Graphic Design Trends You Need to Know

Art meets technology: Explore 2024’s top design trends

Keeping up with new and evolving trends can help your brand stand out and appeal to more people. If your brand’s visual style is starting to feel a little stale, take inspiration from some of the latest trends in graphic design to breathe new life into its visual identity.

In this article, we’re taking a peek into the fast-paced world of graphic design trends for 2024, where art meets technology. Join us as we explore some of the hottest design trends to emerge this year and look at the brands that are rocking them.

What design elements are becoming popular for web and mobile interfaces in 2024?

Before we find out more about this year’s top graphic design trends, let’s explore some of the user experience (UX) trends that are shaping the digital landscape. Technology advancements are enabling designers to create more immersive, dynamic, and engaging user experiences than ever before.

Some of the hottest UX and UI design elements in 2024 are:

• 3D graphics: Used to add depth and visual interest and enhance the realism of digital interfaces
• Motion graphics: Helps guide users through an interface and provides a more dynamic experience
• Video content: Leveraged to tell compelling brand stories and convey information to users quickly and clearly.
• Interactive menus and catalogues: Encourages users to engage with the content actively and creates a more enjoyable experience.

Incorporating these modern design elements into web and mobile interfaces can create a more immersive and exciting user experience, keeping users engaged and helping your brand stand out. This tech-forward approach to web and mobile interface design is also reflected in many of this year’s freshest graphic design trends.

What new technologies are influencing graphic design trends for 2024?

Design trends often evolve alongside technology, so before we explore 2024’s most exciting trends, let’s learn more about the technologies that are shaping them. 

Recent advancements in artificial intelligence and 3D rendering have opened up new possibilities for designers. 

Adobe Illustrator’s “Inflate” feature, for example, helps designers effortlessly create eye-catching 3D lettering and develop vibrant and dynamic designs that stand out.

Graphic designers are also using generative AI tools like MidJourney, Dall-e, and Adobe Sensei to inspire new and creative ways of working. AI is being used to assist with brainstorming and ideation, transforming the way that designers research, develop concepts, and execute projects. 

AI and 3D rendering tools are some of the most exciting new technologies shaping graphic design in 2024. They are being used to produce entirely new types of artwork and push creative boundaries, resulting in fresh and experimental new design trends.

Which graphic design trends are dominating 2024?

Ready to find out what the hottest brands on the block are doing to stand out and captivate their audience? Whether you want to rebrand your Shopify website or elevate your packaging design, we’ve rounded up the biggest graphic design trends of 2024 to spark your creativity and inspire your design style.

3D type and bubble text 

One of the biggest typography trends of 2024 is 3D bubble typography. Whether it’s your business logo or the heading on your next marketing campaign, using 3D type or bubble text can make your text pop off the page and grab your audience’s attention. Bubble text is friendly, fun, and bold, perfect for highlighting a playful message and injecting a sense of energy. 

Retro gift and stationery brand Mustard uses a neon pink bubble font that not only has a touch of retro about it but also reflects the brand’s fun and mischievous energy.

Nike used 3D typography effectively in its Air Max Day kids marketing campaign, where 3D letters in the shape of helium balloons added to the campaign’s vibrant, playful, and appealing design.

Experimental or unique fonts

When the fonts in your existing catalogue just aren’t hitting the mark, it may be time to create a custom font tailored to your brand’s needs. Experimental fonts help to express a brand’s individualism and personality. Their one-of-a-kind, distinctive style draws the audience’s attention, adds flair, and sets the design apart. If you are using a very distinctive or unusual typeface, be sure to support it with a highly readable secondary font to ensure that your message is clear. Similarly, if your font is very busy, or you really want it to pop, make it the main element of interest in your design, keeping the rest more streamlined and minimal. 

Virgin Money created a custom typeface that is similar to the Virgin branding but with a less corporate feel. Virgin Money San combines sharp edges with distinctive loops and curves to create a modern and attractive font that is easily legible and reflects the brand’s forward-thinking values.

Nostalgia 

When Burger King rebranded a few years back, their “new old” look was a huge hit! The brand rewound time and revived its old logo from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, giving it a fresh yet retro look that resonated with its audience. As well as bringing back its old logo, Burger King revamped its whole look with a red, orange, and brown colour palette and a retro, bubbly, 70s-esque font.

Why does incorporating nostalgia in graphic design work so well? Because nostalgia evokes powerful, positive emotions and memories, creating an immediate emotional connection with audiences. It offers a sense of comfort and familiarity, helping people feel more connected to the brand on a personal level.

Imperfect design

Just like people, graphic design can also be perfectly imperfect. Brands like Oatly use intentionally imperfect design elements to showcase their relatable, authentic human side and quirky, playful brand identity. By challenging the pursuit of perfectionism, brands can celebrate the beauty of being uniquely imperfect by creating an unpolished aesthetic that is spontaneous, raw, and attention-grabbing. Imperfect graphic design may feature lines that have been drawn freehand, pixelation, distorted lines, or uneven elements that convey a sense of authenticity. 

