Reinventing black sounds a bit like reinventing the wheel, but Black's vision here is that his customized version of that inky hue would go from Pantone to you, free of charge. He'll use your cash to get things up and running with Pantone and then pass that particular formula on to the world at large. "Custom colors are made all the time," he says, "Coca Cola has their own red, UPS their own brown, and Tiffany Co. their own blue. But The New Black. will not be owned by a private corporation, it’ll be owned by us, for us all to use.

"Colors are unlike anything else. They transcend language, have no geographic limitations, and are universal for us all to share. They don’t even have real definitions, but are as real and tangible as any one of us. They’ve existed far before us, and will continue to exist far after us."

Whether the New Black will exist at all is debatable as Black still has to raise over $10,000 in under a week to make his project a reality. But in terms of grand vision and public use, his idea could certainly use your pocket change more than that ear buds holder you're thinking about supporting.