Every year, new trends arrive to dictate what will be in evidence in the field of Design, while other practices become obsolete. With the intense advance of artificial intelligence, creative processes and the professionals who work with them will undergo constant changes and adaptations.
That’s why we’ve decided to translate here a very nice article by Graphic Mama, with the trends that will be strong in 2024:
Almost 2024! For the eighth year, we’ve gathered incredible and inspiring examples from leading creative minds and categorized them into 10 graphic design trends.
Things will be totally different in 2024, especially for the creative field. Technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning have shaken things up, and graphic design has been hit hard. Tools like DALL-E 2 and Midjourney changed the game quickly.
Now, in 2024, we have to adapt. Designers and artists have to push their creative limits to deal with these changes. Let’s take a closer look at these carefully selected inspirational examples.
1. AI help
Many artists oppose AI, with valid arguments. However, AI is here to stay and we must use it to our advantage. It can speed up our work, give us inspiration and allow us to create things that were impossible before. For example, Nutella created a new campaign with 7 million unique packaging designs (image above), which would not have been possible without the help of AI.
In 2023, AI revolutionized the design industries. AI-generated images have begun to replace standard and customized graphics, saving companies time and money. You should embrace this change, regardless of your area of design – be it web design, illustration, packaging or posters. AI speeds up brainstorming, concept creation, color selection, revisions and the generation of multiple design variations. This increases productivity, allowing you to take on more projects and boosting creativity, especially when you’re experiencing creative blocks.
Ways to use AI in your projects in 2023:
- Find inspiration for your designs
- Get ideas for concepts and compositions
- Help choosing colors
- Help with changing backgrounds or retouching images
Help with revisions and variations - Resize and recompose designs in different dimensions for different platforms
- Create visuals for websites, marketing and social media
With the growing potential of AI, you must keep up to date with its usefulness. There are tools that can quickly generate countless design variations and help you select the best composition. These tools can also adapt projects for various purposes. One example is the Designs.ai platform, which can produce multiple variations of a concept, saving considerable time in experimentation.
AI can also help you animate static graphics and above you’ll see an example of the intro to the Secret Invasion series made with AI. Below, you’ll find AI-generated images for your website design, poster design, social media posts and much more.
2. Projects with a lot of composition
Say goodbye to blank spaces! Heavy compositions, filled with lots of things everywhere, taking up all the screen space will be a major design trend in 2024. Richly colored and detailed graphics that use as much space as possible are becoming more and more popular, as they are able to tell more stories, holding the attention for longer.
Key elements of the composition-laden design trend in 2024:
- Use all the space on the screen instead of white space
- Many actions happening at the same time
- Colorful and rich in detail
The composition still needs to follow a few rules, however. There must still be a main focus that attracts attention instantly. You can achieve this by using the perfect balance between different elements while creating a complicated composition full of details.
The more intense composition is also great for promotional and marketing purposes. As the audience looks at the design for longer to understand what is going on, the chances of remembering the brand or campaign increase significantly.
3. Coated glass effect
The coated glass increases depth, diffusing the light to create intriguing effects that capture the eye’s attention. An integral aspect of the Art Deco style is that it has experienced a resurgence in interior design in recent years. In addition, there has been a considerable increase in graphic designs that incorporate this element in interesting and varied ways.
Key elements of the Reeded Glass trend in 2024:
- Diffuses light in an interesting way
- Adds depth to the design
The Coated Glass effect is great for experiments as it can be used in a variety of ways. You can approach it live or through effects, you can use it as a text effect. You can also blur an image or go crazy with animations, as it acts hypnotically and increases retention.
4. Barbie's rose
We can’t miss one of the big booms of 2023! The “Barbenheimer” memes were epic and the style of the Barbie movie was so memorable that pink paved the way for the forefront of graphic design trends. As expected, 2024 will continue to be highly inspired by this – but build on it.
Key elements of Barbie’s pink trend in 2024:
- Bright candy colors combined with feminine pink
- Designed with fun shapes
Of course, all trends change, and Barbie pink is no exception! We’ve recently seen an evolution towards a majestic pink-black combination that looks more stylish and elegant, as you can see in the examples below. And there’s more to come!
5. Vibrant colors
Vibrant colors have been a trend for years, but perhaps due to Barbie’s influence, they are likely to become even more popular in 2024.
These color-rich graphic designs with strong, contrasting colors easily catch the public’s eye. Perfect for social media, posters and advertisements. In 2024, extremely saturated colors will continue to be the battleground for designers struggling to attract attention and make their designs stand out.
Key elements of the Vibrant Colors trend in 2024:
- A combination of bright rainbow colors
- Often includes colored gradients from one to the other
- Great for branding, as it is associated with multiculture, diversity, etc.
Colorful designs are very popular for marketing purposes, as they provide a sense of diversity and variety. Google is a great example of how a colorful brand can shout “We’ve got it all”. Using vibrant colors in design is also a great eye-catching trick, which improves contrast and makes your designs stand out in any environment.
6. Dot charts
This growing graphic design trend combines retro and modern in one, creating a new technological vibe. The dot trend is coming to typography, but you can also find many designs with dot backgrounds or halftone images inspired by this clean and cool stylistic look.
