Design Trends

Brief

In order to be effective in today’s multidisciplinary design landscape, sensitivity to contemporary Graphic Design practice and cultural trends will ensure your currency. Therefore, you are required to examine contemporary Graphic Design trends and evidence around six examples on your blog, reflecting on and evaluating them further in your own words.

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Positivity

A particular trend that has been used in the past year and looking forward is positive graphic design. Design which evokes happiness and hope. In the Creative Boom article The Biggest Trends for Graphic Design in 2021 designer Luke Tonge states:

"We'll see plenty of charming and witty illustration or animation, some of it 3D, ... as brands continue to realise the power of dynamic and friendly systems. I also think in general there'll be a lot of bold, colourful and optimistic work next year, reflecting the hope we all feel with vaccines ahead of us and Trump behind us."

Tonge talks about the use of dynamic systems which is a type visual system that evokes movement, playfulness and positivity. Illustration is a big factor that can help create a dynamic system as many different type of illustration can help to break up the flow of a regimented system. Also using bright and bold colour schemes which through the use of colour psychology designer can pick out colours that will give the viewer happier emotions.

Due to the past few years being so dark. Optimism and hope is an important factor that can engage audience. Graphic design is a powerful tool that can direct people unwittingly onto new thoughts and ideas. So using graphic design for the greater good is something that is in every designers head's at the moment. It is important that Design does not lie to an audience about the issues that face us, however spinning it in a positive light/humorous can keep a audience engaged and receptive.

MOSH - Universal Favourite

MOSH Australia's biggest mens online health clinic needed a rebrand to make it seem more open and comforting to any men who worry about their health but for what ever reason feel unable to confront a doctor. Universal Favourite's (UF) new branding used the positive and dynamic visual system to make the brand more approachable. The use of humorous imagery refers to my previous point about the importance of positive design, it makes the audience more receptive and engaging. UF created a personality to the brand thus making it feel less clinical. UF described the use of illustration:

"We wanted a style that felt intellectual yet witty, which would allow us to convey the sensitive, sometimes awkward, health issues men face with an informative softness"

This shows the use of harnessing positivity to make an audience feel more welcomed to a serious issue.

Virgin Money - Pentagram

The Virgin Money Rebrand used another dynamic system to make the customers feel more happy about banking. Pentagram created a new typeface 'Virgin money loop' which was created to make the brand feel approachable:

"its distinctive loop reflecting the energy and the ambition of the organisation while still appearing friendly and approachable."

They also used bright and bold colours to make another positive visual system. In order to separate them from the professional and serious banks and emphasise that they are a customer orientated bank.

Over View

These two examples show that the use of positive branding is important to engage an audience. And make these designs more friendly.

Retro

The next design trend I have chosen is 'retro'. The use of past design trend have become increasingly popular over the past few years. Once again a response to the current climate by looking back on past years through rose tinted glasses, designer can pick the best bits of the designs and create new modern twists. Whilst making the viewer/audience feel safe and happy because they are immersed by friendly nostalgia.

The use of retro fonts and colour pallets evoking the trends of the 50s/60s/70s/80s. Is used again and refreshed with the use of new technology these trends can be stretched even more which can lead to exciting and new work. Critics will argue that nothing new or original is being created by taking things from the past. However I believe it is important that we acknowledge and evaluate past trends because only then we can take the best bits and move forward to create something new.

Meatable - Koto (2020)

Lemon - VW (1959)

Above you can see a clear correlation between Meatable advert and a VW advert created over 60 years apart. They both work as advertisements, Koto has just gone in and updated the advert. They both work because they both draw people in with smart titles and a standalone bold image.

“The idea in that process was to take the recurrent elements of that vernacular and add a modern twist. The frame, the illustrations, the typography, the layout, art direction, colours, messaging, all became the pillars of Meatable's brand.”

Meatable is a brand about making meat that is more eco-friendly and good for the world. Evoking the past where it was more simple with less battery farming and big machines was a useful way to get the message across.

Overview

Evoking the images of a simpler time is important in graphic design as it makes the viewer feel more engaged and happy linking into the previous trend positivity. Design should make the world feel a little brighter.

Abstract

The use of abstract forms and layout is another trend that is created. The use of abstract imagery Is prominent throughout graphic design. Subverting the ordinary is a way of adding a new element to a design. If used correctly it can make the viewer understand the meaning behind the work. However, This trend can also confuse the viewer if not done correctly.

Abstraction when done right is aesthetically pleasing and perhaps more memorable. One of the ways you can abstract is by using asymmetry. Or designing something so it is hard to define what it is.

The Tide (Greenwich Peninsula) - Droga 5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EnTo-Pqftw

This is a good example of abstraction, it is created by the flowing image of water which abstracts the view of the words behind it. It is an ever changing ever flowing graphic. Droga 5 created this campaign for the newly opened Greenwich peninsula which is a park in London.

"Always different, always in transition, the fluid Tidemark represents the changing environment of Greenwich Peninsula — and the different ways Londoners can make use of this new space."

