Bold typography
Type is a fundamental part of graphic design. As such, it’s no surprise every year that designers take type in a different direction.
Recently we’ve noted an increase in the use of type as a bold, often primary element in design. This goes along with the general trend of design becoming more simple and direct.
When you look at the current state of media, the use of bold typography makes sense. With advertisers and marketers fighting to get their message across, using stark, in-your-face type makes that message even clearer.
Look at ways to distill your branding to its core message. Mix punchy copy together with bold type to push that message into the foreground. Don’t be afraid to go big.
Futurism
The future is now if graphic design has any say in the matter. Designers are pulling in elements with a futuristic feel and mash them up with nostalgic or backward looking designs to make something brand new.
What’s interesting is many of the “futuristic” elements actually originated in movie moments from the past. So you end up with glitches and screen distortions from the Matrix, bright color palettes and splashes of neon from Back to the Future, and dark gritty holograph and reflective elements from Blade Runner.
Whatever the inspiration, designs that tap the future for inspiration are more prevalent than ever, and the coming year sees this trend continue.
Look to movies and pop culture references that predict what the future may look like for inspiration. Experiment with futuristic patterns and color palettes. Try incorporating geometric shapes and glitches in a way that stays on-brand.
Light and dark color schemes
Companies embraced the dark side in the past year. Many of the biggest companies released new versions of their apps with new dark color schemes.
The latest version of Apple’s Mac OS X (codenamed “Mojave”) has a dark mode, and updated apps from Microsoft, Facebook, Google, and more also incorporated dark color schemes.
This trend continues as more companies adopt dark and light colors into their products. It’s not just user interfaces where companies are exploring contrasting color schemes. Print and other designs are also going dark (or light), sometimes within the same piece.
Using light and dark color schemes can give designs a visual pop that helps draw attention. It can also reinvigorate an existing campaign if customers are used to seeing it one way and it’s released in wildly contrasting colors.
Whether you want to shine the light or delve into darkness, core design concepts like simplicity and gestalt theory (check out our guide) can really make a difference. Dark color schemes tend to pose readability challenges. Be wary of the contrast ratio between the color of your text and the background behind it. Online contrast tests like the one offered by WebAIM can help.
Gradients and Duotones
Designers tend to have a love-hate relationship with gradients. If the last year is any indication, all signs point to a giant heart emoji as gradients seem to be everywhere.
This could be due to the continuing trend of using bright, bold colors from the past (hello, 1980s!). Or it could be because gradients can add a sense of movement and dynamism to a design.
Whatever the reason, companies are tossing out gradients like visual candy. Check out the use of gradients and duotones in designs from streaming music services like Apple, Spotify, and Pandora.
Other companies are getting in on the multicolored action too, like Stripe, tech site The Verge, and mattress retailer Purple. If you want to give your brand energy and a youthful vibe, mixing two colors could be what you’re looking for.
Sites like uiGradients and ShapeFactory’s Duotone have generators that help you test out color combinations. As with light and dark color schemes, be sure your choices have enough contrast so any text you use is still readable.
by delicious_graphics
by JStyle
by flydesignonly
Authentic stock photography
Ah, stock photography. It may be a necessary part of graphic design, but it has also become the butt of many online jokes. Who can forget the cast of the movie Unfinished Business and their “idiotic stock photos”?
Companies recognize the limits of stock photography, and many have made efforts to address this. The trend of “authentic” stock photography – stock photos that seem more genuine or real – is accelerating, as more companies create their own banks of realistic-looking stock photos.
Some companies (like Apple) have created their own authentic stock photography for years, while others (like Uber) have made it a key component of their recent rebrands. What companies want are photos that appear to have been taken by a real person.
Instagram may be a big reason why authentic stock photography is on the rise. Consumers can now spot a bad stock photo from a mile away, and many do not trust or appreciate brands that use generic-looking stock in their designs.
The look of authentic stock photography isn’t hard to find: Imagine a very careful curated Instagram influencer’s feed and you’ll get a good idea of what it looks like. Taking photos like this can be a challenge, however, if you don’t have the skills. Many Instagram influencers hire professional photographers to capture this look.
Vivid colors
The use of vivid colors continues the spread of 80s and 90s nostalgia into every nook and cranny of our existence. Companies and brands continue to go bold with their color choices.
Color is an important part of branding and product design. As we wrote:
Color has a deep and often subconscious effect on our behavior. Color is often used to persuade or influence us.
According to a study examining the effect of color on sales, 92.6% of people surveyed by the CCI: Institute for Color Research said that color was the most important factor when purchasing products.
In part, this trend is a continuation of the 80s color palette blown up and updated for a new generation of consumers. All of the pastel shades have morphed into their brilliant counterparts. Companies have planted their flags on energetic, eye-catching colors that jump out and grab the viewer’s attention.
Apple is one of the most influential companies on the vanguard of what’s on trend for design. The release of 2018’s brightly colored iPhone XR reflected the growing trend for bold colors. The iPhone XR’s press release event was accompanied by an invitation featuring an equally colorful array of Apple logos.
