PANTONE, best known for its PANTONE Matching System (PMS), has declared two colors as its color(s) of the year for 2016, the first time it has done so since the start of the tradition. Rose Quartz (13-1520) and Serenity (15-3919) when joined together show the perfect balance between a much warmer toned rose, and a cool-toned blue. The two colors show a “soothing sense of order and peace” according to PANTONE’s official release.

Although there have been some mixed reviews on the selected colors, graphic designer Yong Sze Kay executed the ‘PANTONE + Nike’ project to play with the 2016 colors of the year. The Singaporean graphic designer used Rose Quartz and Serenity to make Nike’s popular Air Force 1 basketball shoes stand out even with the mellowed down colors. The sneakers were reimagined in either solid Rose Quartz or Serenity version, as well as a two-toned gradient of both colors.

Along with the pastel colored sneakers, Yong Sze Kay also released her own designs for PANTONE swatch-inspired shoe boxes with a revised tagline of “Just have both.” instead of Nike’s iconic “Just do it”.

What do you think of the soft tones that Rose Quartz and Serenity offer in comparison to 2015’s Marsala 18-1438? Do you think PANTONE will continue to release two colors of the year from now on? We at MicroCreatives definitely love the balance among Rose Quartz and Serenity and the versatility they offer when used for different design trends.