As a graphic design student, one of the top priorities after mastering the fundamentals is to quickly excel in order to be up to speed with the competition.
Yet, while studying the basics, I can’t help but feel curious about all the great designs and best practice examples that are out there. I catch myself searching online for “best logo designs” or “best WordPress templates” to find inspiration in the work of other designers.
Just this week, I read about a designer whose work was recommended by his peers, because he always knows about what will happen tomorrow in this industry. This prompted me to search for graphic design trends which I want to share here:
iStock Photo Top 10 Design Trends
iStock by Getty Images asked designers which design trends are hot and which ones deserve a thumb down. Here is the summary of their survey, compiled in an infographic showing the Top 10 Design Trends:
1. Simplicity
2. Flat Design
3. Improved Parallax Scrolling
4. 5-7 Seconds Story Telling
5. Logos with Depth
6. Real Models
7. Digital Innovation
8. 3D Printing
9. Creative Inspiration
10. Trends Lists
Top Visual Design Trends
In another post, iStock listed the Top Visual Design Trends:
1. Diverse Woman
2. Hands-on Dads
3. Beards
4. Lens Flare
5. Man as Machine
6. Cameras We Wear
7. Multi-racial Models
8. 2014 FIFA World Cup
9. Witches
10. Handcrafted Vectors
11. Instagrammy Food Shots
12. Experiences over Things and
13. Creative Collaboration
Shutterstock Global Design Trends
The website Creativebloq.com looked at Shutterstock’s 2014 analysis of annual global design trends which also listed flat designs and authentic imagery in its list. Based on its database and the number of downloads, Shutterstock saw a trend for images showing landscapes, vibrant colors, depth of field, simplicity and typographic quotes.
Trends in web design
What about specific web design trends? The designer blog 99designs.com posted the following list at the beginning of the year and reading through their list, I can definitely say that I have seen examples for most of these trends on the web during the first half of 2014:
- Flat design thrives
- Responsive design is a must
- Websites showcase better images
- Parallax websites grow in popularity
- Infographics remain the best way of representing data
- Typography takes center stage
- Websites simplify and focus on content
- Short presentation videos re-emerge
- Newsletter designs continue to improve
- Fixed navigations get lots of love
Should I jump on the bandwagon?
It’s always good to take a step back and to question what others are doing. Do I want to jump on the bandwagon or will following the latest trends make my own work look boring? As a graphic design student and even as a design pro, I do think that it is just fine to take a peek at what is trendy and what the majority likes. If I am successful in implementing some of the trends, then that is a great first step. As long as I add my own touch and let my own creativity shine through, following trends is a good thing in my opinion. What counts in the end is to satisfy the customer’s expectations – that will never go out of fashion.