(image: https://www.superdream.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/design-trends-2013.jpg alt: design trends 2013)
**Many creative’s cringe at the thought of following the latest ‘trends’ in graphic design. How can you set your work apart from the competition if you’re simply conforming to the masses?**
As a graphic designer, you’re constantly working to push the boundaries of your creativity, and push yourself to experiment with new and bold ideas. Even so, it’s important to identify the types of design making a mark right now.
These are the elements your clients will be seeing, and will want to emulate across their brand. And following the trends can actually boost your creativity, and help you produce eye-catching and unique designs that will wow your clients.
Here, we take a look at 5 creative design trends you should explore in 2013:
1. Flat design
The new-look Windows 8 brought with it a new trend in creative design. Those coloured rectangles, the simple interface, and two-dimensional look and feel have helped pave the way for one of the most popular design trends right now.
Known as flat design, this trend focuses on usability and minimalism.
The trend is characterised by the use of bright colours, crisp edges, and two-dimensional illustrations; and is already cropping up all over the Internet. Whether you’re designing a website or printed business literature, you need to focus on cohesive, visual and functional design.
Include vivid colours – such as those used by Windows 8 – sans-serif typography, and clean UI elements, such as buttons, to bring flat design into your creative work. You can choose to be completely two-dimensional, or just include a few elements to bring your creative work bang up-to-date.
There are some great examples of flat design in action on (link: http://www.creativebloq.com/graphic-design/what-flat-design-3132112 text: CreativeBloq).
2. Minimalism
Following on from this, minimalism is making a comeback in graphic design this year.
Back in 2012, (link: https://www.superdream.co.uk/logo-redesign-disasters/ text: eBay stripped back their logo) (to some initial controversy!) as did Microsoft. Following in their footsteps has been (link: http://www.thedrum.com/news/2013/03/19/dominos-uk-adopts-new-logo-refreshed-store-design-planned-all-805-uk-outlets text: Dominos Pizza); this makes minimalistic design one of the biggest things to watch out for this year.
This stylistic trend and the stripping back of a brand increases your versatility, and can help you promote you brand across multiple channels. A simple (link: https://www.superdream.co.uk/10-examples-of-the-best-image-logos/ text: image logo) can look good on all of your marketing materials; stylised logos may be eye-catching, but they can restrict the rest of your design.
It’s not just logos that can be stripped back though.
The use of white space, strong imagery, and a limited colour palette all help you keep your work simple, but still packing a punch.
3. Instagram-esque finishes
With over (link: http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/17/instagram-reports-90m-monthly-active-users-40m-photos-per-day-and-8500-likes-per-second/ text: 90m active monthly users) and growing, Instagram is becoming one of the most popular iPhone and Android apps. Users seemingly can’t get enough of the vintage and hazy filters that make even the most boring photos look romantic.
Retro and vintage have always been common creative design trends, but now so more than ever. The aesthetically pleasing design can help a brand appear longer lasting and therefore more trustworthy. Insgrame-esque finishes are also nostalgic, and foster a sense of a ‘better time’; perfect then, for the current economic climate.
As long as the brand and products fit, the vintage/Instagram style theme can really enhance our designs. This ‘weathered’ look is really easy to achieve in Photoshop, and can add a whole new dimension to your designs.
As with all these creative design trends and themes, you can incorporate as little or as much as you want to help bring your work to life. Be wary though; this theme involves a lot more than simply working in sepia.
4. Hand-drawn illustrations
Illustration is also back in a big way. Hand-drawn details are completely unique, and will add so much more to your work than a stock image.
Hand drawing is an illustrators’ bread and butter, and is often the first port of call for any design job. But the humble drawing is something that has got lost amongst stock images, animated gifs, and infographics.
We’re living in a digital age where everything is generated online. A simple, hand-drawn illustration ties in with the feeling of nostalgia, and showcases creativity and craftsmanship. We’re so used to seeing airbrushed images, that this kind of visual communication really packs a punch.
You can’t cheat with this trend though. Turning to computer programmes to imitate drawings won’t give the right effect, and loses credibility. Instead, put pencil to paper and really take your time to craft illustrations that showcase your creativity.
This is a hugely popular trend that is only going to grow; as it helps you express yourself and really help a brand stand out from the competition.
5. Luxe printing
Many marketers think that print is dead or at least on the way out; recent (link: http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/news/rss/1179376/Bauer-closes-unviable-magazine/ text: high profile magazine closures) only back that up. However, the final creative design trend to explore this year is all around making the most of your print.
Technological advances have paved the way for a whole host of new and exciting print techniques and finishes, all waiting to be explored. Customers react really well to tangible marketing, and factoring in these luxe print methods can completely transform your designs and conversions.
Print is by no means on the way out, and there is no time like the present to really make the most of high quality finishes and innovative techniques.
As a creative agency, we’re always experimenting with new trends as well as providing exciting designs that completely break the mould. You too, should be taking these trends on board and looking for ways you can make them your own.
Designers shouldn’t shun ‘trends’ and ‘fashions’. You should embrace them and see how you can transform the way you work.