Top 5 Graphic Design Trends For 2021
Are graphic design trends useful or are they completely just trash or is the truth somewhere in the middle? So, let's explore that question today and also look at some trends set to go ahead into 2021. Now I've researched other areas of the internet and also the industry of graphic design. I've been looking at what lines up and one of the general consensus for 2021 in terms of graphic design trends.
Trend 1
The first trend that seems to be emerging is the juxtaposition between natural and man-made between metal and earth. This is being seen heavily in advertising. So things like car adverts or product or recognition the theme is based around presenting a man-made product within a very natural setting. One prevailing theory is that the lockdown of 2020 this year has resulted in many people being cooped up indoors and so having a visual stimuli that is based around nature. Is going to appeal to the consumer more so and so companies and brands are going to jump on this to sell products. We're also seeing floral and natural design elements on packaging quite a lot too. This trend is set to strengthening into 2021
Trend 2
The second design trend is the use of retro futurism. Which is an interesting term so you can think of things like cyberpunk and that kind of vibe of artistic taste and this is strongly emerging into the design world. It involves things like bright vibrant colors tech inspired typography all within retro style illustrations and artwork. So yeah this retro futurism style has been revived and it is a new optimistic outlook which highlights or points towards a utopian future. Maybe that's what people want to buy into in these kind of dark times of 2020.
Trend 3
Now color is something that can be found at the heart of graphic design trends and from what I've been reading and what I've heard within industry a big part of the use of color in 2021 is going to be the application of color blur. Now this doesn't mean that every design is going to incorporate color blur. But it is going to be a commonly seen tactic being used by designers. Color blur is the act of adding a grainy effect into a gradient and this gives a sense of texture and depth to a design. Even though it can look as if it lacks quality at times. Now this is and will be heavily used on posters cards print design in general and it will help to create a moody atmosphere for the viewer.
Trend 4
The fourth trend I'm going to talk to you about today is a bit of a sensitive topic to me personally. Because it kind of directly attacks typography. Outsized typography is when text is too large for a design and is often covered up partially by other design elements. This is often seen in magazine front covers where the title is hidden. However it might be pretty common in 2021. Where a lot of headings and typography design elements are not going to be fully legible this provides a shock value and also grabs attention.
Trend 5
Now surrealism was one of my favorite art styles. When I studied art and design going back what 15 years now and it seems that surrealism is going to make a comeback for 2021. Now if you don't already know surrealism is the act of combining imagery that doesn't go together well in a logical sense and thus this evokes a sense of juxtaposition and disharmony. It's almost a kind of dreamy affair that looks really really cool and I've noticed that this kind of juxtaposition or disharmony does play into a lot of these graphic design trends for 2021. The the act of combining things together shouldn't go together and that causes a kind of disharmony and it is quite interesting to think or to ponder why are so many of these trends in 2021 based around this concept.
But of course the million dollar question remains unanswered. Should you follow or even care about graphic design trends? Well there is a time and a place so let me explain good graphic design at the end of the day should be honest and have a long lasting appeal that stands the test of time. So essentially you can use graphic design trends but you should always have other core there's graphic design principles and basic fundamentals.
These are the cornerstones of graphic design that should never be ignored. You can then interweave neatly into your design the trends or even aspects of trends. Trends do exist for a reason and people are always going to hop on board to what's popular and this is essentially how brands and companies and whoever kind of market things to the masses. People want to follow what is popular and people want to engage with the crowd and that's why it's so important to understand why trends exist but also to be able to be playful with them and to know when not to use trends. Always remember the message of your graphic design and also what the client needs in terms of the visual communication. There is one area of graphic design and I've always said needs to stay far far away from graphic design trends and that is logo design. Logos need to remain relevant and stylish for as long as possible and so designing a logo based around a trend is pretty much a bad move. Applying a trainer to a social media artwork design a poster a banner or advertising campaign is completely fine. Because these design elements are changed and replaced quite often. Logo designs on the other hand shouldn't be changed often so the brand can keep a firm and solid brand identity.
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