2017 saw tremendous shifts in technology, pop culture and the political climate – not only on a local scale but across Europe - and the globe. These shifts have without doubt influenced how digital marketing agencies approach design, and will certainly continue to impact the world of design as we enter 2018.
Here we present you with 4 compelling design trends that we believe will influence 2018 and beyond…
1. Mobile first
The rapid rise of mobile browsing in a range of screen sizes and device types resulted in critical usability issues for traditional websites, resulting in the beginnings of responsive design back in 2016, when consumers began to access the internet more from mobile rather than desktop. Today, mobile is the preferred medium and as such, businesses have had to adjust their designs to be fully mobile-ready.
2018 will without doubt see companies designing the look and feel of their websites around a smartphone, before transitioning that experience onto a desktop, instead of vice-versa.
With regards to logo design, responsive logos will continue to carry immense importance as businesses optimise their logos for a range of delivery methods whilst ensuring they remain instantly recognisable.
2. Movement
Animated clip art has evolved tremendously to fit in with the modern web, first in the form of the GIF, leading to movement in graphic design. Today, animated GIF logos are a trend of their own thanks to their allure and appeal, and as we enter 2018 we can expect to see the GIF trend continue as they add interest to ads, email newsletters, logos, icons, memes, illustrations and much more.
3. Organic
Demand for everything organic influenced design in 2017 and will continue to do so in 2018. Funnily enough, organic design typically contradicts the mainstream desire for clean, minimalist and contemporary design, however we have seen many brands use ‘organic’ to achieve high-quality looks with classic details that offer a sophisticated and distinctive look and appeal.
For 2018, it’ll come as no surprise to see more organic designs in the form of hand-drawn art and doodles, offering a crafty, homemade feel that evokes feelings of childhood and home, giving brands an approachable element that makes them even more appealing.
Finally, the organic trend will probably work its way into photography, where raw, unfiltered services such as Facebook Live and Instagram Stories encourage brands to offer a more realistic, less posed and less-than perfect version of themselves within their photos and videos.
4. Complexity
Everything from colour to font and design will take on a deeper, more complex feel to it than we’ve seen in recent times. For instance, colour gradients are making a huge comeback in 2018 (Apple’s iOS icons are a good example), and are now bigger, louder and brighter than ever before. Shadows were also incredibly popular in 2017 and are officially back for 2018, adding depth and complexity to images.
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