For its annual announcement, the color-and-trend-forecasting authority Pantone unveiled its 2021 Color of the Year, which is actually two different yet harmonious hues that are meant to complement each other. Pantone 17-5104 Ultimate Gray and Pantone 13-0647 Illuminating, a lemon-yellow color, inspire the profundity of mindfulness yet warmly welcome a bright, welcoming sense of togetherness.

“The union of an enduring Ultimate Gray with the vibrant yellow Illuminating expresses a message of positivity supported by fortitude,” Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, said. “Practical and rock solid but at the same time warming and optimistic, this is a color combination that gives us resilience and hope. We need to feel encouraged and uplifted; this is essential to the human spirit.”

Highlighting the stone-hued gray and bright, happy yellow for 2021 is Pantone’s effort to encourage people to cultivate their strengths and remain hopeful while they continue to conquer challenges during a time when uncertainty remains a constant. The company also mentioned that the yellow hue of Illuminating touches a person’s desire to be seen and heard, while Ultimate Gray is a nod to recognizing the importance of understanding and the ability to discern truth. It is Pantone’s hope that by inspiring this outlook there will be a realization of these themes to “inspire regeneration, pressing us forward toward new ways of thinking and concepts.”

“Pantone 13-0647 Illuminating is a bright and cheerful yellow sparkling with vivacity, a warming yellow shade imbued with solar power,” Pantone said in a company statement. “The colors of pebbles on the beach and natural elements whose weathered appearance highlights an ability to stand the test of time, Ultimate Gray quietly assures, encouraging feelings of composure, steadiness and resilience.”