Last year, we saw loud and bright colors bring fun to brands, hand drawn logos showing sincerity, and animated GIFs bringing visuals to life. We also saw Google fonts bring versatility to websites and blogs, minimalism integrating pops of color, and duotones in photos and on websites drawing people in.
As we rang in the New Year, excited for the new promise and potential the year would bring, 2018 is setting changes in graphic design trends. This year different trends emerged and others amplified their importance, bringing them to the limelight. With the help of Venngage and 99designs, here are six must-know trends for 2018 to connect with your audience:
1. Gradients Are In
Gradients are very common to create a simple background that isn’t just one solid color. Gradients allow for a great color and design addition if used correctly. These gradients are coming around to replace the flat designs that have been dominant in recent years.
2. Better Images & Authentic Photography is Key
Using authentic photography offers limitless possibilities. They will also be much more successful than stock photos in capturing the attention of your viewer.
Authentic photos make it easier to connect with your audience, tell your story, and showcase the business. It also gives you more credibility, as it shows your business in a way that customers can expect to interact with it.
3. Go unconventional
Rebranding your company to contain many colors is a bolder trend that is starting to occur. Traditionally, designers would only use a specific color palette in the branding of a company. As 2018 continues, multiple color systems seem to become more and more popular.
More colors allow for variety in the design plans. However, this idea of using a multiple color scheme may only be usable for large businesses, or businesses that are already well known. These companies can take the risk of adding colors to their brand palette as small businesses don’t have this luxury.
4. Bold & Handwritten Typefaces are the Name of the Game
A great way to attract attention is with a great and appropriate typeface. The typefaces that seem to be becoming widely used are bold and handwritten fonts.
This, like gradients, are another trend that shows the transition from a flat, simple, minimalistic design, to a more exciting, bold design. These types of typefaces bring a strong presence to a design. It seems designs are moving away from the classic Helvetica sans serif typefaces to more exciting and fun typefaces.
5. Get Personal with Custom Illustrations
Custom illustrations, like authentic photography, create a more personal interaction with the viewer rather than some basic graphic found in stock photos/graphics. These custom illustrations add personality to the content and it also allows freedom to the content creator because the illustration is being created by the business/designer themselves.
This means the design could incorporate colors/ideas that are prominent to any certain business. Even though these illustrations may take more time then looking up graphics to be used, the benefit vastly outweighs the time and effort that is used in the process.
6. GIFs and GIFs with a Twist
Gifs and cinemagraphs are key to interactions with viewers, clients, and other potential clients on social media. These media are also a nice choice to replace stagnant photos or graphics if the media applies well. Each of these also give the business an opportunity to be humorous and can give some playfulness to the content.
These two formats also create and expand on a concept or idea more than just a still photo. Gifs are the more known of the two formats, but cinemagraphs are making a move in the design world. Cinemagraphs bring a sort of surreal visual to content as there is only a single element that moves in a cinemagraph.
With 2018 still in its infancy, you will be able to use these trends successfully throughout the rest of the year to create a better image with your brand. Whether it is with rebranding your business with more gradients, colors, or striking typefaces or devoting more time to custom designs, illustrations, and authentic photography, your brand will be put on a pedestal, making you stand out.
