Graphic Design Trend Predictions for 2019

With 2019 just around the corner, now is the time to reflect on what we’ve achieved over the last twelve months and look towards the new year. Last year, vivid colours and bold fonts were two of the big trends to make their mark on graphic design. So, what can we expect to see breaking ground in 2019? Well, probably a bit of a continuation of last year’s trends, along with a selection of the following, distilled in gm.’s Top 6…

1. Minimalism

Minimal, open layouts are predicted to be prevalent in 2019 – this means disregarding superfluous elements and conveying messages succinctly, without fuss. Quieting the noise and focusing on what’s important in the design sounds like a sensible idea all-round, so it’s clear why this is tipped to be trending next year. Minimalism will also be increasingly featured in website navigation. Hidden navigation schemes, such as the hamburger icon, are appearing more often since the rise of mobile browsing. Clearing the clutter on a webpage gives greater emphasis on important content, and depending on the design scheme of the website, it can make sense for the desktop navigation and mobile navigation to both share the same icon for increased familiarity for the user.

2. Flat Design

‘Flat design’, which came into focus in 2018, is also set to continue in popularity in the field of web design – this is likely to be due to its value in making websites load quickly, optimising them for search engines. We want to view websites on all of our devices, and we don’t want to wait around for them to load, so it’s easy to see why this trend has become more and more popular as mobile use increases worldwide.

3. Richer Colours

Go galactic in 2019! Vibrant violets, deep blues and shimmering metallics tones will intensify your graphic design colour palette next year – with mobile device screen resolution and colour density greater than ever, designs will appear richer and brighter.

4. Asymmetric Layouts

As much as minimalism and openness are great in design, we also don’t want users to grow tired of predictable layouts. This is where asymmetry comes in – breaking the normal grid and creating unusual and unique layouts draws the viewer eye through content and gives them something different to be intrigued by. All designers get excited when discovering new ways to display content to avoid predictability, so this will be a great one to put into practise in the new year.

5. Duotone Graphics

Having been on the rise in recent years after dominating design trends decades ago, duotone graphics are increasing in popularity for 2019. Using just two colours/tones, this technique stands out from full-colour images, capturing the attention and imagination of the user and where used effectively, can reinforce a branding palette.

6. Natural Photography

We are all used to seeing polished, staged stock imagery on our screens and in our print material, but it looks like a stock image revolution may be coming our way in 2019! Overly refined imagery that lacks relevance and identity will begin to be replaced by custom, authentic visuals that are more believable to the user, mirroring the trend of honest branding.