15 Graphic Design Trends for 2020
Every year there’s new approaches to graphic design, and this year’s no different. There are plenty of new waves to be made! But a new decade doesn’t necessarily mean only new concepts either. Some of this year’s biggest trends will be continue on from last year, while others are making a comeback as they re-emerge from hibernation. Here are 15 graphic design trends that we expect to see in 2020.
3D Depth & Realism
The 3D trend is still as strong ever thanks to modern technology and software capabilities. The realism it provides gives your product or brand an authentic feel.
Monochrome
The use of a single colour scheme is on the rise this year. But it’s not as boring as it sounds. Lots of shade variations and plenty of texture keep designs looking sleek and cool without appearing flat.
Shiny Metals
Gold is the first to come to mind since it already had it’s time in the spotlight, but this year we’re seeing an emergence of other shiny metals – think iron, bronze, platinum. Metallics are an easy way to add depth and class to imagery.
Typography Craze
In order to create more innovative and modern compositions, designers are playing with typography big time. This trend is expected to flourish in 2020. Figuratively and literally!
Line Art
The trend of outline typography and elements which have been quite mass during 2018 and 2019 is now evolving into fully illustrated and animated line art patterns and designs. In its essence, line art is a schematic, simplified illustration style. As such, it is great for conveying concepts and ideas. It looks clean, elegant, and unobtrusive. Line art is one of the preferred decoration styles in graphic design trends 2020.
Collages of Drawing & Photos
Designers have been combining real-life photos with simple illustrations replacing parts of the photo or interacting with the photo. Similar to the doodling trend, but with a quite bigger portion for the creativity part. The innovative trend is definitely one we will be seeing in 2020, as it predisposes for huge creativity and opportunities to create a unique piece.
Simplified Illustrations
While 3D design is all the rage in 2020, so is the idea of simple, flat illustrations. Often used with simple, bold colours, these designs are a great way to give a bright, happy vibe to your designs.
Earthy Colours
When you hear earthy colours, think vintage. Like, that avocado shag carpet from the 50s, but much, much cooler. These muted colours are making a comeback because they’re familiar and homey, a way to bring consumers back to their roots.
Geometric Designs
Sharp, bold shapes are modern and eye-catching and are an easy way to draw the viewer’s eyes to exactly where you want them to go. From simple lines to complex patterns, geometric designs in all their forms are in vogue this year.
Imperfection
The age of photoshopping to perfection are over, as more and more brands are embracing the idea that there’s no single definition of beauty. Although not exactly new to the beauty or fashion world, this year we expect it to be carried over into a host of other industries.
Moving Content
Let’s face it – our attention spans are getting shorter and shorter and consumers want instant gratification. In the graphic design world, that´s being translated as more and more moving content with the expected outcome of multi-sensorial branding in the not-so-distant future.
Organic Look & Feel
Simple design, natural colours give a sense of calm and well-being, perfectly in line with the ever-increasing trend in organic products.
New Perspectives on Gender and Sexuality
More and more young people today self identify as gender neutral and graphic design this year continues to cater to this through non-traditional designs. Pink is no longer a “girl colour” and blue is no longer reserved solely for boys. The age where brands steer clear of making a political stance are quickly fading as well, and we’ll be seeing more and more bold political stances on equality being depicted in graphic design this year.
Image and Text Masking
Image and text masking isn’t a new technique to the design world but it still looks modern in 2020. As it leaves a big portion of the image behind unrevealed, it helps achieve a mysterious and minimalist look. In 2020, designers will keep creating compositions with image and text masking, of course sticking to maxi typography for the latter in order to achieve the desired effect.
Cyberpunk colour schemes.
In a ever-increasing effort to stand out from the crowd, cyberpunk colour schemes –think bright, bold, futuristic, exaggerated hues, are gaining popularity because they let you shamelessly call attention to yourself but still feel friendly and inviting.
As a leading graphic design and creative agency on the Costa del Sol, our graphic designers are constantly monitoring new graphic design trends to ensure that the work they deliver is not only on trend but also meets the creative brief and campaign objectives.
If you are in need of some graphic design assistance for your business, contact us today. Together we can inspire, engage and convert your customers.