The time of cookie-cutter design is over. Gone are the days of good design blending in and getting lost in mainstream noise. Today, designers are going to great lengths to make their work stand out and feel unique, and staying in the know helps them keep their work fresh.
Get ready to think outside the box, take chances and make your designs shout as we take a look at some trends for 2020.
Bright and bold colours
Designers are embracing bright and bold colours that make their work stand out and give their brands more personality. Think neon colours, splashes of bright colour against neutrals, or contrasting colours with geometric shapes and gradient backgrounds. The more colour, the more pop.
Custom typography
Big, bold typography is trending, conveying strong and simple messaging. In the quest for more individual designs, common fonts like Helvetica and Roboto are often replaced with hand lettering or more unusual typefaces that are big on personality. These typefaces connect more with their audiences and have more of a human touch. Large, bold type prevails in design, but with an added human element.
Mixed-media design
Other art forms are being incorporated into graphic design, such as illustration, painting, paper cut-outs and rough textures. Elements that don’t usually belong together are being mixed, creating visual interest, contrast and an authentic human feeling. Designers are not only problem-solving and providing functionality with their designs, but also highlighting the personality and playfulness of the artworks.
Super-maximalism and ultra-minimalism
Super-maximalist design is showing up more and more, where type, colour and images are pushed to their limits. Characteristics that identify this trend are energetic and distorted type and imagery, excessive colour usage, and collage or glitch effects. It could be described as being ugly on purpose, but we can’t help but notice it!
GIFs and animation
In our culture of social media memes, GIFs and video clips, it is no surprise that GIFs and motion graphics are incredibly effective when used as marketing tools. Striking, clever animations carry personality across websites, social media platforms and email campaigns, allowing brands to capture their audience’s attention in a moment and show their playful side. This skill is a valuable one to have in any designer’s toolbox.
And those were some of the new design trends that are being predicted for the near future. Although these trends only skim the surface of what’s going on in the design world at present, as designers we need to constantly educate ourselves to ensure that we stay relevant in our ever-changing environment.