As a graphic designer you are constantly challenged to stay on top of your game. To be a good designer you must be aware of the ever changing design trends. You add value to the client’s overall marketing by knowing the latest trends in fashion, color, typography, and design. Design trends change year to year. In 2014 the shift has been towards simplicity and visually soothing designs. In this article I will highlight the top graphic design trends in 2014.
Color Trends
Whenever trends change, one of the most prominent modifications comes in color patterns. Above is the official Pantone® fashion color report. In 2014, colors have become flat, pastel, and not so loud. The leading color of the year picked by Pantone® is Radiant Orchid. Pantone is a the standard for color trends and names a particular “Color of the Year”. They are important because fashion designers, graphic designers, florists, and many other consumer-oriented companies follow Pantone’s publications to help guide their designs.
Typography
Goodbye Bank Gothic, Lobster, Arial, Georgia, and Helvetica! In 2014, there are many popular fonts and styles. Some font styles to highlight are handwritten fonts, flat design typography, mix & match typography, retro, and large type. Above are a few fonts that are new and fresh which highlight some of the new graphic design trends in 2014. Awwwards offers excellent free fonts to play around with, here. Fonts such as Black Jack, Glamor, Streetwear, Fairview, Lakesight, Boomtown Deco, Nexa (used on our website), and Wolf in the City.
Retro Graphics are still popular
Various design trends of the past come back in style. Retro 70′s and 80′s are back and have been popular for a few years now. The design style is simple and minimal with bold graphics. Colors are bold or faded with Instagram type filter quality. Neon colors and black are prevalent. Above is a design we did for Apptio, a promotional postcard. Vintage texture and type are very popular.
Illustrations are still preferred
Illustration was popular in 2013, and you can expect to see more of the same in 2014. I believe there will be more hand drawn illustrations. With infographics being so popular(see below), illustration has been the preferred choice of design. This trend transcends into web, print, and apparel design. Illustrations add a fresh feel to any design that a stock photo simply does not. Stock photos stick out like a sore thumb. Above are a few illustrated graphics for our client LinkedIn, for the employee e-commerce rewards store.
More Infographics than ever!
Its simple, visual content is a more effective way of communicating statistics. Infographics allow you to represent your data in a visually stimulating way. According to graphs.net, the total search volume for “infographics” has increased by a staggering 800% from 2010 – 2012. That number will only continue to grow as businesses realize the value of representing statistics in a powerful way to engage with their target audience. In 2014, look for more illustrations to represent statistics in a powerfully engaging way!
If you have any questions about top graphic design trends in 2014 feel free to ask in the comments below or reach out to us directly at 206. 659. 8955.
