Whether you're designing a logo or a book cover, you need to consider graphic design trends. But instead of sticking to fads, consider what is timeless. Some graphic design trends look really good now, but they could easily go out of style in the next year.
What to do then? You'd just need to complete the design process again. Fortunately, there are a few trends that won't go out of style.
By sticking with timeless trends, you can avoid aging your brand and having to rebrand all of the time.
Soon enough, you'll be able to capture peoples' attention, and you can convert them into fans and customers. So consider what makes something timeless and how you take inspiration from successful examples.
Timeless vs. Trend
Timeless graphic designs are those that work all of the time. They don't rely on a certain style being popular for a specific season or year. Changes in fashion and other visual trends won't affect timeless graphic design ideas. Using a trend to inspire a graphic design can date the work. If the brand or business owner wants to get out of that time period, they would need to redo the design completely. And the designer would have to use timeless ideas.
Timeless is the ultimate design trend because it doesn't necessitate a redo in a few months or even years. Instead, the design will work years and decades down the line.
Now, that doesn't mean you won't want to rebrand later. However, the benefit of timeless graphic design is that you don't have to change it. You can use design trends that will work for as long as your business exists.
Following trends can seem enticing, but they come with some problems. For one, the design may not be on-trend for very long, especially if you use the trend after it's been a fad for a while. You also run the risk of your business looking outdated. If you want to keep up with trends, you would need to spend time and money working on your graphic design much more often. On the other hand, using timeless trends means you only need to redo the graphic design when you choose to rebrand for whatever reason.
So what are some timeless graphic design trends?
Here are 5 Timeless Graphic Design Trends to inspire your next design
1. Geometric Shapes
You can use geometric shapes and patterns in graphic design in a few ways. Different shapes can take on different meanings, for example, a circle can represent no beginning and no end. That can be a good shape to use to show that a brand is endless and timeless.
Use triangles to represent action or tension. If you put the triangle with the base on the bottom, you can show how the brand or design in question is stable. On the other hand, an upside-down triangle can represent a lack of stability.
Rectangles and squares are useful to showcase equality, stability, and security.
They can also work to show off honesty, and they're familiar to audiences. Because of that, you may not want to use a square to stand out, but it can still be a timeless part of any graphic design. However, you can start with any shape and add elements to it to make it stand out. For example, adding flowers along the edge of a circle can draw attention. And the flowers can be useful when designing for a natural brand.
Target is probably the most well-known brand that uses a geometric shape in its logo. The red circle with a white circle and another red circle around it is easy to recognize. You don't need to understand a particular language or culture to be able to pick it out. Since its founding in 1902, Target has become a massive brand. A lot of people trust the store for everything from clothing to groceries. By using a circle, you can show people that your brand is just as timeless as a brand like Target.
Luckily, you don't need to use a circle. Any geometric shape can help you form a timeless design.
2. Simplicity
While minimalism became a huge design trend in 2015, simplicity is timeless. Calm Colour Palettes for your website have also seen a revival in recent years.
A simple design is very eye-catching, and it's not too overwhelming. In terms of design, keeping the graphic minimal can help the designer and viewer focus on one or two elements.
Simplicity makes it easy to read the design if there's text on it. With or without text, a simple graphic design also clearly communicates a message. You don't have to worry as much about someone misunderstanding what the design means. As long as you combine a simple graphic with the right colors, you can create a timeless design that will stand out from the competition. Then, you don't have to worry about pushing people away with your design.
An excellent example of simplicity is the YouTube logo, specifically the play button. This is the logo that YouTube uses on the mobile app and as the favicon on browsers when YouTube is open. It's also what you will see next to the word "YouTube" when using a browser. Now, YouTube has changed its logo a few times, but the design concept of the current logo is timeless. The red shape looks like that of an old television screen. Inside the red, you'll find a white play button image.
Since YouTube is a video platform, the logo clearly communicates what users can expect. While creators can post text in the community tab, the majority of YouTube's purpose is to create and distribute video content.
If YouTube decides not to change the logo again, the logo will look good for years to come. And other brands can use it as inspiration to create their own simple designs. That way, more brands can enjoy success with a simple design.
3. Custom Illustrations and Images
With the rise in popularity of online logo makers and design software such as Canva, anyone can create a graphic design of some kind. You can choose a platform and search through a library of clip art to design whatever you need. However, a lot of people use these platforms. It can be easy to accidentally copy someone else's design or have someone else copy yours. You may not even do it on purpose, but you might simply like the same illustrations that graphic design programs offer.
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Get inspired by famous illustrators when creating custom illustrations without copying someone else’s work.
That is the reason why custom illustrations will remain timeless. Yes, they take more work to create, but other brands won't be able to recreate those images.
