"It's always exciting to see graphic design trends creeping out of the designer-to-designer space and into the “real world” in marketing campaigns and brand strategies" says Bert, Graphic Designer at DCTR.
Bert has kindly put together his predictions on the latest graphic design trends. They can be applied cross-industry, but will certainly be borrowed for our own property marketing & corporate branding work this year.
Luckily, property marketing tends to be very fast-moving. Many properties sell in around 7 weeks (…and large developments in under a year or so), this means property marketers can take advantage of the latest design trends, without the worry that they’ll eventually look like a superannuated parody of what was once cool and sexy. In 12 months, those properties should be done and dusted.
Trends are all well and good and have some very beautiful use cases but they are still trends. So, when it comes to company/corporate branding, relying too heavily on one or multiple trends can very severely date your brand as they go out of fashion; if you're considering a refresh of how you present your business to the world going forward, it’s something to keep in mind as you read on.
So, what are the latest trends in graphic design that property marketers should be aware of when briefing or reviewing their design/marketing agency's work?
If your goal is to show prospective customers that your company is friendly, relatable, and down to earth, then look no further than hand-drawn illustrations. Quirky and eye-catching, illustration really helps customers perceive your brand as kind and approachable. Gone now are the “Corporate Memphis” flat, geometric art-style illustrations that were so popular with banks and tech companies. Instead, companies are opting for more sincere illustrations that much better slot into a business’s brand strategy, rather than slapping in some stock corporate pics and recolouring them.
A brilliant way to create depth within your company's look and feel is to include 3D elements in the brand strategy. Whether it’s abstract shapes or 3D renders of your logo’s icon, it adds a clean and exciting new design asset that you can incorporate into your brand identity armoury.
They say less is more.
“Dada was an art movement formed during the First World War in Zurich in a negative reaction to the horrors and folly of the war. The art, poetry and performance produced by dada artists are often satirical and nonsensical in nature” - Taken from the Tate website. Although dada’s chaotic collages and satirical nature may be jarring for some, I do believe there is a place for it in modern graphic design. For a company trying to appeal to a more edgy audience, a toned-down collage of newspaper cutouts and beautiful textures could really make you stand out from the crowd. Too much for some but perfect for others.
Colour can speak volumes about a brand. I don’t need to use this space as a rant on colour theory there are far more qualified people out there that have already said what there is to be said. However, I think everyone’s excited to see beautiful rich and vibrant colour palettes back at the forefront of branding and graphic design. If you want your company to stand out from the crowd, colour is a very compelling choice.
Gradients have been around for longer than I have, but the recent shift towards liquid, aura-esque and grainy gradients really has a grip on the graphic design community. They feel much more free and liberated than the smooth blended gradients of yesteryear, working very nicely with both static and animated mediums it may be worth having a look at these to elevate your current designs.
Form or function, the dilemma for many designers. Thinking outside the box and stretching more traditional fonts can create some very eye-catching layouts for typography that really makes the viewer take a second look. Readability can become an issue so the thoughtful use of it really adds emphasis to an advertising campaign, similar to the DADA Collages mentioned previously.
Anything designed by DCTR
DCTR design isn’t a trend it’s timeless and we do everything to perfection, so you should probably just use us…ok? Yeah!
Bert
Speak to Bert about your branding & design ideas: bert@dctr.co.uk
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