Oatly’s graphic design is a perfect example, featuring typography with rough, irregular edges and imagery with a slightly grainy, organic finish. Even the text placement, which breaks words up across two lines, as seen with their “Oat-ly” logo, adds to the charm. This design style aligns perfectly with the brand’s 100% organic and vegan ethos, highlighting its quirky, upbeat voice and unique visual identity while making a statement against overly polished corporate aesthetics.

Animation and motion graphics 

Animation and motion graphics have become hugely popular in 2024, driven by advances in technology and the need for brands to find innovative ways to stand out, engage their audience, and tell compelling stories. Motion graphics are now widely used throughout web and mobile interface design to enrich user experiences, adding depth and creating more immersive and engaging interactions.

The On Energy website takes a comprehensive approach to motion graphics, featuring a bold, immersive graphic above the fold that fills the screen and clearly tells its audience who they are and what they do in a way that is both engaging and very aesthetically pleasing to watch. Check it out; it really is inspiring!

Meanwhile, Duolingo uses a more subtle animation on its homepage to bring the illustrated characters in its imagery to life, adding personality and charm to the design. These little details help to create a playful and engaging experience that will capture the user’s attention.

Cartoons and illustrations

While many designers are embracing advanced technology like AI and 3D rendering, others are turning their backs on tech-driven design in favour of a more classic approach. The use of illustrations and cartoons in design is unpretentious, unique, and full of character, making designs memorable and more likely to resonate with audiences. Illustrations can be used to effectively convey a brand’s identity and values, presenting messages in a way that is both engaging and aesthetically pleasing.

The Monarch website is a great example. It uses charming illustrations to show how it connects a diverse range of people with trusted therapists. The illustrations evoke feelings of nostalgia, reminiscent of the artwork found in children’s books, creating a sense of comfort and inclusivity. The visual style invites viewers to feel at ease, building a connection that aligns with the brand’s supportive nature.

Similarly, budget airline Ryanair used simple cartoons in a billboard campaign to grab attention and make people smile. The bold imagery draws inspiration from retro kids’ comics and cartoons, offering a sense of nostalgia and humour while remaining visually impactful.

Pastel shades and neon colours

According to colour psychology, different colours evoke different feelings and associations within us. Therefore, the colours used in graphic design play a crucial role in shaping how people feel and react to a design. In 2024, we’re seeing many brands using colour palettes at contrasting ends of the spectrum. While some are choosing soft and muted pastels, others are opting for vivid and energetic neon shades. Neon colours are bright, exciting, dynamic, loud, and energetic. In contrast, pastel colours are calming, soft, and tranquil.

This year, many young and trendy brands, like Nike and Spotify, are using neon shades to excite and energise their audience.

Meanwhile, brands like Rishi Tea and Glossier aim to create a relaxed, soothing experience for their audience—whether enjoying a warm cup of tea or indulging in a pampering session. To achieve this, they incorporate soft-hued pastel shades in their visual designs and product packaging. These gentle shades evoke feelings of calmness and serenity, perfect for the self-care experiences these brands offer.

Inclusivity and diversity

In 2024, brands are more committed than ever to being inclusive. Whether that’s by using diverse representation in their brand visuals or ensuring their website is accessible to everyone, including those with visual impairments and cognitive disabilities. 

Graphic designers are prioritising inclusive design that celebrates the diversity of the world – incorporating different races, ethnicities, genders, abilities, and body types in their work. This trend is extremely important, as it helps brands to offer fair and equal access to experiences and information. Graphic designers are becoming more closely acquainted with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and how to apply these to their designs to create more accessible digital content.

Brands like Spotify are using high-contrast colours to ensure that the text content in their designs stands out and is easy to read, even for those with visual impairments.

Similarly, beauty brand Dove is renowned for featuring a diverse range of models across its marketing campaigns, web design, and brand visuals. Its iconic “Real Beauty” marketing campaigns challenged traditional beauty standards by celebrating the beauty found in real people, real bodies, and diverse identities. The campaign was a huge success, empowering people to embrace who they are and providing an authentic representation of beauty. Prioritising inclusivity and diversity in graphic design helps brands connect with a wider audience by ensuring that everyone feels seen and valued.

Partner with Create8 to incorporate these graphic design trends into your brand’s visual identity

Whether your brand’s visual identity needs a makeover or you need a new product packaging design, at Create8, we offer comprehensive branding and web design services that use graphic design to make a powerful impact. Our creative solutions are designed to boost audience engagement and drive real results, ensuring your brand stands out and resonates with its target market.

Our talented team of graphic designers are skilled at finding innovative ways to convey your message through design while always staying true to your brand identity and values. From packaging design to logo design and rebrands, our services integrate new design technologies to bring your ideas to life and make your brand stand out.

Ready to discover your brand’s unique graphic style? Contact us today to discuss your project in more detail.