promotional image in Pantone shade Very Peri. The background has a fuzzy texture and small spheres float in the foreground

Pantone Color of the Year 2022

Posted in Design by Riley Cullen

Last updated on October 18th, 2023

If you’re paying attention, trends in design will show up across several mediums. From websites to fashion to interior and product design, you’ll start to notice similar patterns, colors, and textures across industries.

Perhaps the easiest design trend to track is what colors are popular in any given year or season. Pantone, a global leader in color theory, trend tracking, and consultation, takes note of current trends and styles, using their unique insight to determine what color will truly define the year.

This year, they’ve decided on a new purple-blue hue, dubbed “Very Peri,” and it’s already appearing in products and designs all over the web. Read on to find out more about Pantone’s color of the year choice, where you can find it, and how you can use it yourself!

three types of Very Peri swatches available for purchase through Pantone's website — *Some of the Very Peri swatches available through* *Pantone’s website*

Pantone’s Very Peri

In their own words, Pantone describes Very Peri as a color “that animates our creative spirit.” This year marks the first time The Pantone Color Institute has created a new color instead of choosing from already-existing Pantone colors. They wanted a color that feels transformative, underlying the changing global perspective we’ve undergone during these, to use the colloquialism, ”unprecedented” times.

The official Pantone color code for Very Peri is 17-3938. Because Pantone has a color directory of their own, recreating them using CMYK, HEX, or RGB codes can be tricky. If you’re a Pantone Connect user, you can simply log in to get the exact codes you need for a project.

For those who don’t have access, other color gurus have already dissected the shade and found some close approximations that can help.

Approximate CMYK code: 40, 40, 0, 33
Approximate HEX codes: #7575ff, #6667ab,
Approximate RGB codes: 102, 103, 171; 117, 117, 255

Finding Very Peri in Design

Lighter periwinkle and lilac shades have been cropping up across a number of industries and products within the last two years. Apple, for example, released a light purple version of the iPhone—in a shade eerily similar to Pantone’s color of the year—nearly two years ago with the iPhone 12.

product image of the light purple Apple iPhone 12 — *While Very Peri is bluer in tone, there has been clear inspiration from large brands leading up to the 2022 color of the year*

When it comes to current web design, most of the purple shades used are bold versions like royal purple or orchid. And many designers who turn to blue choose a pleasant, reliable, and common shade. By carefully riding the line between the two in future designs, your branding can remain comforting and friendly while keeping a sprightly spark.

Here are some examples of forward-thinking website designs that are already using Very Peri-adjacent shades.

Screenshot from the homepage of the Medcorder website — *Medical transcription app* *Medcorder* *uses a color similar to Pantone’s color of the year right away on the homepage*

screenshot from an interior page of the Shoppingfeed website — *E-commerce platform* *Shoppingfeed* *uses a slightly lighter, more purple tone as an accent color across their site*

screenshot from the product page of the Emma Lewisham website — *Skincare line Emma Lewisham* *uses a Very Peri-esque color both in their web design and their produce packaging*

Implementing Very Peri on your Own

While Veri Peri is blue-forward, so it feels trustworthy, the violet undertones that round out the beautiful lilac-adjacent hue help it express a lively energy. Periwinkle is, by definition, a color that falls within both the blue and violet families, so your audience will react to both the blue and purple tones simultaneously.

This leaves your color expression open to a wide range of interpretations, so you can use Very Peri to make lots of assertions about a brand or product. It can feel creative and whimsical in the right setting, but paired with more neutral tones it can come across calming or luxurious.

If you’re not sure how to pair Very Peri, Pantone has released some sample color palettes to help inspire your designs! Creating a robust and intentional palette around this hue will help ensure the colors are telling the story you want your audience to hear.

Keep your Eyes on the Horizon

With lists of Very Peri products, clothing, and makeup trends already appearing and interior designers introducing it into our homes, you’re sure to notice this color more and more as the year goes on. Just make sure you’re keeping an eye out for the next trending hue, because Pantone is likely already looking for the color of 2023.

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