It’s not just Apple parading a lively palette of hues and shades. Nike, Adidas, and other clothing companies also tapped into vivid colors for their marketing efforts as well as their products.
Courtesy Nike
Open composition
It used to be that designs were bound by frames, but designers have increasingly broken free. Designs that act like the bounds of the canvas don’t exist are a trend to watch in 2019.
Open composition designs utilize every part of the canvas. Online, these can be websites that scroll in all directions or advertisements where elements seem to extend past the edge of the image.
Websites are one place where this effect can be quite spectacular, especially when its combined with a user’s action like scrolling or clicking.
The Magic Leap website is a great example of this, where whales move in and out of view. Scrolling zooms out, showing that there’s much more to see that was out of view. It’s a powerful effect and very on brand for a company focused on alternative reality products.
Your brand might benefit from an airy, open composition. It adds a spacious feel and can be very effective when done correctly.
by mandex
3D
With the steady march of alternative and virtual reality into the mainstream comes the growing use of 3D as a design element. The next year will be big for designs with isometric, extruded, and 3D components.
Advances in browser technology enable designers to bring 3D elements to their websites as well. Extending design into the third dimension brings its own set of challenges, but it can (literally) bring some much-needed depth to your brand.
Brands like Lyft use 3D in the form of isometric illustrations to bring a different feel to their brand. It’s an effective technique to give simple illustrations a more sophisticated look.
How to use it: It’s important to use these type of effects sparingly.
Courtesy Lyft
Courtesy Apple
Metallic effects
Metallic effects are back in a big way, thanks (again) to everyone’s continuing fascination with the past.
Up until recently most metallic effects in design had fallen out of favor. Many considered them as hackneyed and in bad taste. This has changed as companies like Apple and Samsung add metallic flourishes (or even whole elements) into their designs.
Done well, metallic design can be sophisticated and classy. Take care to not overdo it, however, as the line between classy and classless is a fine one.
by muxalex
Fluid and flowing
Designers are merging their designs with liquid or fluid effects to create something new and otherworldly.
This is being used for transition effects (like the yard.agency website below) and also in the form of patterns and textures inspired by water. The Magic Leap site we mentioned earlier uses a liquid texture for its background.
These effects add an organic feel to designs that can make them seem softer and more natural. It’s also a great way to add a visually interesting texture that can turn an otherwise generic-looking design into something more dramatic.
The key with fluid effects like any other trend is to consider whether or not it fits your brand. Transitions can be especially tricky if they’re not done well (or done gratuitously). If you’re looking to add flair to your brand, patterns inspired by liquids can be unique and visually arresting.
Courtesy
Text on backgrounds
Text set on background colors and inside of colored boxes is an old graphic design trend that is coming back in style. The look was arguably popularized by legendary designer Barbara Kruger, whose art installations featured bold typography on stark red backgrounds.
In addition to its visual impact, designers use text on background colors for other reason. As more designs incorporate large photos, putting text onto a background color increases readability.
Whatever the reason, adding a color behind your text is a simple but effective way to draw attention to your copy.
Strokes, stains, and doodles
Illustrations were huge in 2018, and 2019 continues this trend as more companies incorporate drawn elements into their designs.
The trend is shifting from more abstract or painterly illustrations to ones that appear more like doodles or quirky drawings. As well, designers are adding strokes and splashes of color to spice up their designs and give them a rougher edge.
Adding doodles to your design can make it appear more friendly and welcoming. Brands use doodles and splashes of color in place of stock photography and other more traditional visuals. A well-placed doodle can turn an otherwise stark design into something warm and welcoming.
Doodles can be tricky to create. They generally need to look professional while still retaining a light or hand-drawn feel. If you plan to use doodles, it’s best to consider their use throughout your brand. Consider them as a primary branding element and use them consistently throughout.
by PAOLOREZZANI
by besartm14
by newziner
Color of the Year
Pantone is going on twenty years of major influence across many industries with its choice for Color of the Year.
The color selected influences product development and consumer purchasing from everywhere from apparel, merchandise, industrial design, packaging design, and anything you can think of where color is involved.
This year, Pantone has declared “Living Coral” the color of the year for 2019.
Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute Leatrice Eiseman said in a statement:
With consumers craving human interaction and social connection, the humanizing and heartening qualities displayed by the convivial Pantone Living Coral hit a responsive chord.
Pantone selects a new color every year based on several considerations. New trends in design, art, travel, social media, and even the socioeconomic climate are all considered in choosing the color for the year ahead.
Pantone announced in further explanation of its choice that:
Just as coral reefs are a source of sustenance and shelter to sea life, vibrant yet mellow, Pantone 16-1546, Living Coral embraces us with warmth and nourishment to provide comfort and buoyancy in our continually shifting environment.
We’re looking forward to seeing this warm, comforting color appearing everywhere from logo design all the way down to the throw pillows in your mom’s house.
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