2017 has passed by and we’ve seen a deluge of design innovations through the year. From modern typography to bright colours to micro-interactions design trends seem to be changing at a lightning pace. So what exactly is in store for 2018? Having reflected on tons of content, I have tried to compile and list down trends which have the potential to shape the course of 2018’s design evolution.
1. Typography becomes the protagonist
With dwindling attention spans and information fatigue becoming a real issue, designers will resort to typography as their means of storytelling. Which essentially means we’re going to see a lot of dramatic typography in headers and hero images. Geometric sans serif seems to be paving way for the gorgeous serifs which makes a comeback and dominate the headings. Be prepared to see more of bolder and oddly spaced letter.
2. Custom artwork and illustrations take the center stage
We saw this one blooming in 2017 when with the likes of Medium, Mozilla and Slack overhauled their brand with lots of custom illustrations. Dedicated artwork not only helps in conveying a story better but also comes in handy while creating a distinctive and unique design. What we saw last year might just be the tip of the iceberg, as 2018 looks like the year when custom illustrations take the limelight in web design and branding.
3. High-res content becomes the need of the hour
Manufacturers are pumping pixels in the smallest of screens and users are driven to visual content. This makes it imperative to create high-res content in the form of pictures and video. Devices with infinity displays like the iPhone X and Galaxy S8 are making the user experience more immersive, which makes it all the more important for an app to provide full screen experience. Hence, it will only be wise to make use of all this pixel power to produce rich imagery to engage the user.
4. Video continues to dominate albeit in a new dimension
We always saw this one coming. Video consumption is steadily rising since 2015. From web series to product explainer films — users’ preferred choice of content seems to be heavily skewed towards video. The advent of 360° videos and live videos on platforms like Facebook and Instagram are proof that audience just can’t get enough of the motion picture. Expect more brands to use this format to deliver prompt information. 2018 might as well be the year of portrait videos as more and more people chose to consume video content on their mobiles in portrait format.
5. Bright colours to have its run
Be prepared to see vibrant websites with dramatic colours! We’ve seen designers peddle back and white designs on the pretext of being minimal. Though the trend will continue, the use of bright colours will be one of the catchiest trends of 2018. After Instagram in 2016, its Dropbox who overhauled their identity with bold colours. This is increasingly becoming a trend and 2018 will be the year when we see more bolder colour choices in branding as well as web designing.
6. Isometric design to add a new dimension to the web
As flat icons lose their charm, isometric design paired with custom illustrations adds the much-needed depth in web design. The use of shadows and perspective helps in building the hierarchy in an interesting way. From icons to full-fledged graphics — isometric design is here to make your design look naturally similar to the physical environment. Elevated graphics combined with smart use of parallax is sure to produce magical results for any website.
2018 seems to be an interesting year in the graphic design world as we gradually shift from flat design and explore the realm of three-dimensional design, rich photography and vibrant colour palettes. It is also fascinating to see originality and individuality in every new brand. Times are exciting in the design world. What do you think will make noise in the design industry?