Social media is constantly evolving. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are often updated, and part of those updates are changes to content and design. These platforms have become known for remarkable and creative combinations of colours, shapes, illustrations, and layout. Some of the most long-lasting innovations in UX and UI have come from social media.
It’s all the more important to have a design stand out from the rest of the crowd and to establish more genuine connections with users. As such, 2020 brings with it a new set of social media trends. Here are things that are cool in graphic design right now, which you can expect to see in the future.
More neutral and muted palettes
The year 2020 sees a shift to muted colours from bright, flash palettes. Muted colours are vivid colours that are balanced out with neutral colours, through the use of black, white or any other complementary colour. You can update your company website’s look by simply converting the palette into a muted version of itself.
Muted colours offer a relaxed and natural feeling to viewers, allowing them to focus on other important elements of your site, such as text or images. Examples of websites that effectively make use of muted colours are Classpass and LinkedIn.
Consistent and memorable visual branding
Another element to consider for your business’ graphic design is the use of abstract illustrations. These are bound to be more unique than unoriginal stock photos or bland, generic designs. Most importantly, using one-of-a-kind abstract illustrations prevents other companies from imitating the look.
However, take note that it’s important to keep a consistent visual brand so that the images do not distract from the central message the website aims to convey. Now, it may be challenging to come up with great, memorable designs without a team of illustrators in the staff, but there are several stock illustration sites offering free icons and graphics that can be used. If you want to ensure the graphics on your site are perfectly suited to your brand, though, you’ll benefit from the services of a professional illustrator. Examples of websites using beautiful abstract illustrations are Casper, Doist, and Slack.
Authentic experiences and images
Lastly, it’s important for a website to reflect authenticity. More and more brands want to appear genuine on social media. This can be done through the use of modern stock photos. Before, designers would fill up a screen with bold and striking stock images to catch attention.
However, this fad has passed on, leading to a preference for photos that are more realistic with a candid look and a toned down composition. Though stock photos are supposed to be used more than once for a variety of purposes, using those that look natural and authentic can help make your design better.
Conclusion
Looking at social media now, it’s clear that there is greater focus on realism and there is more value on creativity and honesty over generic. Therefore, combining muted colours, abstract illustrations, and genuine stock photos in a striking manner can effectively make a brand gain more followers and ultimately rise above the rest. This 2020, don’t hesitate to experiment and apply these trends to your brand so that you can attain access on social media.
It can be challenging to find a graphic designer who understands your business’ needs. Sometimes, the designer you click with cannot sign up for more than one project at a time, while others want to lock you in for several projects.
You will not have any of these concerns with 55 Knots. We work out of Sydney and deliver unlimited graphic design in Australia, at prices you can’t beat. Avail of our 7-day free trial right now, or get in touch with us today for more details
