As we're getting closer to the end of the year, I thought I'd wrap up the best trends of 2023 and how they've influenced the world of design. Let's take a look at the new styles, those that have made a comeback and what we can predict for 2024!
Retro Rebound
We've seen an abundance of retro design styles making a comeback this year, most prevalently character and mascot design. Coupled with bold colours, this trend has been one of my favourites to partake in.
Art by Yeye Weller
High Contrast Minimalism
Simple designs, but bold and contasting colours that REALLY make an impact. Often coupled with product photography that elevates the end piece, creating some truly unforgettable work.
Art by Eunjeong Kim
Rough Illustration
"Bad" drawings and rough sketchwork have definitely been trending this year. This design style adds a very human touch to brands, and is a fresh new way to connect to your audience and advertise products.
Art by Keith Shore
Risoprint
I personally, am extremely excited that traditional risograph printing has been making a comeback. These kind of printers work similarly to manual screen prints, and allows for interesting overlaps and shapes that add a lot of depth to a piece. This effect is also super easy to make digitally, by playing with blend modes and textures that give the appearance of a real risograph print.
Art by Marc Pallàs
Trippy maximalism
Like this rebrand for Goshen Coffee, trippy and maximalist styles have been trending all throughout 2023. This design style has taken inspiration from traditional psychedelia art originating in the 60's and 70's, and put a fresh, modern and bold twist on it. Expect bright and contrasting colours, an abundance of patterns and flowing type.
Art by TOKY
Gorgeous Gradients
Vibrant, fluid gradients and bold type have been at the head of the futuristic design trends of this year. We've seen many colour combinations coming together to convey different vibes, like this cool, elevated branding for Public Analog.
Art by Pánico Estudio, Marcelo Calderón, Alejandro Calderón, Valeria Patricia
Grunge Galore
Punk isn't dead in 2023, especially with this rough design style making the rounds. Halftone gradients and textures for days, coupled with bold and contrasting type. Taking inspiration from DIY artwork like zines that were extremely popular in the 90's, this style is raw and powerful in conveying it's messages.
Art by Michael George Haddad
3D Revolution
One of the hottest trends of this year has been 3D and AI art. As we move into a new age, designers update and experiment with the new tools at their fingertips and create art and design that would've been impossible to make a few years ago.
Art by Riya Mahajan
Mismatched Lettering
Contrary to the traditional unwritten rule that typography should work together and different styles shouldn't be used in the same word or sentence, designers this year have been completely unwravelling this concept and mixing fonts, and even bringing serif, sans serif and script together to create beautifully clashing pieces.
Art by Khuyen Le
Stunning Shapes
Designers this year have been experimenting with shape and space when it comes to products, it's not just about creating a label and slapping it on a bottle. In a world that's growing fast and always putting out new ideas, it's imperative we stand out! Designers have been thinking about the product as a whole even more so this year, and curating an experience rather than just a product, like this packaging for ODE.
Art by Stefan Becker and Thorsten Konrad
8-Bit
Pixel art has been on the rise this year, and the simple shapes allow for bold, eye catching branding that's truly unforgettable. There's a familiarity when it comes to this design style, and perhaps that's why it connects so well with consumers.
Art by Meat Studio
So what can we take from this year?
We've seen a magnificent mix of old, traditional styles and new trends making their way through the design world this year, making design even more accessible for anyone wanting to create. Whatever your style, there's a movement for you out there, to hone in on your skills, or broaden your horizons. The possibilities are truly endless, and I for one am very glad we've left delicate, clean, modern design in 2022. This year has been all about the maximalism, and the idea that more is more! So with the end of the year creeping up, I'm excited to see what 2024 can bring, what new ideas we will have, and what old traditions will surface once again.
Can we predict anything for 2024?
We can certainly try! With the way things are going at the moment, maximalism is on the rise and doesn't show signs of stopping. Companies now are looking for ways to stand out, and need their branding to reflect that! We've also seen signs of a minimalist revolution, meaning that the traditional minimalist style of harmonious colours and elegant type have been totally scrapped, making way for bold, high contrast designs that still fall under the "minimal" category in the sense of their simplicity. Eco-conscious design is becoming evermore prevalent, with companies and startups continually aware of the future we are heading for if changes aren't made. With AI and augmented reality on the rise, we can also expect to see more design styles reflecting this new age we are hurdling into. We've already begun to see 3D design making it's rounds in the graphic design world, and creatives are experimenting with 3D design programs like Blender and incoporating these new skills into their work!
I hope this has given you some design inspiration to take with you into your work, and I for one am very excited for 2024 and what it can bring. Let's get designing and round off 2023 on the best note yet!