Having a graphic designer or artist create an image from scratch can ensure that your designs will be unique.
Flying Dog Brewery has worked with the artist Ralph Steadman to create unique illustrations. The brewery has used those designs to set itself apart from the competition. Steadman's art is so unique that no other brand will be able to create anything just like it.
Another brand that has used custom illustrations successfully is Etsy. The online store platform uses illustrations to help users understand the platform. Illustrations include those of people as well as objects.
On Etsy, you can see how the company integrates the illustrations to help people. Whether you're a shopper or seller, you can look forward to an excellent user experience. Both Etsy and Flying Dog Brewery have been able to stand out thanks to custom images, so they're proof that images are worth the investment.
However, you don't have to pay for custom images. You can use Adobe Illustrator or Vectornator to create custom illustrations yourself. Then, you can get the images you want without needing a professional.
4. Swiss
Swiss graphic design refers to a minimalist design with sans serif fonts, blocky designs, and a crisp outline. You'll often see this type of design in and around transit stations, such as subway stations.
The style is particularly useful for subways because it's easy to read the text from far away. A sans serif font doesn't have curvy lines that can make certain letters hard to read. Instead, all Bs look like Bs, and other letters look how you'd expect them to. Swiss design is timeless because it's easy to read. However, it's also easy to create a design with those parameters. You don't have to worry about making anything complex. And it naturally makes room for simplicity, another timeless trend.
The cover of the book 1984 is an excellent example of Swiss design. It has a very simple design with two commas turned to the side to look like a side-eye. One of the commas also acts as the 9 in 1984. Not only can you learn the title of the book, but the use of the commas gives you an idea of the content. The fonts in use are also sans serif. So while the typeface is somewhat small, you don't need to focus too hard to read it when you hold the book.
You'll notice George Orwell's name is in a similar font, and it's at the bottom. That helps the reader focus on the book title. So you don't have to know or care much about the author for the book to attract you. That's a nice departure from book covers where the author's name is huge.
If you like simplicity but want something more, consider Swiss design. It could be the timeless trend that advances your brand.
5. Attention-Capturing Typography
Typography that captures someone's attention is another timeless design trend to incorporate into your work. Of course, the benefit of this is that you can get more eyes on your design. If you share the design on social media, you can get people to stop scrolling.
In a world with busy people and short attention spans, you need to reel people in fast. Luckily, attention-capturing typography lends itself well to the task. You can use multiple things to help draw people in, including:
- Bold text
- Multiple fonts in different styles
- Big fonts
- Daring fonts
Using different fonts can get people to look at your work. So consider what fonts your competitors use to figure out what to avoid. Then, you can look for fonts that will work to attract people and their attention.
A timeless example of this would be Disney. The Disney logo uses a font that few, if any, other brands use. When you see the initial D or the entire world, you know you're looking at something from The Walt Disney Company.
While Disney only uses one font, it is big and bold, and it's not one of the most common fonts in graphic design. The curvature of the letters is unique and can capture your attention. That is crucial when it comes to attracting people who scroll through social media quickly. Disney is able to reel people in with its logo, and it can use the rest of its content to convert those viewers into fans and customers. Fortunately, other brands can take Disney as inspiration to design their own eye-catching typography.
An example that uses multiple fonts to consider is FedEx Express. The "FedEx" portion is big, while the "Express" part is smaller, so you know where to focus.
Timeless Graphic Design Done Right
If you want to ensure you use timeless graphic design trends, you should consider the best trends. But it can also help to use resources, such as Adobe or Visme to design the graphics. When it comes to finding inspiration, looking at a free stock library, like Dissolve Creators, is great.
Whether you want to focus on geometric shapes, custom illustrations, or simplicity, you should do so.
Then, you'll be able to design something that will withstand the test of time. You don't have to worry about your logo or book cover showing its age. You can even experiment with different design languages for different pages and utilize website visitor tracking to know which designs work better. Instead, you'll be able to survive and even thrive as trends change and evolve. You won't have to waste time or money on a rebrand just to keep up with those new changes.
So give at least one timeless graphic design trend a shot. You never know how it might help.
In addition, joining an online creative community and sharing your work will help you grow tremendously. Dissolve Creators fosters a community of amateur all-around creatives and industry professionals. Get your work seen by an array of artists, connect with like-minded creatives, and gain useful tips and tricks. Creating a profile is easy and free- so what are you waiting for? Sign up here.
Darya Jandossova Troncoso is a photographer, artist, and writer working on her first novel and managing a digital marketing blog - MarketSplash. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, creating art, and learning everything there is to know about digital marketing.
Darya Jandossova Troncoso is a photographer, artist, and writer working on her first novel and managing a digital marketing blog - MarketSplash. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, creating art, and learning everything there is to know about digital marketing.
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