The kids are back in school, Halloween decorations are in Target — you know what that means? Of course — time to think about 2020 trends! As designers, we never want to be caught on the wrong side of a trend. We *try* to stay on top of what all the cool kids are doing (sometimes with less success than others). Here are five graphic design trends for 2020 that our team is seeing.
Rather than simple motion graphics and type that appear on screen, turn or twist, and stop, motion graphics are evolving into a story-like, continuous movement scene, where each portion of the graphic is tied into the next “scene.” This animation for the Confidante Hotel in Cuba is a great example.
These combinations of color, once known as “gradients,” are making a strong comeback in a more sophisticated way than the early 90s. It’s not just a red-to-blue gradient, but magenta-to-pink-to-cyan-to-indigo with a hint of orange and teal thrown in at the corners. ISUX features several color transition/gradient examples in their design insight research.
Intricate systems for brands that include icons, illustration styles and even mascots becoming part of a brand’s look and feel are some graphic design trends we’ve noticed for 2020. Check out this example for cosmetics company Belif.
We were using an isometric design technique about 15 years ago for some illustrations simply out of necessity, but it’s now a trend — illustrations, graphics and even general layouts are approached from an isometric perspective, giving a 3D feel without the 3D file size. Here are a few examples of isometric design.
Serif typography is one of the more prominent graphic design trends for 2020. More than half of the integrated branding programs awarded in the latest Communication Arts Design Annual prominently featured serif type, a significant shift from just a few years ago.
And because trends, by their very nature, can be subjective, here are a couple of other takes on the topic of graphic design trends for 2020:
What graphic design trends have you noticed recently? Leave a comment below.
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