Pantone has announced the 2026 Color of the Year, and it’s… PANTONE 11-4201. Also known as Cloud Dancer. A soft, airy white. Or as I like to call it, The Landlord Special. A color so subtle it practically disappears. And honestly? It’s a major letdown.

Pantone frames Cloud Dancer as a “whisper of tranquility” and a symbol of clarity in a chaotic world. But calm doesn’t have to mean colorless. As designers, we know minimalism can still be rich, intentional, and expressive. You can embrace peaceful simplicity without defaulting to the most uninspired, washed-out shade on the spectrum.

And here’s what I find most frustrating: in a moment when the modern world feels increasingly drained of joy, energy, and personality, Pantone chose a color that leans even further into that flat, neutral, millennial-gray aesthetic we’ve all been trying to escape.

White was really the best we could do?

As a designer with more than a decade in this industry, it’s sad to watch color be stripped in the name of “quiet reflection.”

Cloud Dancer may be described as airy, serene, even expansive… but it also feels sterile. Safe. Forgettable. The Color of the Year should spark creativity, not fade into the background of an asylum.

Pantone had an opportunity to set a tone of hope, boldness, and renewed energy for 2026. Instead, we got a color that feels like giving up. Maybe next year we’ll see something with actual soul. For now, Cloud Dancer is a miss.