Why we believe Pantone is swimming against the current and why Green will be the colour of 2026

Why we believe Pantone is swimming against the current and why Green will be the colour of 2026

Every year, the announcement of the Colour of the Year generates expectation, debate and, of course, strategic alignment across design, architecture and branding. It has become an almost institutional ritual within the industry. But 2026 calls for a different reading.

After analysing the global trends presented by WGSN and cross-referencing them with what we are observing on the ground in real healthcare and retail projects, we believe that Pantone, this time, is going against the natural flow of trends. Not in a wrong way, but in a sympathetic, almost conservative manner, at a time when the context calls for greater chromatic courage.

WGSN’s proposal for 2026 points to Transformative Teal, a transitional, technological and emotionally balanced colour, positioned between blue and green. It makes sense on paper. But when we move from theory to practice, from concepts to spaces, from forecasts to real people and the way they experience the world today, green stands out unequivocally.

Green is not a passing trend. It is structure. It is biology. It is regeneration. In a world marked by digital fatigue, collective anxiety and a growing need for trust, green asserts itself as the most transversal, therapeutic and honest colour. Especially in healthcare environments.

We are witnessing a clear return to natural materials, matte surfaces, more human-centred lighting and environments that prioritise real wellbeing rather than purely Instagrammable aesthetics. Green fits into this shift with almost surgical precision. It works in clinics, pharmacies, medical centres and even hybrid retail spaces, because it communicates care, stability and future at the same time.

At Medd Design, we do not follow colours because they are announced. We follow signals. We follow human behaviour, our clients’ investment decisions and what actually works in spaces once they are open and in use. And the signals are clear.

2026 will be green. Technical green, organic green, deep or subtle green, but always green with intention. Not as a fashion statement, but as a response to a world that wants to breathe again.

Pantone may be looking sideways. We are looking ahead.