Design Trends for 2020

Design trends come and go through the years, evolving marketing, branding, and merchandise as we know it. As different trends become popular, designers and agencies must learn to adapt to provide their clients the best they have to offer. Seeing the trends of 2019 come and go, designers can predict how the new year’s trends will affect the design world and those who work within it. Being a few months into 2020, the popularity of different styles, design application, and marketing are already evident in the day to day marketing world.

Motion Graphics

As design evolves, so will the practice. Graphic Design, in some circumstances, is moving away from the static image, becoming more dynamic with the use of Motion Graphics. Motion Graphics has the ability to present a multitude of information in a stylistic way, using illustrations, dynamic typography, and video. If done correctly, the new graphics can explain products easily without requiring long blocks of text or requiring a consumer to pay an extreme amount of detail to understand what’s being sold.

Logos

Logos are moving past their previously static nature, to a more dynamic and memorable experience. Designers are taking existing logos and making them more interesting and impactful in the new digital world with motion graphics and gifs, both common in use on social media, websites, presentations, and more.

GIFs

With the practice of GIFs, becoming more popular with the rise of social media, companies are moving more into the direction of customized gifs that tell stories, present information, and more. Instead of using the existing library of GIFs that all other brands and competitors can use, create a new collection of personalized and brand accurate GIFs, helps the company gain more attention and possibly grow into the expansive world of social media. Motion graphics allows companies to tell stories in a more dynamic use of illustrations and text. As brands become more aware of the importance of motion, more content will explore the ideas that motion can provide.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Some examples of Motion Graphics

https://www.behance.net/gallery/85036013/Motion-Beast-Logomachine-Logo-animations

Illustration

In tandem with Motion Graphics, illustration can create a story. The ability to create anything and everything opens up the possibility to portray any information a client may want.

Character Design

Character Design can support an entire concept, that can welcome consumers into applications, websites, social media pages, and more. By creating this personality, users can get a stronger connection to a brand with the interaction of the users and the mascot. Illustrations can create memorable compositions that can be utilized in any step of branding. Illustration can go way beyond character design. The best illustrations are works that blur between graphic design and art, creating a memorable piece that can transcend a page.

https://www.behance.net/gallery/82620645/Illustration-System-for-GOL

https://www.behance.net/gallery/84790233/Adobe-x-Createfulness

https://www.behance.net/gallery/78029347/COUSCOUS-STUDIO-EXPLAINER-VIDEO

Minimalism

Over the past couple years, designs have gone for the less crowded look and opted for a look that only showcases the important information. With minimalism becoming more dominant in the digital world, branding, websites, and overall looks will change for a more straightforward presentation. The many advantages of minimalism include having the ability for users to interact with exactly what they want and not have to search for information, offering better load times and smaller page sizes when applied to websites, and can attract attention to focus only on the main elements.

Color

The style of minimalism is far and wide, with specific styling, like monochromatic and bold colors. Monochromatic coloring is the use of taking one color and either decreasing or increasing its shade to have a color range. Monochromatic color palettes allow for a more cohesive look, and when created well, it can be a creative way to express brand identity and bring attention to important elements. With the use of bold colors, primary and secondary, designs can be eye catching and give across a fun or youthful feel. When used as an accent with monochromatic palettes, bold colors can grab attention to specific information.

https://www.creativereview.co.uk/dk-strips-it-back-to-the-bare-minimum-for-its-new-visual-identity/

https://www.creativereview.co.uk/pentagrams-playful-new-identity-for-fisher-price/

Merchandise

As graphic design trends evolve and change, one trend has been standing out and is different than all the rest. Merchandise has become a societal norm with graphic t-shirts, stickers, and other miscellaneous items. Consumers are now connecting with the brands they know and love, becoming walking billboards for the companies they wear. Apparel brands, fashion labels, sports teams, philanthropic causes, and even a favorite fast food place can now be advertised on things we interact with on a daily basis. The styles of these merchandise collections vary from iconic to ironic. Younger generations are finding more interest in clothing that creates a conversation, a joke, or even a statement. Companies like KFC are going above and beyond creating the most outrageous merchandise, because of the free advertisement and more importantly, the attention they’ll gather on social media.

This spring, Crocs and KFC are releasing a collaboration of a pair of Crocs styled like a bucket of chicken. When the companies revealed their collaboration, people on social media went crazy, some people thought the idea was insane, some wanted the new shoes, and some were just confused. No matter how the people reacted, the companies are now in the front of consumers minds, without an advertising budget. Merchandise of any form creates a conversation in today’s interconnected world of social media.

https://www.crocs.com/KFC.html

https://nissinfanstore.com/

https://thedieline.com/blog/2019/9/18/mcdonalds-announces-limited-edition-swag-line-through-uber-eats

Conclusion

In 2020, design is going beyond design and creating experiences for consumers. When trends work together in collaboration, their effectiveness increases, allowing consumers to understand products better and create relationships with brands.

Interested in integrating these new trends into your company’s branding? AVX Digital’s Creative team has the knowledge and ability you need to stand out in saturated markets.

Contact AVX Digital today for a free consultation and see how these new design trends can benefit your brand’s marketing strategy.