Styles in graphic design are always changing, whether for print or digital distribution. Here are three big trends for today.
- Flat design
Until recently we have lived in an era of “skeuomorphism”. (I had to look it up, too.) It refers to graphics designed to look like their real-life equivalents: examples are buttons that look dimensional and borders that look like stitched leather. Now the style is flat design. Just look at the latest smart phone and you’ll know what I mean. Minimalist is what comes to mind. Images have clean edges, solid colour (no gradients), the feel of an icon, and—well—flat, with no dimensional techniques applied. Its intent is to make communication simpler. Yes, it looks cool, but feels sterile to some. - Colour
Colour has always been important, but we seem to be in a cycle where the muted tones are giving way to vibrant colours that have a slightly human feel to them like yellow-gold, teal, coral, warm red and cyan. - Authentic images
It seems a bit of a contradiction, but in an age where two-dimensional design styles rule, images that are more authentic are gaining in popularity, according to stock photography site Shutterstock’s 2014 global trends report. We don’t necessarily want people with “retail smiles” in our brochure, but people who are real, experiencing our pain. Images with filters applied, like the ones we see on Instagram are more common, as people identify the style with contemporary culture.
What do you think? Join the conversation.