7 Graphic Design Trends to Know for 2018

We are now well into 2018, and the illustration gurus predict that it is going to be another great yet challenging year for graphic designers.  Animations and micro-interactions will continue to dominate the mainstream and aesthetics will play a more critical role in the UX. However, this year is anticipated to be a game-changing year as the design industry is expected to go through numerous changes to inspire us even more. This means that designers should update themselves by formulating and strategizing new and innovative ideas to stay competitive.

There is no debate in saying that graphics designing is a skill that demands constant improvisation. The reason is that graphic designing is evolving at an incredible speed and the trends considered popular this year will be regarded as nothing but outdated in the next year. New features are being explored every day and there no option for designers then to keep up with the turmoil.

It is quite difficult to say which design trends will rule the future. However, we have done some research to anticipate trends coming to take over 2018.

1.Shadows and Depth

We will now see some exciting variations in the shadow effect. Adding elements of light, shadow, and depth into generic designs will not only help bridge that gap but will also give 2D models a more realistic, almost a 3D appearance. Web developers are asking the illustrators to create depth and combine vibrant color gradients to enhance three-dimensional effects as it is now a significant part of the UX.

Designers have previously been experimenting shadows and depths as an appropriate means to add more dimensions to the flat designs. Thanks to Google Material Design, it has introduced the use of synthesis and classic principles along with the innovation to create a visual language for users.

2.Use of Unconventional Bold and Vibrant Color Schemes

It is estimated that over 1.8 billion pictures are uploaded to social media each day. This makes hard for marketers to get their message across the meme-filled social feeds. The use of unconventional bold colors will help marketers to make a cut through the consumer’s mind in an attempt to grab the attention.

The use of pooping colors may just prove to be the secret recipe for great visuals in 2018. While many brands and marketers are still stuck with web-safe colors, it’s time for designers to step up the game by becoming courageous as bold colors will be the driving force behind many design trends this year.

3.Video Background

Video backgrounds have gained a lot of popularity, and 2018 is expected to be the year of video in digital marketing. Thanks to lightweight JavaScript, you now have the opportunity to create a natural video background that won’t take too long to load and will immediately attract the user’s attention. This helps brands to create a memorable impression on visitors, at least for few seconds.

The only problem with video backgrounds is the speed. Depending on how you choose to play your background videos the loading speed is most likely to suffer. The problem is that it is quite possible that your visitors are still using the old browsers which don’t support the newer HTML5 tags.  This means that you need to make sure that there are more modern options available.  Otherwise, your users might just see what looks like a dead site.

4.Minimalistic Responsive and Contextual logos

A lot of marketers are asking about if their logos need a makeover or a fresh look to stay relevant. The fact is that we are living in the age where users don’t expect graphic designers to only focus on creating aesthetically pleasing designs. Today, users expect a meaningful logo that adequately represents the brand and delivers the company’s objective more interactively.

The latest trend in logo design is to dissect your design to the basic structure and make it as clean and minimalistic as possible. Now, this can get tricky. When brands try to revamp their logo by giving them a sharper edgier look, they end up in a logo that fails to narrate the brands objective. The key is to improvise your present design in a way that brands identity elements don’t slip by.

5.Mobile First

Today, more people access the internet on the mobile phone than desktops. In fact, mobile consumption has crossed desktop, and it is the new challenge for graphic designers to create aesthetics that look good on every viewport.

There are many solutions to this problem. Most smartphones are powered with G-sensors and show images in the portrait or landscape settings, depending on how the user is holding the device. By applying a fluid layout, you create a portrait and landscape layout for your app so that the graphics easily fit each screen orientation. Another hack is to use.PNG instead of .gif as your preferred format. This format provides more color depths and improves visuals.

6.Bold Typography

Typography has a significant effect on the visuals. A creative typography has been leading for several years and is among the leaders for the typography trends in 2018. Creative typography, when combined with other techniques, enhances readability and professionalism. The modern graphic design trend is to increase the readability by interacting with other elements of the composition. The use of large letters and serif headings not only helps to improve UX but also keep the visitor reading your website.

7.The Use of Gifs

The use of gifs is not new to us, but today they are being used more than ever. Gifs might not be the best image option but is an excellent tool for capturing user attention. There are lots of free gif tools that allow you to create animated gifs. Moreover, you have the opportunity to customize your GIFs by changing the canvas size, transition speed and the number of times you want gif to repeat.

Conclusion

There is no one size fits all strategy to graphic design. The best thing is to analyze and interpret a model by experimenting a variety of design elements dominating the mainstream. As of now, it’s hard to say which trend will rule as we have to see how designers are going to overcome the increasing user expectations.

Author Bio:

Asad Ali is a professional digital marketing expert, currently working at GO-Gulf Dubai – a premium website development company. He has over 7 years of experience in search engine optimization, design optimization, user experience and executing successful digital marketing campaigns. You can reach him on LinkedIn.