When it comes to graphic design, societal conventions and customer expectations are continuously changing.
Good design has always been defined by its ability to combine simplicity with subtlety.
Graphic design is expected to become more whimsical, experimental, and character-based this year.
7 Graphic Design Trends You Should Know About Right Now
1. Textures And Patterns Found In The Natural World
The public’s awareness of environmental issues has grown as a result of the wide range of themes that have been discussed in recent years.
57 percent of customers are ready to alter their shopping patterns in order to lessen their environmental effect, according to an IBM survey from 2020.
According to Pew Research, 52 percent of Americans believe that climate change is the most important issue, up 14 percentage points from three years ago.
Consumers’ affinity for natural themes is anticipated to rise in tandem with environmental awareness.
In addition, many people across the globe intend to remain at home in 2020, which means they’ll be looking for ways to bring the outdoors inside their homes in the form of stress-relieving houseplants.
During the height of the epidemic, the number of people searching for houseplants went up.
It is expected that nature-inspired graphics will remain popular in 2022 and beyond since they connect with the consumer’s interest in plants and concern for sustainability.
Plants, flowers, trees, blue sky, and bugs are just some of the nature-themed images that are popular.
2. Diversity and inclusion are two important concepts to keep in mind.
There is a paucity of representation of individuals in the media, including illustration and graphic design, which was brought to light by the black lives matter movement.
It is important for the design to “create a room, plenty of space, for the voices, ideas, opinions and points of view that we have overlooked,” according to Rhode Island School of Design assistant professor Ramon Tejada.
Due to this change in focus, the field of graphic design will certainly see a far bigger emphasis on representing individuals of all races, genders, sexualities, ages, and abilities.
Unilever’s website serves as an example of a company’s design that incorporates diversity representation.
More than only the substance of the design is affected by the desire to consider a wide range of individuals.
There is a debate taking place among graphic design professionals about the need of hiring people with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.
In contrast to the majority of the population, which comprises just 60% white people, 75% of graphic designers are white.
The business is expected to move toward a more diverse pool of talent in the future years.
This also applies to the purpose of graphic design, as long as the designs are made accessible. Designing for all people is a kind of universality.
Those with visual disabilities like dyslexia and colour blindness are taken into consideration while using universal design in graphic design.
Experts advise designers to utilise excellent contrast and never use colour alone to communicate information since around 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women suffer red-green colour blindness.
People with dyslexia will certainly continue to choose sans-serif typefaces because of their ease of reading.
3. 3D Elements in the Design
Although 3D designs aren’t new, we may expect to witness an increase in the aesthetic trend in the next years.
This is primarily due to the fact that new technology has made it simpler than ever to create complex 3D graphics on websites.
More and more designers are able to include 3D modelling into their repertoire thanks to tools like Cinema 4D and Adobe’s Substance tool suite.
From 2020 to 2026, the 3D modelling industry is expected to increase at a 20% annual rate.
They point to the growing availability of 3D-capable equipment as a crucial factor in this shift.
From 2015 to 2022, analysts expect a 35% increase in the number of graphic designers employed in the computer-related design and other electronic media industries.
Using 3D technology, where might we anticipate seeing its use?
Every design discipline may benefit from 3D, including user interfaces and illustrations.
Because of open-source programmes like Blender, Sketchup, and Figma that make it simple to utilise 3D rendering tools, more designers now have access to entry-level programmes and consequently more talent.
The use of open-source design software is projected to grow in popularity in the future years.
4. Geometric Shapes
Colourful geometric blocks and circles, as seen in the above Google Pixel photos, are anticipated to continue to gain popularity in the next year after the contentious revamp of the Google emblem.
It was mentioned in a design agency’s Behance post that Bauhaus was the influence for their composition.
Teachers of Bauhaus thought that art might be a vehicle for social change, which may explain why the art style is on the rise after a tumultuous 2013.
In 1919, the Bauhaus school was founded with the goal of bringing art and ordinary items together.
It’s safe to say that we’ll see even more graphic designs in 2022 that are influenced by the school of design, with its emphasis on geometric forms and vivid primary colours.
Because they are the first forms we learn as toddlers, geometric shapes are now popular because of their connection to approachability.
