2018 was quite a year, wasn’t it? In everything from entertainment to politics, unprecedented became the new normal. But the envelope pushing isn’t just limited to the world stage, it’s also happening in our favorite digital spaces. In 2019, trends in digital design are taking a similar turn for the jarring and wild.
As consumer tolerance for craziness grows, the dominant digital and graphic design trends seek to create a sense of order and self-awareness out of the chaos. We’re seeing harsh color palettes become harmonious in tiling patterns and modern collages, exaggerated proportions become delightful in inclusive illustrations, and mistakes and glitches rise to become an aesthetic all their own.
Digital design in 2019 features a healthy portion of both futurism and nostalgia. Retro influences from aggressively disruptive movements like cubism, brutalism, and abstract art have been reinvented to create a bold and colorful vision for the digital future.
Here are the 8 design trends that Coastal Creative predicts will dominate the digital landscape in 2019:
- Digital Brutalism – Clutter meets utilitarianism, eschewing basic tenets of user-friendliness and legibility in favor of a self-aware ugliness.
- Complex Gradients – Dreamy color palettes and subtle shading add unreal depth to illustrations that would otherwise remain flat.
- Abstract Geometry – Colorful and amorphous shapes convey a sense of playfulness and creativity.
- Evolved Patterns – Tiled fills and dramatic backdrops create striking contrasts against negative space.
- Retro Human Illustrations – Exaggerated proportions and unrealistic coloring make for a delightful alternative to generic stock photos.
- Isometric Illustration – Visual storytelling through elaborate yet simplified miniature landscapes.
- Broken Grid Layouts – Minimalism meets thoughtful disarray when design elements wander to create striking asymmetry.
- Modern Collage – Blending distinct mediums like photos and vectors to create montages of digital clippings.
![The Digital & Graphic Design Trends of 2019 [Infographic]](https://www.coastalcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Design-Trend-2019-2911-1.jpg)
Joe is a graduate of the University of San Diego with a Bachelors of Business Administration in Marketing. With over 10 years experience designing websites and 5 years in digital marketing, Joe is constantly looking towards the next big thing. Joe’s expertise has helped drive Coastal Creative’s growth through a variety of creative online marketing campaigns with a results-focused inbound marketing strategy.
