As we’re settling into 2020, some of the big trends of 2019 have slowly faded away along with a few of our resolutions. As a designer, I also like to ring in the New Year by tapping into what’s trending in the design world and look at what is still going strong. Here are the top five design methods I predict will stick around well past 2020.
Isometric design
Isometric design is a method of creating 2D objects that appear 3D. It brings designs to life by giving them shape and depth, similar to a perspective drawing. This ongoing trend continues to push limits and reimagine itself. It’s trendy to use isometric designs to create icons, to showcase production systems, and much more. For fun, our creative team recently used this design method to share a “behind the scenes” look at our office spaces at Imarc – check out the final designs here.
Isometric illustrations are really fun! They blend the essence of trendy, flat illustration with aspects of 3-dimensional space, creating more visual interest. They’re a great way to help users visualize an environment without having to rely on poor photography. They work well for software companies showcasing product suites, architecture agencies showcasing complex builds, or even B2C companies looking to apply branding in unique ways.Kelly Freitas, Lead Designer
Curvy and Organic Shapes
Designers have been moving towards softer curves and organic shapes inspired by nature. It breaks the grids and excels in asymmetrical layouts. This look is appealing to users because it creates a warm, inviting environment. Removing hard lines and restrictions is freeing and can humanize the design.
Where most websites are organized grids, rectangles, and squares, the presence of an organic shape suddenly becomes unfamiliar. It breaks our trance long enough to captivate or call attention to something special. More and more of our clients are looking to humanize their brands and soften their appearance, and this style is a solid consideration!”Christian Keyes, Art Director
Flat Design
Flat design focuses on a minimal 2D approach and remains a popular staple when designing for the web. As a concise and clean design, it’s easy to understand why it’s a favorite. But fear not, although it is the opposite of isometric design, flat design doesn’t have to fall...flat. To enhance the visuals of flat design, adding color and line art are great ways to play with contrast and build visual interest.
Flat design is the perfect building block for other design techniques but also stands well on its own. Because flat design is minimal and simplistic, it is well-suited to any industry. It’s a comfortable choice for many brands as it can exude that modern feel but remain classic at the same time.Rachel Lemieux, Lead Designer
Maxi Typography
This trend is all about making typography the main focus of the design. The use of big, bold text can add some great contrast and drama. It opens up the opportunity to play with unique typefaces and outlined styles to give the site a custom feel. Use it sparingly – too much of it can overwhelm a viewer. When it’s used right, the results are well worth it. Try it out on an opening line or a small statement.
We first saw the maximum (Maxi) style of typography hit our screens back in 2018, and this year we anticipate it being even more adopted by the design community and bold brands who want to make a strong statement. Maxi Type is all about getting your message across in the most attention-seeking way possible: by using flat, heavy, large type as the main visual focal point. It’s usually so bold and impactful that it can bleed off some pages or be partly obscured by other design elements in the layout.Jared Laham, Creative Director
Motion Design
Ready, set, action! Motion design is the hybrid of graphic design and animation, transforming still graphics to be engaging through motion. The technique has been growing over the years, used in everything from web design to filming, and will continue to grow exponentially. This technique is a powerful way to visually engage your audience. Whether it’s an animated graphic or a subtle page loading feature, movement is key. One of our latest motion designs was for Electric’s homepage.
Check it out here:
Kinetic objects naturally draw our attention which makes motion a powerful tool in a designer's arsenal. We can evoke emotion by telling a story while users scroll down a page, or we can show a quick demo of how a SaaS solution solves business problems. The versatility of motion is fantastic because it could be something large like objects animating into place, something small like reinforcing a user action, or even replace paragraphs of text with a quick animation.Paul Kelley, Art Director
Design is always evolving, and new techniques are coming into play every day. I encourage you to stay inspired! Keep in mind what types of design fit for you and your brand. When it’s time for your next project, Imarc’s creative team is ready to help you create something incredible.
