Visual trends to get inspired in 2021

In 2020, world events and global lockdowns turned the world (and whole industries, such as visual communication) completely upside down. The visual and graphic design trends that we will see this year are influenced by the social revolution of 2020, the reconnection with nature and a philosophy that takes us "back to basics".

In this article (Part I), I have gathered four of my favourite upcoming trends in the world of visual communication and graphic design. Enjoy!

1. Video on-the-go

The average millennial spent almost 5,5 hours per day on social media during 2020. Most of this time was used mostly by scrolling from post to post. By creating short videos, brands can infiltrate in the daily “video snack consumption” and gain visibility in Social Media. In addition, short videos are well received among internet users, whose average attention span is 5 seconds. Read more about attention span and content creation here.

2. Fine art inspiration

Painting, sculpture, and other forms of fine art provide inspiration for designs with surface variation, depth, shadows and tasteful color combinations. This trend will be mostly present in branding and packaging design, particularly for products that are hand-crafted or that are traditionally made.

Designer: Monostudio

Designer: Basile ADV – Resistenza

In addition, design will also get inspired by surrealism- specially in advertising, book cover design and poster design. Inspired by the sudden changes most of us experienced during 2020, surrealism is a great fit for graphic design in 2021, as more brands are aiming to visually convey social change, new perspectives, emerging brand values and authentic stories.

3. Retro vibe

Already in 2020, we saw multitude of designs created with retro fonts, vintage icons and bold color palettes. In 2021, and after a year of social, political and economic tumult, graphic design mirrors the irreverent 60s and gets inspired not only by its bold visual elements and colors, but also by the inclusion of social and political critique.

Designer: Butcher Billie

Designer: Christine Moreland

Designer: Ona Communication

4. Focus on nature

During 2020, our relationship with the outdoors dramatically changed. We reclaimed open natural areas and spent more time hiking, talking walks and socializing in parks, forests and mountains.

This reconnection reflects in designs full of life, using nature as both visual inspiration and the focus message of new creations in posters, advertising and packaging.

Designer: Siraj Irshad

Designer: PrstiPerje

Designer: Ona Communication

Sources:

https://www.creativeboom.com/inspiration/the-biggest-trends-in-graphic-design-for-2021/

https://99designs.no/blog/trends/graphic-design-trends/

https://blog.depositphotos.com/visual-trends-guide-2021.html

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Do you need to refresh your visual communication in 2021? Write me at hello.aneley@gmail.com and I will help you get your business visual communication, branding and design to the next level!