A few weeks ago, PANTONE revealed its bright and zesty Colour of the Year 2017, called Greenery. Because it evokes nature, Greenery signals consumers to take a deep breath, oxygenate and reinvigorate. Thus, people respond on a deeper level to this hue, making the eye catching Greenery an ideal shade for design. This is especially true for packaging, where the sight of Greenery provides an instant message of freshness. 

Shades of green are also a unifying thread with many new apps, animation iconography and digital startups by being used in their logos. By also conveying progression and a pioneering spirit, Greenery portrays an entrepreneurial essence that aligns with the industries that have embraced it. 

How to use the Colour of the Year in upcoming projects

The nice thing about Greenery is it’s easily usable; even in existing palettes, where it can be used as a background or fade-away colour. Also try incorporating it into existing projects as an accent colour or with the use of nature photography. You can pair Greenery with colour associations (think energy or money) and you can design a buy now or shopping cart to drive users to buy items in an online shop.

As an accent colour, Greenery can work in a monotone palette as well as against complementary colour pairs. Think about using it in a minimalistic project in place of the reds and yellows that are somewhat overused in these designs.

There’s no need to stick to the exact shade of Greenery either; take inspiration from it and play with similar shades that have more blue or yellow in them. PANTONE called it “a life-affirming shade;” create colour variations with that in mind and your design will still be perfectly on-trend.

The great thing about a more neutral colour choice is that it won’t overwhelm the design. That will make it easier for you to use it in concert with other design trends. From animation and illustrations, to big gradients or oversized typography, Greenery fits well.

Colour Swatches

• Pantone: 15-0343
• RGB: 136 R, 176 G, 75 B
• CMYK: 51 C, 9 M, 88 Y, 0 K