SPARKS
May 2021
May has sprung, and as the flowers are starting to bloom! We’ve been inspired to write about the visuals we’re seeing in our work day to day – the design trends! Here are 5 digital marketing graphic design trends for 2021, and why we think we’re seeing them.
Muted Colour Palettes:
We’re toning it down for a modern look in 2021, with many brands drifting towards a more muted palette. Muted colours “feel safe and secure, even nostalgic”, and safety and security are certainly what many of us are drifting towards this year.
Nature-inspired Design:
This has been trending for the last decade or so, but it’s still growing (if you’ll excuse the pun!) into its own. Rather than turning over a new leaf (!), this year’s nature-inspired design is more of a branching out (too much!). It ties in well with the trends towards muted palettes, traditional mediums, and textures. Like the skyrocketing popularity of houseplants, nature-inspired design also holds huge appeal for the huge segments of the population who have been housebound or trapped in urban environments for the last year.
3D Design:
As technology improves and barriers to entry shrink, 3D now has a new lease of life – as traditional designers lean more into 3D, they’re bringing that spark of colour and life that may have been missing from 3D imagery and animations 10 years ago, for all but the most advanced users. 3D literally adds an extra dimension to the visual story you’re trying to tell and can make a design more tangible and easier to connect with.
Socially Conscious Design:
2020 saw a crisis point in the world’s understanding of huge societal changes that need to come – and a sense of urgency about those changes, from the pandemic response, to social justice, to the looming disaster of climate change. This tipping point has been reflected even in commercial spaces, as brands rally – perhaps in order to be seen to be rallying – around these social issues. Nearly every brand has put out messaging about social distancing, mask wearing, and being ‘in it together’, and any in the environmental or sustainability space are on the climate change beat.
Text-Heavy Video:
Finally, this may change as the year goes on, but as remote working has been the name of the game for the vast majority of office workers for the past 14 months, shooting new video content has been more than a bit of a challenge! Videos that incorporate on screen text with simple static images or even a cheeky bit of stock footage have been the name of the game and will continue to be for at least a few more months.
That’s an overview of some of the major changes graphic design is making in response to the world around us! What are you seeing coming down the pipeline for the rest of 2021, and how has your business adjusted its visuals, branding or messaging in the last year? Let us know!
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