It is difficult to predict trends because they can be country, age, or culture-specific, but thanks to jordanprindledesigns.com (whom I want to attribute for his insights) I have been inspired to write about the world of design now.
MINIMALIZE IT
While the world around us gets more and more confusing (here in South Africa we are about to hear about level 3.2 of lockdown soon) thankfully there is one place where less is better - design!
They say less is more, or a great design is what you are left with when you can't take anything else away. Think Picasso line drawings. This principle seems set to hang around for a while and involves:
Only essential elements
Basic shapes
Limited color palettes
The object being to create something powerful in its simplicity.
make it real, not perfect
There are a growing number of people who are embracing more authentic design and marketing in that their social media posts etc. are more representative of a less "idealized" (or 'photoshopped') version of things. Apparently we are used to imperfection, so if something is perfect we feel uncomfortable. This means:
Imperfect lines
Natural color palettes
More natural models
Non-uniform shapes
It is predicted (and I really hope) that this trend is here to stay - down with the Barbies and the utterly unobtainable perfection that we have been forced to ingest and then feel bad about ourselves for not meeting that criteria!
VIDEO CONTINUES TO HANG AROUND
According to https://www.oberlo.com/blog/video-marketing-statistics, more than 50% of consumers have said they would like to see more video content from the companies they follow, so get video editing, it's easier than ever with Instagram Stories, Facebook Live, YouTube, iMovies, etc.
One of the more interesting video or movement effects is called LOOP ANIMATION and comprises of a short video which is edited in such a way that you can't tell where the clip ends, it just goes around in a perpetual loop. People tend to watch these longer (improving your site stats) and I must say I find them quite mesmerizing... here is an example of a simple loop video:
Emphasizing Typography
All typography is at its core, is laying out letters into words to make readable content, but typography is moving ahead in the field of design. Wordmark logo's (where, for example, the initials of a company are put together to form a type of symbol) are becoming more popular, and there is something beautiful about using type as your main design form. When people speak of "copy", "kerning" and "orphan words", they are probably talking about the text. Here is a simple example:
That Old, old Look
Vintage Design remains one of the looks that people are going for still. I would personally, it stay in the past, but for now it persists.
50 Shades of one color
Yes folks, monochrome color schemes are the flavor of the day. What this means is that people are choosing one main color and then using it in different shades (lightness to darkness). Apparently a monochromatic color scheme immediately creates a sense of harmony and balance. Here is an example:
So, that is where we are at in design at this strange time in history. I realize that design isn't a priority for a lot of people right now, but sometimes it's nice to not talk about the pandemic. Hope you are all well and please drop me a line if you have any comments or idea's about what you would like me to research for you.
Until next time
Karen