5 Top 2021 Design Trends
The best thing about design is that it always fresh! Trends change every year, most of the time for the better, sometimes for the worse… But whether or not you like the latest colour palettes or design styles there’s always something new and exciting coming round the corner to keep the inspiration flowing and keep you creating! Below we have put together a list of some top design trends we’re seeing this year so you can keep your work looking sleek, modern and on-trend!
Muted Pastel Colours
The past few years brands have used bright, almost neon colours in their adverts and branding to try and attract customers and grab their interest. But after the tough year we’ve all had there has been shift to more subtle, muted colours. These muted colours are softer hues often with a white or black base to take the edge off the colour, making it almost pastel like and not as bright.
This change may have been brought about by the sheer amount of bright brand colours around in the last few years, going in the complete opposite direction is logically the best way to refresh designs and do something new. Also, muted colours are well known for being natural, soothing and making people feel calmer & safe. The exact thing we need after the chaos of the past year!
Minimal Design
Minimalism has always been around, it may come and go in trends but has seen a recent rise in popularity, we’re not surprised as It has always been a ‘go-to’ and always works!
Minimalistic design is just about making things clean as possible, keeping it simple, and keeping things clear. Most of the time this style is achieved by simply using 2 contrasting colours, a simple font and keeping loads of white space so things don’t feel cluttered or busy.
If you want an example of expert Minimalism just take a look at Apple, they have been expertly doing it for years! Also check out the new Dell website, plenty of white space, minimal colours, no clutter, simple!
Minimalism is set to keep being on the rise, especially with the increase of mobile browsing where it’s difficult to load and hard to navigate busy websites, so the simpler the better.
Dark Mode
When it comes to web, social and app design, more and more brands are including a Dark Mode. Not only does it add a fresh new modern look to the application if its a new addition, it also looks more professional, reduces eye strain on the user and is great when used at night to avoid lighting the room up! Twitter and Apple both launched Dark Mode a few years back and have had excellent feedback from users since.
Accessible Designs
Carrying on from eye strain and Dark Mode, making your designs accessible has never been more important – in fact all marketing materials should be AODA compliant in 2021.
Minimalism and Dark Mode definitely help, but being aware of font weights & structure, contrast, backgrounds, certain colour combinations and how users navigate your site are important factors for designers to consider.
Not only does it make your brand socially conscious, it helps you reach a new audience who may not have been able to access your brand before.
Sustainability
It’s no secret brands are becoming more and more socially and environmentally aware. From fully recycled packaging to sustainable manufacturing and vegan friendly products people are doing what they can to cut down their carbon footprint and help the planet, but brands can also reflect this in their designs…
Think greens, browns, neutral & natural colours that conjure up images of forests, earth and plants. Maybe using raw paper, natural unprinted cardboard and paper tape for your marketing materials. Pair all of this with minimal design and maybe some muted colours and you’re on to a winner!
There are of course too many new design tends to list, but we’ve found with most of them the overall ‘vibe’ is one of cautious optimism. Given the events of the past year people are finding new ways to express their designs in a way that makes people feel calm and hopeful for the future, finding ways to bring inclusivity and attention to issues that haven’t really been focussed on before in the graphic design world.
If you’re looking to give your leaflets a new look and would like a 2021 brand refresh, get in touch with us today and see how our talented team of designers can help bring your advertising right up to date!