2018 is here, and as always, the new year is ushering in a swathe of new trends in the world of graphic design. To make sure you keep your marketing materials in line with modern tastes, here are a few of the biggest design trends to consider using.
Gradients
Gradients were huge in the early noughties, found on every contemporary website and corporate brochure. Then, as flat design came in around 2008, they seemed to fade away. A decade later, with flat design quickly evolving, gradients seem to be making a slow but certain comeback, carried by a design update commonly referred to as “Flat 2.0”. The adoption of gradients by giants like Instagram and Stripe have fortified their popularity, and soon enough, you’ll be seeing them in every background, UI, and printed flyer you come across. Check out this article from Envato tuts+ : How to Create a Gradient Icon Inspired by Instagram in Adobe Illustrator
Increased depth in Flat 2.0
Another blast from the past, shadows are making a big comeback at the dawn of 2018. As the trend towards extreme minimalism fades away, shadows are being seen on more and more branding material, particularly business cards and UIs. Back in the noughties, depth in graphics proved to be a powerful tool, used to set out a visual hierarchy, calls to action and form fields. If you’d like to leverage shadow in your designs, read up on “long shadows” – effects that are larger, softer and more subtle than the harsh “drop shadow” effects that preceded them.
Striking duotones
Duotones in the past were created through a halftone printing technique, in which one contrasting halftone was printed over another, resulting in a dazzling, two-tone graphic. This influential printing technique is seeing a resurrection in the digital age. Modern imaging software has made effective duotones more accessible than ever, along with similar variations such as monotones, quadtones and so on. Spotify have been championing duotones’ return to the popular graphic design by applying duotone images in both their app and the microsites used for promotion. With striking shades and endless possibilities for design, duotones are poised to be huge in the coming year.
If you’re going to be revamping your branding and business graphic design its worth having a read of one of our previous articles: How To Create Brand Guidelines For Your Print Marketing
If you’d like to stay ahead of this year’s graphic design trends with some high-quality flyer printing and design, contact us at PrintUK.com now for a bespoke quote.