Bold, risk-taking designs took control of 2023. These adventurous designs have emerged on big-name brands and have gained traction as the next big trends. At the same time, some things never go out of style, and can be combined with the modern to create impressive new compositions. With some designs leaving, and others marking a debut, there are only a few that will carry through.
It is an exciting time for graphic design as it is becoming accessible to everyday people. There are apps that put the design into your own hands, but there is even a larger growing need for graphic design artists. Companies are integrating complex designs into vital marketing schemes. Studying and working with developing trends will help any artist stay ahead of the curve.
For 2024 we are looking at a stark contrast in graphic elements. On one side is a simplification of design with lustrous typography, but it is joined by contrasting color schemes and collage-like brutalist designs. This year we will have even more choices than ever, with even more focus on graphic design elements in marketing.
1. Asymmetry
Asymmetry is becoming more and more valued for its visual appeal. Though symmetry can give a more organized feel, asymmetry is more visually appealing and can draw the eye much more easily. An asymmetrical design offers more freedom to create interesting designs.
Balance is still an important aspect of asymmetry, if all the information is crammed into one area it will be ineffective. The use of empty space is an important tool when it comes to balancing this type of creative layout.
2. Isometric Design
Isometric design sounds more complicated than it is. It is simply a style of representing 3D space without taking up as much valuable memory and processing power. The designs we are going to see dominate are tiny universes laid out in small spaces but will clean colors and lines. Isometric methods make a design feel more interactive and can help make a small space feel larger.
3. Retro Humans
These retro human styles are also making a comeback in nostalgic pieces that take a retro human design known from the past and put a particular modern color spin on it. Callbacks to particular methods of drawing from the past can help promote a certain mood. Art is always evolving but an inspiration for amazing new ideas can, and should, still be drawn from styles long since past.
4. Activism
In today’s society activist movements are everywhere and ingrained in marketing schemes. An activist message is a good way to draw attention to a design. This can be a useful tool for advertisers looking to reach out to those looking to deal only with companies they see fighting the good fight along with them.
Graphic design uses activism to personalize the marketing experience. With more personalization, emerging businesses will attract the growing population of people who want the small business experience.
5. Complex Gradients
With the risk-taking nature of 2023, the bold colors are now beginning to combine in great gradient schemes. We see the emergence of colors that are not complementarily combined in gradient designs. A gradient is also referred to as a color ‘transition.’
These duo-tone gradients have started their comeback on many media platforms. They are covering Spotify and can be seen when browsing Hulu.
6. Contrasting Color Schemes
For bold impact, 2024 is going to push the limits of using contrasting color schemes even further. Bold graphic design trends have been including colors that do not traditionally go together. Consumers want to see something unique and things out of the ordinary stand out among the hoards of competition vying for customer interaction.
The opportunity to use intriguing color combinations to grab consumers’ attention is a prime chance to take to creating optimal branding. Carry the contrasting bold colors across every platform your business is involved. This can be seen in contrasting color scheme patterns that make memorable brands, such as 23 and Me.
7. Motion Designs
Adding a little extra flair with moving components is becoming more and more popular in graphic design. The motion will capture your viewer’s attention and is a great way to include something amusing or interesting to remember. The time that it takes a viewer to look away from business graphics can be alarmingly quick, but with simple animations, the design becomes interactive and forces the eye to follow it.
8. Art Deco
Art Deco emerged in the 1920s and incorporates intricate designs that have a glamorous ornateness. It is coming back in 2024, especially in logo work. Art Deco is often simple with repeated elements, including parallel lines, to give a sense of industrial symmetry.
Art Deco is often created using bold geometric designs, as famously seen in the newer Great Gatsby media campaigns. Realism is not a concern, these designs have a flat look that creates its aesthetically pleasing signature look.
9. Brutalist Designs
This is a growing method of pixelation or an altered coloration of a design. This surreal take on collage cut-outs has no interest in modern stylistic cohesion. Elements are drastically mismatched but often separated by negative space. Text may be hard to read, making the viewer spend more time deciphering the message. Which further embeds it into their memory.
10. Authentic Photos
Stock photos are well-known and used by the graphic design community. The trend of using more realistic photos instead of those that have been circulated for years is emerging with the need for more personalization in advertising. It is often too easy for the consumer to tell the difference between a staged photo and an authentic one.
Staged photos can often come off as cheesy and consumers will not take them seriously. Today, a stock photo is often for intentionally silly graphics rather than a more serious design. Do not underestimate the power of authenticity in 2024. People are searching for real business connections and graphic design which customers can relate to are most interactive.
11. Colorful Minimalism
Many of the brands using color minimalism are also igniting the trend of hand-drawn graphics. The script associated with this is a light serif script. The light-hued designs are mixing with the classic farmhouse trend that is also hot in organic merchandise advertising.
This type of design usually includes more muted colors that produce a classic rustic feel. This type of design may also include one bright pop of color over a more dull background. Tan tones and organic packaging can be seen in the RAW brand.
12. Abstract Geometry
Using abstract color blocking for logos is a trend carrying over from 2023 to 2024. Simple shapes, lines, and colors create a complex or minimalistic design to evoke feeling. Rather than defining an exact form other than the brand name.
The combination of abstract accents to photos is also emerging. This is where a specific element in a realistic photo, just the dress a woman is wearing, is made a pop of unrealistic flair.
13. Augmented Reality
This trend for 2024 goes hand-in-hand with technological advances in Virtual Reality experiences. This distortion of reality will make a strong appearance through warped designs that trick the practical mind.
Using VR can become an entire another step for a business to make more incorporative and personalized marketing schemes with the utilization of strong graphic design. Motion design comes into play here.
14. Elegant Illustrations
Bold thick lines have prevailed for years in graphic design trends, but now we see a large amount of simpler, more elegant illustrations. This is great paired with pastel, or gentle-colored designs. While the importance is placed on the script, the color schemes and the rest of the design are simple to lend focus to the wording. This is starting to prevail in the wedding fields, as well as many baking/cooking businesses. Restaurant graphic designers are most successful when using elegant traditional fonts if they are upscale -it directly reflects the business!
15. Bold Typography
Bold Typography has been a trend for years and it’s sure to follow through to 2024. This incorporates text as the main aspect, like with elegant illustrations, and its bold style is rendered as the design, as well as the text. The coloring will vary from large bold black to multi-hued design. Many elements are being applied to this, you can see this type of large text with quirky motion at the end of most Taco Bell commercials.
2024 Graphic Trends
As technology advances so must we all. As the need for graphic design and its popularity rise it will continue to evolve. Those who don’t keep up will be left behind. Keep these aspects in mind when creating designs yourself or finding someone to create them for you. Designs that lack modern elements will simply be less impactful on the viewer.
The outlook for 2024 contains almost a homage to past designs, with an addition of clean sophisticated lines for small businesses or organic packaging. On the other side, we have duotones and contrasting color schemes pushing through different media outlets.