This example has been created well as it has been justified and it makes sense. The use of the moving imagery means that the viewer is drawn into it as it makes eye catching and interesting. However it still makes sense.

The San Diego International Film Festival - Mering

The use of abstract imagery evoking Picasso in this poster was created by Mering. By using elements of the san Diego film festival (the sea, camera film, palms) the designer hoped to create:

“'the abstraction of humanity and individualism,' bringing together characteristics of San Diego with cubist elements to 'reflect the upbeat vibes of the city'."

This worked because the important information was not abstracted so viewer were still able to understand the important information.

Overview

In order for this trend to work it needs to have the correct balance of coherence and incoherence. Less is more in this case using only a few abstract elements can create a big impact.

Collage

This is a trend that I have personally used the most and one that has been around for a while. Collage is using a collection of different images and bringing them together to create one over all image. Collage taps into abstract. Many collages uses conventional imagery and takes it out of context. It has been used to convey many messages in one literal way a message from each. This trend can be literal but it is also effective it can add dynamic feeling in a visual system through use of overlapping different shapes and images over each other.

This trend works well across many different types of graphic design because it is so versatile, it really helps to question the relationship between different images. It adds a playful aspect to a design it can help to make the viewer have correlation between these two things.

It has become popular in past few years due to the retro trend as this method was used in many popular zines in the 90s such as David Carson's Ray Gun. Which used mixed media and collage to create a grunge feel. It is another old trend that has be rejuvenated and revived.

PRIOR - Made Thought

This is Made Thought's creation for the travel company PRIOR used collage to make the viewer think more about travel. They made a conscious decision not to go down the instagram route and show a standard photo of one destination. They wanted evoke the mystery and magic of travel. So by creating surreal images that left the viewer thinking about it was their aim.

“Depicting the Prior world as a rich tapestry of the real and surreal: an enchanting mixture of colour, sound, people, objects, stories, landscapes, smells, foods and textures.”

Over View

Collage may have also become a trend from the reaction against social media where everything is seems so real and perfect. Where as collage has this feel of being more authentic and different. It can be used to make the viewer add in the gaps and use their imagination.

Minimalism

This is a trend like collage that has become popular recently due to the response against social media. Our lives are filled with so much information that many of society feel like they need a break from it all. Simpler is important its a reason why retro is a trend because designers are looking back to simpler times.

Minimalist design is where everything that is needed is in the design and nothing else. It can evoke a peaceful effect to the viewer. If it is used correctly white space is an important element to create a minimalist design. This trend is seen more in page layout designs such as photo books where the photo takes centre stage in the layout by using white space it can make sure the viewer is not overwhelmed by the imagery and thus can appreciate it more.

Minimalism is not only a design trend but it is also an ideology that has been going on for years. Dieter Rams manifesto for good design, follows the minimalist thought.

"Good Design is a little design as possible"

- Dieter Rams

In world where excess consumption is a cultural trend, this design trend is important to make people reconsider their lives and how they live it.

MIN: The New Simplicity in Graphic Design by Stuart Tolley

Created by the design agency Transmission. It discussed minimalism but also has a minimalist design. In a Creative Boom article about the book Tolley describes why there is trend in a perfect way:

“I find there’s increasingly more noise in our daily lives, from online advertising and social media, so a simpler, decluttered lifestyle really resonates with me. This thinking has filtered into my graphic design work and I love that there’s nowhere to hide with minimalism. It’s about being clever and experimental with the essential ingredients of composition, type and the all-important concept."

Overview

Due to our cluttered and crowed lives minimalism is an ever more prominent trend in our lives. Meaning the design trend is there to appeal to the cultural shift against the maximalist lifestyle.

Socially Conscious

The last and final trend is graphic design that is socially conscious, design that is aware of today's climate and world. Due to graphic design being so pivotal in effecting peoples views because it is everywhere. For many years graphic designers didn't believe they needed to take a stand in the politics of the world. But more and more designers are starting to take action and use their design to show their feelings and thoughts on the world.

The audience wants more meaning when advertisement campaigns, they want to be able to connect with the issues that are prevalent in the world. So creating design that engages them is important. This is another response to the dark past years where the world has gone through many changes. The culture now is for people to step up and make a stand for what they believe. And that should be happening with graphic designers.

Johnny Costello stated in a Creative Boom Article:

"[Graphic design is going through a] messy stage where people are still not getting it but brands and agencies are moving towards more authentic messaging that is more socially aware, which can only be a good thing."

Authenticity is a key word in this quote, true messaging and ideas. Is what is needed more than ever, where fake news is a constant story and it feels like no one can trust any source.

Ask Now Save Lives - Anthony Burrill / Grass Roots Suicide Prevention

Anthony Burrill created this poster for Grass Roots suicide awareness campaign. He used simple typography and lettering to make a bold statement and show the simplicity of helping to prevent a suicide. This is a clear example showing how graphic design can be harnessed to be more socially aware. Using the techniques of creating eye catching design but also putting an important message beside it can make more people aware of the message.

Overview

In this day and age it is more important designers have a responsibility to help harness their skills for the greater good. Graphic design is all about using type and image to relate messages to society.