Ultra Violet YA: The 2018 Pantone Color of the Year and Young Adult Covers

Every year, the design world waits with bated breath for Pantone to announce the color of the year. The color is chosen based on trends found by experts who are sent around the world to see what colors might be on the cusp of becoming important, and when Pantone makes their announcement, it helps designers in every field find a direction for the new year.

This year, Pantone announced that the color for 2018 is Ultra Violet. When they made this announcement, several of my design friends expressed their distaste: shouldn’t it be a rich burgundy? Maybe a jewel-tone? Alas, the decision was made. Ultra Violet is a cool blue-purple that you’d be hard-pressed to find in nature, outside of maybe a spectacular sunset or somewhere in deep space.  The Pantone people say that Ultra Violet is a “complex and contemplative” color with “mystical and spiritual properties.”  They say that it “energizes and inspires connection.” I haven’t seen Ultra Violet used many places yet, but one area where I have seen the color popping up was on the covers of some of my favorite YA releases of 2018.

What do you think? Do these covers say “complex and contemplative”? Do they inspire or energize?