Halfway through the year, we’ve seen a couple of design trends grace the internet. Some of these are new, while others are throwbacks from older trends.

The reemergence of past trends only strengthens the view that not everything goes out of style; some of them may come back to grace us or to haunt us. Newer trends, on the other hand, may signify reinvention or pure wonder. 

We put the trendiest designs of 2021 under the microscope and decide whether they’re worth incorporating into your brand. Here is a breakdown of what we found:

NATURE INSPIRED DESIGN

It’s not surprising that a lot of nature motifs are in design trends this year. After more than a year of the pandemic, people generally miss the outdoors and the greenery. Well if you can’t bring people outside where nature’s at, why not bring nature to people? 

While this is a popular theme prior to the pandemic, it doesn’t always work with every brand. The nature-inspired design only works if your business branding is related to nature or the natural, or else it might look lost.

THE MINIMALIST

The minimalist design trend began before 2021, but it continues to grace us this year. When it first trended, this chic, barely-there style piqued the interest of people since it brought a stark contrast to loud, brightly colorful designs.

While minimalism is still widely loved by many and unliked by some, the large influx of minimal designs has created an obscure blob of brands on the internet. A minimalist design may give your brand a harder time to stand out among other minimalist brands since there’s really little detail to compare them.

MUTED PALETTES

Bold and over-the-top design trends were dethroned by the muted palette this year. During the pandemic, people found ways to incorporate whites and natural wood colours into their homes. Softer hues are also now preferred over brighter ones. 

The muted palette could work with your brand if that is its vision and your desired branding. It’s better to assess your brand’s colour palette first before jumping to a new trend. Still, as people seek comfort in recovering from the pandemic, the muted palette may be here to stay for longer.

GRADIENT STYLE

This design trend may be connected to wanting softer hues without completely omitting bolder colours. People found a way to incorporate strikingness and softness in the gradient style, which made it successful as a design. 

When used in a design, the gradient offers flair without being too distracting. It is a great way of incorporating depth into your brand visuals without compromising your style guide. You can expect more of this design trend this year. 

THE REAL AND AUTHENTIC

Brands are looking to maintain strong relationships with their customers. During tough times like now, the best way to do that is through personalised messaging. 

Customers are looking to brands to maintain their authenticity. Moreover, at a time when transparency became a societal call, realness is important. Graphic designers are looking to incorporate more authenticity and less stock photography to communicate with the people. 

Now to assess whether this is a good trend, of course, it is! Authenticity should be at the core of your brand, tough times or not.

THE BOTTOMLINE

Thinking of the best design style for your brand should be second to knowing your brand’s narrative. This is what makes it unique and attractive to people. 

Incorporating the right design style for your brand takes more than just trends. It takes skills and knowledge about how graphic design connects your brand to your target audience. 

Our branding specialists at 55 Knots, one of the leading creative agencies in Sydney, Australia provide affordable graphic design services to a wide range of brands. We offer unlimited design packages with different styles that fit your business branding. Let us help you bring your brand to life.