31 Jan Top Design Trends for 2022
The new year is well underway and though it might be too late for New Year’s Resolutions, there’s plenty of time for change in the world of marketing. Ronin shares its pick of new design trends to keep an eye on throughout 2022.
Serif Fonts
San-serif fonts comprise letters which don’t feature the small ‘flicks’ (serifs) at their tips. These serifs have been regularly removed by typographers to provide a more modern feel which designers have grown to love, but that romance may well be starting to fade.
Whether it’s clothes, home design or even hairstyles, supposedly new trends are often a return to what’s come before, and the resurgence of serif fonts could be classed as the same. However, a new generation of type designers are putting an end to the serif fonts’ boring reputation by utilising a more playful take on the traditional style. Look out for them in 2022, particularly alongside art deco inspired design.
Geometric Design
Playful cut outs, unusual patterns and grid designs based on shapes rather than columns will all become common features with the revival of serif fonts. These geometric design elements play nicely with serif fonts helping blow out the cobwebs on some of the stuffier elements of our serif font friends and bringing them out of their shells. Geometric design elements can also be used to create quick and simple templates for social media and advertising. Helping smaller businesses punch above their weight class on a tighter budget.
Bold Colours
After a couple of years trapped inside, for obvious reasons, bold colours will be just what the doctor ordered. Bright splashes will be employed to add some much-needed energy to our day-to-day lives. An enthusiastic and joyful colour palette will help brands cut through the subdued colour schemes we saw throughout 2021. With this greater emphasis on the outdoors, natural colours could also feature more prominently in design work.
Real World Techniques
While we seem to be making a steady return to normality, remote working appears to be a feature of the pandemic which is here to stay. More of us are glued to computer screens than ever before. In an attempt to stay connected to the real world, designers are turning to more traditional art and design techniques, such as painting, hand drawn illustration and printing techniques. This ties in nicely with the rise of brand illustration, something which really came to the fore in 2021 as it became more difficult for brands to utilise photography.
Diversity and Inclusiveness
Many brands have taken up progressive stances in 2021, with some making environmentalism part of their business, not just their branding. 2022 will see this continue but also expand to other areas. BLM and other activist movements have sparked a public interest in social injustices, this will be reflected in designers’ work as they progress towards positive, meaningful changes. Brands can take this opportunity to learn and grow from their diverse customer base and reap the benefits from doing so. However, those efforts should be genuine as savvy social media users will be quick to condemn businesses looking to piggyback profits off social justice pandering.
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