Year after year, digital design has been hurtling into wilder and bolder territories, and this past year has only accelerated that trajectory.
This decade started with many believing that 2020 would demand change. We wanted some relief from the calamity, some peace and quiet in an increasingly antagonistic world. A new decade, doesn’t that mean a fresh start for us all?
Well, it certainly was something. It was unexpected, uncanny, and dare I say it: Novel.
In a modern world, nobody anticipated the global pandemonia we all felt. Of course, while we may have been confined to our computers on Zoom calls and restricted from certain social engagements, designers were pushing the limits. The tremors moving through the world only emboldened visual design.
Coastal Creative has once again released its investigation revealing these disruptive leading trends. So we bring you their 7th annual edition: 8 Digital & Graphic Design Trends of 2021.
Responsive Clutter – Clicking and tapping images and text is necessary to uncover content, this trend forces us to engage with technology, as we’ve all had to.
Surrealist Still Life – Not your usual surreal, these sculpturesque, often 3-D graphics breathe uncanny and unnatural life into the classic still.
Maximalism – Anything goes in this embrace-it-all, storytelling cacophony of styles including layered images, patterns, colors, text, and, well, you name it.
Outsized Typography – This past year everyone seemed to yell, and this trend mirrors that. It’s Huge.
Earth x Metal – Smashing together rugged nature with sparkling shine, this collision of textures is the new luxe.
In-Text Photography – Maybe it’s because we all are longing for more in-person contact? Drop a photo amidst text to achieve the most realistic emoji-evolution yet.
Technodystopia – This otherworldly design evolution strikes a chord with 2020’s general dooms-day angst.
Disharmonious Color Combos – This design trend doesn’t discriminate: from neon and flesh combos to pastels with bold shouting colors, these combos express the importance of inclusion.
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Community manager at Visual Contenting. Jacqueline loves to talk about social media trends, new technology and how they help businesses accelerate their marketing efforts.
