Design Trends: What’s in store for 2024?
It’s the year to go after connection with precision.
Graphic design is a living entity - constantly evolving and moving with the lifeblood of creative influences. It’s impossible to ignore the design trends that sweep across our world each year - and staying ahead of the game is essential to brand relevance.
This becomes difficult in the face of a myriad of overwhelming choice. By giving in to the pressure to simply jump on the bandwagon of the latest trend, you risk losing your brand’s authenticity, making it harder for you to connect with your audience.
But the opportunity for creativity unique to your brand is bountiful. A good place to start is to narrow the focus to what your target market is responding to. Canvas your brand in colours and styles that resonate with the generation you most desire connection with.
Connecting with Gen Z
Even if you haven’t heard of it, you would have no doubt been exposed to the maximalism trend. One of 2024’s upcoming design trends, Maximalism appeals mostly to the individualism of Gen Z, delighting in unlimited excess. It’s a brazen mix of colours, patterns, layers, unbalance, and a lack of negative space. There is a risk that not everyone will love it and relate well, but if Gen Z is your target market, it may be worth experimenting with.
Gen Z also embraces a visual language that fuses digital artwork with hand-drawn sketches - especially when it aligns with socially conscious content. Hand-drawn illustrations are becoming a favourite choice in brands because they speak to authenticity in a world of auto-generated images.
But the simple answer is, if it’s not for your audience, it’s not for you. Here are some of our top picks for trends you could explore to connect more this year:
Design trends for 2024
1. Hand-drawn illustrations - The allure of the authentic doodle (here’s us putting in our case for Apple Pencil 3s at the OO office).
2. Surrealism - Where creepy and dreamy collide (think Miley Cyrus for Gucci Flora or Nike’s 2022 Air Max Day).
3. Colourful minimalism - Where simple and clean meets bold and bright.
4. Retro pixels - Geometric joy thanks to Minecraft and the obsession with Pac-man and everything 90s.
5. Nature - Natural elements, patterns, textures and hues hint at environmental concern, while the woody and warm colours of the 70s are still in style.
Expect more whimsy, experimentation, and surrealist character elements in the graphic design world this year. From candy-coloured pastels to colourful and clean minimalism bringing an “ultra-bright, happy approach”, 2024 is shaping up to be an exciting year for graphic design - and we are here for it.
Our design team is itching to get creating with powerful new designs that perfectly pair brands with their target customers. But first, let’s meet to pinpoint your market and get your strategy on track to build maximum trust… Learn More
