While 2020 brought with it an obsession with street-style, cyberpunk, and 3D, let’s take a look at what this new year has brought us. 

These are 5 graphic design trends to keep an eye on in 2021. Use these in your web, social media, and even print design and you can’t go wrong! 

1. Minimalism makes a comeback

While we last saw minimalist designs going strong back in 2018, 2019, and 2020 were dominated by heavy and colorful designs. 

It seems that the pandemic has changed people’s attitudes about too much noise and color, and everyone is looking forward to working with and looking at clean, simple interfaces. 

As far as UI is concerned, pop-ups and notifications – both incredibly popular in 2019 and 2020 – are out the window entirely. People want access to information and they want it fast. 

Keep all your designs simple and sleek, and you won’t have to worry about anything else. 

2. Dark-mode dominates

2020 has probably been the year with the most amount of screenshots and memes shared. 

It’s understandable, people had a lot to worry about and a lot of time on their hands. 

Add to that the political unrest in many parts of the world, and you’ve suddenly got millions of social media screenshots being shared at any given time.

Is the one thing common among those? 

Dark mode. 

Not only does dark mode open up new avenues in the way we use color, but it also saves battery by conserving screen usage. For both the average user as well as the designer, that’s a win-win. 

3. Geometric shapes everywhere

It’s surprising how every few years, geometric shapes steal the spotlight from every other design element out there. 

It seems that people are forever intrigued by the mystery, simplicity, and symmetry they offer.

2021 is also seeing increased use of geometrical designs by a lot of top brands worldwide. 

Geometrical shapes have been used everywhere, from designing minimalist logos to advertisement backgrounds and even packaging design. 

The difference is of course that now geometric shapes are being used in a futuristic sense – think Star Wars or The Jetsons. 

Go crazy, because this trend looks like it will last us in 2022 as well. 

4. Colorless designs

It seems like humanity is altogether tired of too much chaos and activities going on. After all, 2020 has been a tumultuous year for almost everyone on earth. 

Maybe this is why we are seeing designs that lack color is more popular among users than those full of bright shades. 

Think minimalist, black and white designs, simple line drawings, and comics without color – that’s all you need to make a statement in 2021.

5. Monochrome and duotone

If you’re not into the purely black and white design and do want to use color – monochrome and duotone pallets are the latest trends to go with. 

A limited palette again results in a more calming and soothing design, with not a lot of activity going on for the viewer. 

As a designer, it also helps you save time and add more value to the design itself when you only have a limited number of colors to work with. 

That’s all folks…

Of course, trends can change at any time, and you can count on your number one design agency to let you know when they do. 

For now, if you need any help implementing these into your design and marketing strategy, give our experts a call today – we will make your designs come to life!