The graphics design industry is always evolving. 2015 was a great year for many designers. There were lots of design inspirations as people tried to explore new concepts in a bid to enhance quality and productivity. We also can’t fail to mention that many designers seemed to incline towards the adoption of design styles and trends that existed in the yester years.

For instance, the concept of retro design seemed to be picking up steam with the application of techniques that were used way back in the 60s, 70s, 80s and early 90s. As we get into 2016, we can only see a continuation of some of these trends as well as the discovery and adoption of new ones. From a designer’s perspective, here are some of the graphic design trends to watch out for in the year 2016-:

Shapeshifting

2015 saw more and more shapes coming into life through background, icons, logos and repeated patterns. This can only be expected to gain momentum in 2016 as it is apparently becoming more important for companies and organizations to create iconography that is appealing to the eye and which will be strategic to the marketing and brand awareness of the companies. This trend in shapeshifting is already evident when you look at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics logo, Windows 10 icon, Airbnb and a few others.

Infographics and custom illustrations

For the last few decades, people have enjoyed the use imagery and illustrations, but it can now be safely said that the trend is fast dying out as it is being replaced by the versatile and more efficient custom illustrations. The use of stock photography is dead. People are looking for more originality and authenticity in the illustrations. Originality is king, and people are keen on finding out what sets their companies apart then use it to market their products and services.

Typography

The entry of Google fonts in the world of typography has already made a significant change in the design world, and it can only be expected that this trend will continue well beyond 2016. Designers are no longer constrained to outdated web compatible fonts because they have a wide assortment of choices. This is of fundamental importance since fonts play a very great role in both web and graphics design.

Color Schemes

The trend as far as color scheme is concerned is revolving around the use of bold and rich colors. Designers are getting more adventurous with each passing day on playing out with these colors to come up with stunningly beautiful designs. The interior design world is already taking a lead with the use of these colors, and one might be made to believe that we are going back to the eighties.

Flat Designs

Many people thought that the concept of flat design was some fad that would come and go. Surprisingly, it has maintained a strong upward move because it is offering relief to the traditional design concepts. It has introduced a whole new thing that designers were not aware of, and with the great results already being seen, it can be expected that the trend will increase in 2016. Many designers are warming up to the “fad” due to the quality and the versatile options it possesses.

Digital Design Graphics and Marketing

The influence of digital design marketing is expected to grow exponentially in the year 2016, especially in the marketing arena. DIY graphic tools are becoming more popular by the day and outlets like Instagram are making it easy for businesses and designers to reach huge audiences through digital design.

Increase in the growth of advertising design

Marketers are becoming more aware of the influence of visuals in marketing, and since they are not expert designers, they don’t want to go it alone. This has led to the growth of what is now known as Advertising Design where marketers are working hand in hand with designers to make their marketing more effective. With this, it is only expected that the demand for designers by marketer will be on a strong upward trend in 2016 and beyond.

Rise of Monochromatic Schemes

Monochromatic schemes are also expected to become more popular in 2016. Many designers have shown a strong incline towards design that use different shades of the same color. It doesn’t just create an awesome coherence in the designs, but also leads to bold and sound designs. This is a trend that started in late 2012, but with the increased adoption by many designers, we can only expect that 2016 will see more people adopt the use of monochromatic schemes

These are just but a few of the trends we expect to see in 2016. There are others still, but as designers, the best we can do is to position ourselves and be ready for anything that can enhance our creativity and make us serve our clients better.

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Logo design trends have gone a lot of transformation, adaptation and shapeshifting from the earlier days of cut letterforms through to the present times where there is a huge wave of digital technology. Every logo designer wants to improve their skills to match the ever growing demands of the modern day client.

Businesses and different establishments fully understand the power of visual representation and branding that can be achieved through effectively designed logos. As a result, therefore, new designs and concepts keep on coming and the following are the latest logo design trends that designers, as well as clients, tend to work with-:

Low Polygon Logo Design Trends

The use of low polygon logo designs is one of the logo design trends that gathered steam in early 2015. Its popularity is attributed to the use of 3D software such as Maya, C4D, and 3D Studio Max. Low Polygon Logo design has now become the most preferred method to create logos as well as icons. Due to the quality of the final output of this design concept, it is expected that many designers will jump on board and further popularize it as a top design concept as far as logo design is concerned.

Use of Custom Letterforms

The use custom letterform was rampant during the analog days, and it appeared to have taken a deep into the abyss of design when the design world woke up to the digital age. The digital age saw the introduction of a flood of tools and techniques that rendered the traditional letterforms obsolete.

However, recent logo design trends suggest that there is a backward shift towards the use of custom letterforms. The rise of these hand-cut fonts can be attributed to the fact that they are stunning, and they express a technical proficiency and artistic inspiration yet to be realized by the digital applications. More designers are adopting the use of custom letterform, and we can only expect that the practice will continue to grow strong as one of the logo design trends in the coming years.

Utilization of Negative Space in Logo Design

Logo design trends cannot pass without mentioning the increasing use of negative spaces by logo designers. Most of the time logo designs are beautified with complex elements that sometimes end up ruining the aesthetic appeal of the logo. Many designers now realize that using simple but essential elements can lead to the creation of stunningly beautiful logos. For instance, the addition of negative space has proven to make logos simple and spectacular, and it is one of the logo design trends that many designers are keen on adopting.

Creation of Dynamic Logos and Logo Sets

Designers and clients are always on the lookout on how to make logos look better. However great a design may be, looking at the same logo for 365 days in a year is likely to make it stale and pale. To combat this monotony and stagnation, designers are resorting to the creation of dynamic logos. Logo sets are also being used to bring in life and freshness to designs that would have otherwise been very boring following prolonged use.

Script Logotypes

Script logotype is among the strong logo design trends that most designers are keeping on their design radii. These types of logos are for businesses and companies who prefer simplicity and are not troubled with sophisticated graphics or designs. With script logotypes, a custom script font is used to create different variations using nothing other than letters and the company name.

Lower Case Logo Design

The present logo design trends won’t fail to mention the increased use of lower case letters in logo design. Most people are accustomed to upper case logos, perceiving lower case logos to look less serious than their uppercase contemporaries. However, designers are now finding creative ways of using lowercase to design friendly and professional logos. For instance, the current Walmart logo consists of lowercase, and it has given the company more familiar and more approachable appeal.

3D Metal Usage in Logo Designs

For clients and designers interested in rough but beautiful and responsive designs, a 3D metal design is a viable option as far as logo design trends are concerned. With this design, logos are given metallic looks similar to those found in car emblems and car logos. The use of this model is mainly rampant in designs featuring animals and birds.

Calligraphy and Hand Lettering in Logo Design

Hand lettering and calligraphy in logo design is becoming a common trend for designers making logos for hotels and restaurants as well as tattoo companies to make the logos look fun without losing their sophistication and professional touch. Such logos are simple, yet very powerful in promoting the business brand and this is what makes calligraphy and hand lettering logo design be something not to be ignored when talking about current logo design trends.

Learn more about common mistakes you can avoid in graphic design here!

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