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What’s Trending In Graphic Design?
The best thing about graphic design patterns is that each year brings with it the chance for a fresh start. And, considering the daunting shape of 2021, the design patterns of 2021 may include the most significant breath of fresh air yet.
Although previous patterns were motivated by the prospect of a new decade, drawing from sci-fi and futuristic technology, the graphic design trends for 2021 are placing people first. We polled our global network of graphic designers for their forecasts, and their predictions—ranging from traditional symbolism to nature elements to analogue painting—indicate patterns that are grounded in the here and now.
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Graphic design is all about converting the ordinary into something extraordinary. So, let’s look at how the planners of 2021 are shaping the course of this decade.
1. Psychedelic abstraction
Psychedelia had its origins in the 1960s rock and art movement. It is synonymous with hallucinogens and artistic experiments against a background of societal upheaval: in a nutshell, it is the opening of one’s mind. In comparison to today, it seems to suit the times: the wild imagery of psychedelia promoting liberation, the feeling that creators are no longer constrained by conventional restrictions.
Graphic artists will resurrect psychedelia in 2021 with excessive colour and highly complex abstractions that will leave M.C. Escher dizzy. There are projects that carry on a life of their own, both in terms of explosive configurations and complexity—to the point where no two viewings sound the same.
2. Rebirth of a symbol
The smallest details are essential in architecture. A country can be united by coloured bars on a waving flag, and a plain shape like a red octagon can save lives at a busy intersection.
Symbols like this have often been regarding universality. The strength of classic icons resides in their capacity to overcome words, whether it be in the sense of conveying alerts or identifying a cause by shared iconography. In 2021, designers will use this power to build aspirational symbols of resilience, development, and empowerment.
3. Futurism in the retro style
Retro futurism, the sci-fi fantasies of a bygone age, is appealing because of the dramatic aspects in which the past went wrong. We were supposed to have flying planes, ray weapons, and robot maids by now. Roombas, on the other hand.
However, retro futurism as a visual theme has endured through the years thanks to its bold creativity and remarkably positive outlook—at least more so than our latest dreams of doom in shows like Black Mirror. The retro futurists believed in human success to the point that even terrifying green Martians in flying saucers might be no substitute for our technological prowess.
4. Consistent surrealism
Surrealism is one of the creative concepts that most people equate with the incomprehensible—imagery that is nonsensical through nature. However, several people overlook the fact that it includes the word ‘realism.’ The actual and the surreal are inextricably linked, and no year felt this more strongly than 2020, when pandemics of bad fiction became our way of existence.
5. Authentic depiction
The Black Lives Matter campaign marks a landmark moment of global activism that has never been seen before. We remain optimistic that this is just the beginning of a reexamination of structural bias, and that its effect will continue to spread across any sector, even graphic design, in 2021.
Designers have also made attempts to replace models with authentic and varied individuals in illustration and stock imagery. We anticipate that in 2021, everything would move past simple inclusivity and into celebration. In the midst of the BLM marches, we saw artists of colour uplifted, and the effect was portraiture of black men and women in strong and inspirational settings and poses.
6. Characters that are irreverent
A good piece of furniture will tell a tale. The tale can live on in the minds of all who see it. Most graphic designers are looking to abandon geometric visuals in favour of eccentric characters in 2021. And the more charisma these protagonists have, the more unforgettable they are.
At the core of this movement is concept drawing, which provides not just character poses but also individuality in the context of a hand-drawn approach. This is why these types will vary from complex cross-hatching to contemporary cartoons’ simplistic forms, figures, and colours. The ideas themselves—suit-wearing creatures and anthropomorphic sushi—indicate the long-awaited return of humour and weirdness in the coming months.
7. Pop art and comic books
The architectural patterns of the past, like an arch nemesis, never really disappear. Graphic artists are resurrecting the grainy shades, strong inking, and action lines of retro comics this year.
Comics, which were created in an age of obsolete printing technologies, often used halftones, or simplistic dot colouring, to reflect pigment. Via grainy texture and depth, this approach can now breathe fresh life into contemporary minimalist trends including flat design. Similarly, web designers may use slanted panels and twisted forms to build a feeling of drama and motion by breaking the grid.
8. Infusion of fine art
Fine art and architecture have long been separated, but 2021 is less concerned about common boundaries. As a consequence, we anticipate that painterly styles like acrylic brushstrokes and abstract expressionism would find its way into shelves and screens all over the planet.
Abstraction is one of my favourite art instructions and strategies because it gives us full creative independence. Colours, textures, forms, and spaces are all examples of abstraction.
Painting adds surface variation and complexity to compositions, allowing them seem organic enough to touch. As a result, this pattern complements physical goods well. Since fine art is synonymous with tradition and class, it is particularly useful for items that want to express an old world charm, such as wine labels and cosmetic packaging.
Painting often produces deeper colours than computer-generated tones, lending a solemnity to designs. Though it might not seem like it, compositions like these instinctively allow the spectator to pause and think.
