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ChatGPT and Pantone suggestions for a contrasting data color scheme

Theresa-Marie Rhyne
UX Collective
Published in
10 min readMar 1, 2024
Introductory image to “A Difference of Complements: ChatGPT and Pantone Suggestions for a Contrasting Data Color Scheme” writing showing three complement alternatives.

In this writing, I discuss how ChatGPT approaches locating the complement for the Pantone 2024 Color of the Year. The result is different from Pantone’s officially noted complementary color. In color theory, two colors that oppose each other on the color wheel form a complementary pair. Combining the colors in a graphic design or a data visualization can create high contrast. A complementary color combination can form the basis for a diverging data color scheme. Let’s get started by examining the Pantone 2024 Color of the Year concept and complementary colors. From there, I will discuss ChatGPT’s recommendations and how they differ from Pantone’s own color suggestion. I also apply the finalized color suggestions to a basic data visualization example.

The Pantone 2024 Color of the Year:

The Pantone company produces the Pantone Matching System (PMS) and the Pantone Fashion, Home + Interiors (FHI) System, proprietary color spaces. PMS is used primarily in graphics for printing, packaging, and digital media. FHI is used in a wide range of other industries including fashion, cosmetics, fabric, plastics, and paints. When Pantone PMS inks are applied to a physical color reproduction process, it is frequently possible to accurately match the colors from your digital data visualization to hard copy output. I highlighted this journey from digital to hard copy in a previous Nightingale writing.

On December 7, 2023, Peach Fuzz (Pantone 13–1023) was announced as the 2024 Pantone Color of the Year. Since 2000, the Pantone Color Institute began defining a “Color of the Year” from its inventory of PMS and FHI colors. The color for a given year is selected by a secret panel after considering color trend analyses that span the entertainment industry, all areas of design, fine art shows and collections, social media, new technologies, emerging materials, and textures as well as lifestyles and socio-economic conditions.

Visual Summary of the Pantone Color of the Year for 2000–2024. Image adapted from Wikipedia’s Pantone Color of the Year writing. Note the 2024 Pantone Color of the Year is Peach Fuzz (Pantone 13–1023).
Visual Summary of the Pantone Color of the Year for 2000–2024. Image adapted from Wikipedia’s Pantone Color of the Year writing. Note the 2024 Pantone Color of the Year is Peach Fuzz (Pantone 13–1023).

Pantone’s Color of the Year has influence on the development of products and consumer decisions in areas like graphic design, product packaging, fashion, industrial…

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Written by Theresa-Marie Rhyne

Theresa-Marie Rhyne is a color expert. The 2nd edition of her book “Applying Color Theory to Digital Media and Visualization” was published by CRC Press in 2025

Responses (1)

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It’s not easy to be passionate about Freud, Picasso, Tim Berners Lee, and Justin Bieber at the same time.

Nicely put.
IMO, a good UX gives equal importance to the measurable and the unmeasurable.

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