After a challenging 2020, the best place to look is forward. 2021 calls for new beginnings and new graphic design trends! This year, optimistic, imperfect and fun designs are taking centre stage – so keep reading to learn what styles are in and how to make the most of these trends!
Flowers & Foliage
Plants and floral motifs never truly go out of style, but they are currently more popular than ever! After spending much of 2020 cooped up indoors, it’s no wonder people are drawn to plants and earthy tones. The growing awareness for the environment also plays a big role in this trend.
The great thing about this 2021 trend is how versatile it is. Rich green shades or soothing florals slot easily into a formal school prospectus or yearbook. Whereas bright, abstract interpretations are perfect for an attention grabbing poster or advertisement!
Surrealist Styles
Make your audience see things in a different way with some offbeat imagery. Surrealist styles are big in 2021, depicted in illustrations, photos and collages. Take your audience to a dreamlike world, or slip some surreal elements into a realistic image!
The surrealism trend is perfect for an eye-catching poster or as a theme for a leavers book or yearbook.
Pop Art Fonts & Images
Prepare for more pop art and comic book style fonts and illustrations in 2021. Simple colours, dot shading and bold lettering are right on trend and grab attention! Inject some fun into your design with a style that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Artsy Articles
If large paragraphs and articles are hindering your great design then this 2021 trend is for you! Passages of text are being creatively shaped to match the story on the page. This is sometimes paired with illustrations but often stands alone.
This provides a real WOW factor to a page but it can compromise legibility. If you adopt this style, make sure it is still easy to read and understand. Reserve this style for a fun publication so important messages don’t get lost!
Honest Design
Refined and sophisticated design can often feel sterile and impersonal. After years of polishing our designs, there is now a real push for more charming looks. Off-centred images, grainy textures and imperfections are being celebrated instead of corrected.
Simple graphics, childlike lettering, and candid messaging are big for 2021. Even if this design trend isn’t for you, ensure that your written content sounds human and honest.
Cutout Collage
A fun 2021 design trend combines 3D photos with flat illustrations for an unexpected look. This style usually includes a photo cutout of a person, paired with bright simple shapes. You can even use a black and white photo to amplify the contrast.
If you need photos for your publication but you want to shake up the formatting, try out this trend! A cutout collage would make an excellent poster or yearbook cover.
