Ultimate Gray and Illuminating, an “optimistic” hue of yellow, are the two shades that Pantone has named as its colors of the year for 2021.

American color company Pantone believes that the pairing of shades will help people “fortify themselves with energy, clarity, and hope” in a world that’s set to face increasing uncertainty.

The bright yellow shade, called Illuminating, is meant to evoke the “optimistic promise of a sunshine-filled day”, while Ultimate Gray is a much quieter hue that speaks more of “composure, steadiness, and resilience”.

Pantone says the color can almost be compared to durable natural elements, like time-weathered pebbles on a beach.

“The selection of two independent colors highlights how different elements come together to express a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting,” explained Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.

“Practical and rock-solid but at the same time warming and optimistic, this is a colour combination that gives us resilience and hope,” she continued.

“We need to feel encouraged and uplifted, this is essential to the human spirit.”

This isn’t the first time that Pantone’s Color of the Year has come as a duo. Rose Quartz, a pale pink, and Serenity, a powdery blue, were its choices for the year 2016.