blue colours”, as explained by Leatrice Eiseman.
Source: Pantone
For the first time ever Pantone has created a new shade for its colour of the year.
Pantone's Color Institute has been selecting the colour of the year for over 20 years. They have generally been ‘bang on’ year after year, picking colours that have defined and influenced the spaces we live and work, the clothes we wear and products we use. The Pantone Colour of the Year is not to be overlooked. We are certain that we will see a lot more Very Peri in 2022.
What colours will next year bring? Maybe 2023 will be the year of burnt oranges (one of our unsuccessful guesses for 2022) or maybe Pantone will move from the some pastels to something metallic? Copper or gold inspired? One can always use a bit more shine, both in our physical and digital worlds.
In any case, we hoped for more pops of colour in 2021 and Pantone has delivered! Here’s to a very colourful 2022!
“The Katanya team are design and technology enthusiasts who have translated designs from some of the world’s best agencies — from Huge to SapientNitro and Interbrand to Wolff Olins — into digital visual identities and brought them into life online. If a design refresh or roll-out or migration to a new design is on the cards for 2022 we’d love to hear from you.”