Designs provide a unique perspective of the world.
They possess the power to change the way we look at brands and their approach to aesthetics. Throughout 2019 so far, there have been incredible graphic design trends that have stood the test of time, or even surpassed what we’ve imagined in terms of design and artistic viewpoints.
Whether you’re a designer or working with one, it’s important to keep up to date with the latest trends. You don’t want to risk using outdated design trends that may lessen the quality and reach of your work.
2019 is all about standing out from the crowd. This year is all about typography, popping colors, complex gradients, and more. Keep reading to see some of the top design trend picks for 2019 so far!
Today, 3D design work has become omnipresent. Both designs and typography have the ability to add depth to any art. The 3D graphics, patterns, fonts, and avatars give a realistic effect to any image. Another design trend that adds to the realistic effect is 3D typography. It brings life and depth to flat objects or designs. Graphic designs can be perfect for print or web projects.
Designers should focus on making simple designs and pair them with easy-to-read text. It makes everything look clean cut and elegant.
The mid-century modern elements and designs have already taken the fashion and interior design industries by storm. Mid-century modern has been a steadily growing trend in graphic design. These designs give both a mid-age and modern touch to any design.
Mid-century modern designs and typography are best suited for both web and graphic worlds. Many brands are incorporating these modern elements and illustrations in their designs for a unique visual appeal.
In past years, designers focused on illustrations with bold and thick lines, even though more elegant and delicate illustrations had been on the rise. The trend of custom illustrations seems to be heavily influenced by natural and botanical elements, with softer lines and less bold text.
Custom illustrations are already leading in the packaging design trends. Designers can render intricate designs beautifully against textured backgrounds. They can also strike a right balance between simplicity and maximalism in designs by adding premium materials.
Serifs are here to stay! The past year has given some great serif fonts. This year, too, they’re on trend. In graphic design, if illustrations are getting lighter and better, it’s because of the impact of font choice, which makes for visually attractive and balanced designs.
Serifs are smarter, better, and make your content stand out. Sans-serifs and custom fonts will continue to reign and can make everything highly visible. This year, designers will see a spectrum of serif fonts. Hand-drawn fonts can also make your designs stand out.
One of the most popular and commonly used graphic design trends is open compositions. Previously, designers used to use frames and box designs to encase the elements in a strictly organized way. Text and images were visible, but not in a visually appealing manner.
Graphic designers are learning to embrace open compositions in their designs. Open compositions and bespoke designs are gaining more popularity because they make the elements appear to be floating off of the screen.
When open compositions fail to work, isometric designs come into the picture. They can create an entire universe in the tiniest of spaces. Isometric designs are a way of projecting 3D objects in 2D. This gives depth to any design and object.
When compared to flat designs, isometric designs reign supreme. They make the designs look attractive, warm, and tactile. The best part about these isometric icons is that they consume less file space compared to flat designs.
Muted, dark, or pastel colors can make your content, design, and illustrations look gloomy. As a fun switch, this year is all about vivid colors that make designs POP. Experiment with pops of vivid color like shades of blue, electric yellow, and bright corals. You can also use lighter shades or hues to make an attention-grabbing graphic.
These vivid color palettes are replacing the primary and secondary color schemes. More brands are shifting to vivid colors to attract the attention of consumers.
The strong or bold typographic focal points make content visually strong and readable. They make text easy to read on small devices and social media feeds. They project innovation, strength, and individuality. These bold fonts often support other design elements in the graphic design world. Thus, most brands favor the use of these bold types to attract users.
In 2019, strong typographic font will become the primary focal point in graphic designs. If you want your brand to instantly grab the attention of your readers, use it!
Light and dark color schemes have gradually become ‘on trend’ this year. Many popular apps like Chrome, Spotify, Messenger, and others have this dual-colored scheme.
Many big brands in the tech world are widely using this color trend to create a visually stunning impact that their customers generally love. Because of this, light and dark color schemes are here to stay.
The impact of futuristic designs and patterns is commonly seen in graphic design. Futuristic colors, patterns, and ideas will be dominating the graphic design world in the near future.
You can combine graphic design trends like vivid colors and futuristic imagery to help your brand become an influencer in the marketplace. These design types can make the brand stand out from the rest.
Gradients are similar to 3D as they add depth to any design. Like other trending graphic designs, they look great on mobile devices. These complex duotones and gradients have futuristic patterns and vivid colors. They can be perfect for product displays, magazines, or print displays. 
Duotones can be a great way to create a timeless look. Brands can leverage this trend in their marketing campaigns. Tech giants like Microsoft have already embraced these designs.
Many people misinterpret minimalism as black and white, neutral, or nude color palettes. But minimalism isn’t using or mixing white backgrounds and black texts. Colorful minimalism is about combining design with necessary components using a minimalistic approach.
Using a combination of some colors that pop can give a great visual touch to your content.
Although art deco is considered a classic style, it’s spiking in popularity in 2019. Graphic designers are leaving no nodes untouched when it comes to art deco. These designs add a glamour quotient to any design or pattern.
Art deco designs concentrate on using geometric shapes, bold lines, strokes, and color palettes with saturated hues. The art deco designs are well suited for projects like logo creation and posters. You can create original art deco posters and projects with a graphic design tool like Visme.
Many global brands are accepting old-style serifs or Bookman styles as the face of their company. You might have come across some Bookman styles while working in the past too.
As companies try to showcase their quality and sophisticated products online, old-style serifs will be on the rise for graphic design trends. The high legibility and contrast of the traditional serifs make them a great choice to highlight the brand’s value.
Design with subtle art and animations enhances user experience and engages users with the interface. They are one of the greatest trends in the graphics world to-date. Motion designs enable graphic designers to add an organic touch to an image.
Subtle motion adds seamless transformations and transitions. It introduces compelling shapes and delivers astounding visuals. It makes designs stand out with the beautiful splash of vivid, dense colors.
Abstract geometry has evolved over time. What’s great about it is that it makes your visuals stand out. With its roots in prehistoric and modern art, it has become a recognized, staple trend. The primary goal of using abstraction in your designs is that they can support any subject or message.
Abstract geometry and shapes are flexible enough to fit in designs for web design, posters, and magazine covers. In a nutshell, it fits in any design that demands a modern and expressive look.
Asymmetrical layouts create visual tension. The elements here have a more complex pattern which makes it hard to create a cohesive design. The layouts seem to be a bit complex. This is why very few prefer to use the asymmetrical layouts. However, designers who have mastered this art have great freedom to express their brand through their designs.
If you want to take a break from the rigid grid-based designs, start with these.
Variable fonts have outshadowed traditional font types. They are non-discrete values incorporated between extremes. They are flexible within the multidimensional space. These types of fonts consume less bandwidth and load websites or web pages faster.
There are three other graphic design trends to toy with throughout 2019 and see where they take you: Roslindale Variable, Dunkel Sans, and Silkscreen. Trying any of these out could take your graphic design trends beyond your wildest dreams.
In addition, using the right graphic design software will help ramp up your game in the design world!
Want to learn more about other design types? Read about billboard design and brush up on graphic design 101 to hone your skills even more!
Graphic design is the essence of visual representation.
by Prajnadip Pal
When I was growing up, pinky promises were highly respected.
by Daniella Alscher
There’s no doubt about it: graphic designer’s resumes can look awesome.
by Daniella Alscher