As the desire for transparency grows, geometric patterns that represent simplicity are likely to follow suit.
Walmart’s new apparel line, Free Assembly, and the jewellery manufacturer Swarovski are among the companies jumping on the bandwagon.
As of February 2021, Swarovski announced a rebranding that featured a move from square boxes to octagonal packaging with a pastel colour palette.
5. Serif Fonts
In the early 2000s, as software companies embraced sans serif typefaces for their clean, uncluttered, and easy-to-read appearance, serif fonts, such as Times New Roman, went out of style.
Serif typefaces, on the other hand, are making a comeback.
Why?
In large part because of the feeling of stability and tradition that they elicit in the listener.
Brand trust is now the “make or break” element in brand usage, according to a new study from Edelman, a global communications agency.
Trust is more vital than ever, according to a majority of individuals (70 per cent).
This is due in part to the fact that people depend on brands during pandemics, and they are more concerned about the brand’s environmental effect.
Because of this change in customer behaviour, we may expect to see an increase in the usage of serif typefaces and other images intended to foster a sense of confidence.
“Somehow sans type is so popular that today serif type appears antiquated or unusual…customers anticipate more personal ties with the businesses they follow,” says Carl Cosgrove, a senior font designer at monotype.
In part, this is because serif typefaces have a long history.
They are reminiscent of well-known publications such as newspapers and scholarly journals.
Trajan, a serif typeface that dates all the way back to 43 BC, is one of the world’s oldest fonts.
To this day, the New York Times and the Washington Post continue to use Serif logos as a symbol of their dependability, sturdiness, and permanence.
Serif fonts are being used by an increasing number of businesses.
If you’re interested in print design, have a look at Print Mag, a leading source of information on the subject. They changed their web type halfway through last year from a sans serif to a more typical serif font.
6. Reference To Traditional Media
Many individuals took up new hobbies as a consequence of lockdowns.
Because of this, the use of classic graphic design materials such as paper and watercolour is on the rise.
•Follow All
The rise of natural forms and textures may be linked to this development since both depend on imperfections to elicit a warm, human response.
People need a sense of connection, and visuals that appear like they were crafted by human hands provide it in spades. In fact, 64% of customers say they want businesses to establish personal connections with them.
Because of this, DIY-style art, including collage, torn-paper, string accents, wood grain, impressionistic brushstrokes, and allusions to great art, is projected to grow in the next 2-to 3 years.
Programs like Adobe Fresco and Procreate have contributed to the growing popularity of the DIY look.
To a large extent, this is due to their extensive brush libraries, which provide realistic-looking renditions of a wide variety of traditional media such as charcoals and oil paints.
As these applications grow in popularity, it’s safe to say that the aesthetics they inspire will follow suit.
7. Vibrant Nostalgia
Graphic design trends come and go, but a vintage aesthetic never goes out of style. In 2022 and beyond, there will be no exemption.
In the next year, graphic design is expected to deviate from the minimalist aesthetic that dominated the decade.
As a result, a retro-psychedelic and retro-futuristic style influenced by the vibrant colours of the 1970s and 1980s is taking hold.
Designers will be using vivid colours, strong gradients, rough textures, and unconventional fonts in their designs for the next year.
Joe Biden’s social media campaign materials were an early sign of this burgeoning trend.
Creative advisor Robyn Kanner, in charge of the psychedelic images’ gradients warmth, said, “I believe isolation is a really major factor that transpired over the previous year.
It’s expected that Burger King and other corporations would begin to include psychedelic patterns, 1970s-style typography, and social and political themes into their designs in the next year.
It’s an “expressive dream” escape from long months of sheltering in place,” Shea Molloy, the vectors and graphics head at Adobe Stock, tells the New York Times.
Conclusion
These are the most important graphic design trends to keep an eye on in the next years, from the use of 3D components to throwbacks.
This year’s overall visual design will focus more on authenticity, personal connection, and social purpose in response to the unpredictable nature of the previous year.
Like other creative arts, graphic design is expected to continue to change in tandem with societal views, much like other creative arts.
More Stories
WHAT WILL BE HOT IN ANIMATION IN 2023
The Top 8 Graphic Design Trends for 2023
User-friendly web design trends for 2023