Great news for all you designs freaks out there, 2020 is a few days away. It’s the beginning of a new decade and we know what the question that’s going on in everyone’s minds is: what is graphic design going to look like in 2020?
Even though it’s still a couple of days to go, the air is already full of excitement and the design world is already revealing glimmers of what’s to come. 2020 is all about an “anything can happen” excitement, so let’s take a look!
1. Cyberpunk colors are here to stay
While designers have been slowly but surely adding more and more vibrant color to their work lately (guilty!), 2020 is going to be an all out blast of cyberpunk color schemes. Look out for bright and over-saturated neon hues like greens and pink (think Blade Runner), as designers aim to create a more surreal, futuristic, and glowing feel in their designs.
2. Street art overlays and typography
Graffiti and retro street art techniques are making a digital but sure comeback in 2020. This again plays into the dystopian, futuristic theme with graphic designs in the upcoming year. Think stencilled typography in red and black on concrete, murals and 4-color posters.
3. 3D everything
Here’s another trend that’s continuing in from 2019, the increasing conversion to 3D. With technology getting better and better, we can expect to see even more 3D designs – for phone ads, billboards, websites and more!
4. Monochrome
Remember 2017, where everything had a duo-tone filter? Well, welcome to 2020 where designers are now pushing an even more simplified version. Monochrome color filters for photos or design elements are set to be the rage.
5. Crazy typography
Designers are moving away from the more conservative typography we’ve been seeing since 2015 and pushing for a more “out there” style. Imagine flowers and geometrical shapes and patterns – yep, it’s all going to be out there!
6. Text and image masking
Yep, say hello to the big design trend of the pre 2010s era, text and image masking is finally making a comeback in 2020. We don’t know about you but at Sunan Designs we sure missed the embossed text image masked greeting cards from back then. While this technique has a more minimalist and 2D feel to it in 2020, it still feels great to have a classic back!
7. Line art and animations
Just like we said, 2020 is going to be about pretty much anything and line art is no exception. We’re already seeing designers rolling out a lot of two-color line art material and animations, and honestly, it feels just right! It’s simple, elegant, and works great at conveying ideas and information, which is why we expect to see a lot of corporate use for this kind of design.
8. Animation sequences
Another accolade to the past, we’re going to be seeing a lot more of animation sequences in 2020. This decade is going to be all about story-telling, and taking viewers in for an entire experience, as compared to the motion graphics we see these days.
9. Live data visualization
Another welcome to the future technique, we’re going to be seeing a lot of animated live data visualization on the web. The future is all about Big Data and we will be seeing information play out in real time with the help of ‘techno’ and ‘neon’ graphics. Add to this the increasingly evolving technology and you can easily expect to see some really nifty futuristic graphics on the web!
10. Collage everywhere!
2020 is definitely set to be the year of collage as designers are already testing it out. From images and drawings, to “cut-outs”, and even newspaper clipping styles, collages are definitely the newest trend in the 2020 design set. While these definitely look retro, 2020 collages are doing away with the traditional ‘single idea’ approach. Instead, designers want you to know that the rough edges and the misfit designs are intentional – aligning perfectly well with the radical design approach that is 2020.
At Sunan Designs, we can’t wait for 2020 to officially begin. We’ve already started experimenting with some of these design trends and are looking forward to them blowing wide up. As a diverse team of super creative individuals, we’re always looking to push boundaries and break out of boxes and looks like 2020 is going to be all about that.
Let us know if any of these design trends have you excited the same way, or is there anything else you’re looking out for. And of course, as experts, we’re always ready to help you out with your latest design or ad campaign, so reach out today!