Key elements of the Dot Display design trend in 2024:
- Monochrome dots in modern, minimalist designs
- Often applied as a text font to add a high-tech vibe
- Depending on how it is used, it can achieve a high-tech/futuristic look or give it a retro feel
Point fonts are becoming very popular. A great example of this is the Nothing brand, which has gone viral for its creative concepts.
7. Pixels rediscovered
Another popular back-to-the-future trend in graphic design for 2024 is pixels combined with modern styles. Many artists found inspiration in the early days of the web, when the resolution of monitors was far from 4K, and video cards weren’t capable of providing high resolution.
These inspirations have led to a mix of styles that combines retro pixel elements with high-quality modern graphics. Ultimately, this leads us to a design trend that offers endless possibilities for creative experiences.
Key elements of the Pixels Rediscovered trend in 2024:
- Combination of modern, high-quality graphics with 8-bit pixel-style elements
- Often applied to just a few letters or graphics
Design trends with a retro look have been around for some time. First there was the Art Deco style, then the Retro Flat designs of the 1970s became popular. Now we’re entering the age of the web, when Photoshop and Illustrator were launched. Think back to the first 8-bit games that took over the world when the first websites with ultra-simple, low-resolution graphics were top of the range. Now designs are going back to their roots, combining today’s possibilities with popular styles from decades ago. And if you’re interested in old-school graphics, take a look at this inspiring collection of retro design.
8. Projects with a reference to nature
As interest in organic and biological products continues to grow, the trend has also reached graphic design. Natural colors, natural materials and an overall natural feel are something that will make a design attractive in 2024. Of course, it’s one of those things that can’t be applied to absolutely every niche, but designs in industries such as food and drink, cosmetics or medicine can only benefit from this trend.
Key elements of the design trend with reference to nature in 2024:
- Use of natural color tones
- Textures inspired by real life and recycled elements
With all the artificial foods and products flooding the world, natural products and designs are becoming more and more popular. Keeping this in mind increases your chances of attracting interest. Of course, being inspired by nature doesn’t necessarily mean that you should limit yourself to the colors green and brown. There are many ways to make a design more natural with textures, natural shapes and handmade styles.
9. Abstract Gradients
Gradients have been a popular trend in graphic design for some time now, but in 2024 they are starting to look more abstract, interesting and artistic. Using bright colors or experimenting with unpopular color tones can make a design really stand out, and we’re very excited to see what creative gradient designs emerge in 2024.
Key elements of the abstract gradient trend in 2024
- Combining colors that don’t always go together
- Surreal and unknown, making the design seem unique
Combining non-traditional colors is, in fact, breaking the rules of color. Colors that on paper shouldn’t be so close together are a kind of protest, used by companies to say “Hey, we’re different, we’re not the same as everyone else”. Still, there must be aesthetics and the overall design must still look pleasing to the eye, so it takes a lot of skill and practice to create a good, modern design with abstract gradients.
10. Visible grilles and edges
Grids serve to order the design and improve readability. In most cases, designers are trying to go off the grid – to make it imperceptible and break the rules. Well, in 2024 the trends are changing, and one of the most interesting uprising trends is noticeable grids and visible edges between sections. So don’t be shy and use grids to your advantage, be proud of it and present your grid-inspired design to the world.
Key elements of the Visible Grids and Borders trend in 2024
- Separate the design into different sections
- Minimum white space between sections
- Orderly and well-structured design
- An easy-to-understand hierarchy
Using grids in your projects will improve the hierarchy and structure of the project. The bigger the element, the more important it is. However, grids still allow you to create abstract and more creative designs by using the free space or breaking the grid according to your needs.
Final words
At a time when AI can recreate popular styles instantly, defying convention by adopting unconventional color palettes, shapes and concepts will define 2024, and this year’s design trends exemplify this shift. Emphasizing complex compositions and narrative-rich designs, with captivating choices of colors, fonts and shapes, will set your designs apart. In addition, making AI your ally in the creative process is essential for productivity and workflow optimization. Design competition is fiercer than ever, and adaptation is key to staying ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should you follow design trends?
Well, trends are a great way to get exposure by following the most popular and sought-after designs. But you don’t have to follow design trends – this is a creative industry where unique work drives things forward, and your creative approach is the most important thing. Still, trends are important for different reasons, and you have to find the right balance between your creativity and modernity, the sweet spot that suits your style and vision.
How are these trends brought together?
It’s hard to see the trend instantly – we’ve researched thousands of the most popular, new and emerging designs launched in recent months on various platforms to determine which trends are growing and which are falling.
Will AI still be a popular trend in 2024?
Artificial Intelligence will be increasingly common in 2024 – many new tools are emerging, and new possibilities are being discovered every day.
Will AI replace designers, is the industry dying?
Certainly not! Even so, designers will have to adapt to the new reality and take advantage of technology to be more competitive and productive.
Can AI improve my designs in 2024?
Using AI when designing will be an important skill to speed up your workflow, find inspiration and be more creative. AI can really help you minimize manual work and focus more on the creative side of the design process, so yes, it can be quite useful.
*Original article: https://graphicmama.com/blog/graphic-design-trends-2024/
