Everyone who belongs to the world of Design – with a capital D – realizes the power of colors. No matter whether you create beautiful and cozy interiors or cutting-edge multimedia apps, eye-catching packagings or any of the numerous goods produced all over the globe, each time you are in search of the right color solution.
Bellavista Collection, who has been designing and manufacturing Italian luxury furniture for already twelve years, does know it. A well-picked color palette is one of the factors that determine whether a particular piece will attract customers’ attention.
No wonder that Pantone Color Institute’s announcement of the Color of the Year is a kind of occasion all trade professionals from the design industry look forward every year. As a rule, it occurs in December. So, on December 1, 2022, at 7 pm Eastern time the global design community learned that Viva Magenta (PANTONE code 18-1750) was named Pantone’s Color of the Year 2023.
Pantone Color Institute: Twenty-Three Years of Colorig the World
To begin with, let’s remember what Pantone actually means. Pantone codes are numeric combinations standing for particular shades and tones in Pantone Matching System (PMS). PMS, in its turn, is a proprietary color space developed in the firm named Pantone LLC. PMS isn’t the only one, but the most popular with trade professionals: this system is universally recognized as the best one for color matching.
Pantone LLC is a privately held company with the history about half a century long and the rock-solid reputation in the industry. One of its parts is called the Pantone Color Institute™.
The Pantone Color Institute itself is also a business: its teams work out brand identities, customized color standards, and provide consulting services related to effective use of colors, color psychology, etc. What makes Pantone Color Institute™ special is its activity in trend forecasting. The company doesn’t set these trends, but notices them as they emerge and points them out in its comprehensive annual report.
Since 2000, Pantone Color Institute™ has been naming a particular tone the ‘Color of the Year’ for the year to come, which has become the quintessence of the Institute’s forecasts.
Interestingly, if compared to Pantone colors of the past few years, Viva Magenta stands out indeed, being outwardly electrifying, full of energy and pure joy.
Let’s look at the last year’s color – Very Peri (PANTONE 17-3938). What a contrast! Composed of blue and violet shades (basically lavender blue), this gentle and relaxing color brings piece of mind rather than get-up-and-go.
In 2021 there were two colors of the year, complementing each other perfectly well. According to the Pantone Color Institute, this combination of Ultimate Gray (PANTONE 17-5104) and Illuminating, a shade of yellow (PANTONE 13-0647) expressed the general idea of unity and mutual support in the society after the troubles 2020 had brought us.
The color of the Year 2020 was Classic Blue (PANTONE 19-4052). This deep blue shade was described as the color of wisdom, endurance, dependability, credibility, trustworthiness, and constancy – well, we did need all these qualities in 2020, marked by the notorious pandemic.
As you see, the choice for this year – Viva Magenta – really stands apart. There may be a number of reasons for it, but one of them is pretty clear: after facing a row of challenges the previous years brought us, we need a break. We have survived the pandemic and worst part of the corona crisis, so let’s celebrate it! Viva Magenta looks well like a festive color, doesn’t it?
Warm, Cool, and Everything In Between
“Powerful and Empowering” – that’s how experts from Pantone Color Institute describe this shade, highlighting its deep roots in Nature. Composed of red and pink, with slight blue and purple undertones, this lively and energetic color reminds of ripe wild berries or clouds at sunset.
Viva Magenta is a so-called hybrid color: it’s a mix of warm and cool tones. This term is pretty self-explanatory: as you know, hybrid is something that comes out of two dissimilar things, taking a little bit of both yet resulting in something new. Leatrice Eiseman, the Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, described Viva Magenta as “a nuanced crimson red tone that presents a balance between warm and cool, making it what we call a hybrid color.”
There are lots of color classifications, from the complex ones, intended for artists and designers, to just marking colors as either “warm” or “cool”. Ordinary people use the latter; it may seem oversimplifying at times, yet it’s quite enough in the daily life.
As it’s easy to guess, ‘warm’ colors are those that could be associated with sunshine or fire, i.e.,
red, orange, yellow and their shades. On the contrary, the ‘cool’ group, which unites shades of blue, green, and purple, reminds us of the sky, sea, or fauna. Quite predictably, warm colors are said to feel cheerful, vivid, and energetic, while cool tones are believed to have soothing effect.
It is a common knowledge that in many cultures, red color symbolizes things related to energy (prosperity, joy) and strong feelings (love, passion). Blue tones are linked with tranquility and peace of mind, and violet is often called the color of wisdom.
Mixing different colors gives us gives us all the multitude of tones and shades we see around.
What is special about Viva Magenta is that even being full of verve and joyfullness, it is not eye-tiring – unlike, say, pure bright red. This color is great for making a accents, paired with pale shades of blue, gray, or pastel colors. Adding a bit of Viva Magenta to either your outfit or to the interior of your home will enliven it, adding dynamism and vitality.
As Leatrice Eiseman, the Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute said, “Invoking the forces of nature, PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta galvanizes our spirit, helping us to build our inner strength.”
So, let’s spend Year 2023 in good spirit, envigorated with energy of Viva Magenta.