It’s a new year and new trends are appearing. Trends tend to reflect current world events, so it’s not a surprise that a lot of these trends involve bright colors and nature-inspired imagery. People have been cooped up and honestly, a little afraid the last couple of years and they’re looking for things that make them happy. Here are the top colors and graphic design trends for 2022.
Magenta is a mix of red, purple, and pink that creates a striking color that catches attention. This color is popular because it’s good for all seasons, meaning it can look good in spring, summer, fall, and winter.
It’s bright enough to bring positivity while being deep enough to be considered a rich color.
Yellow is an easy source of positivity and people will be wearing more of it in 2022. It will show up in both leisurewear and formalwear. People will want to be the brightest person in the room.
Is it any surprise that shades of green are going to be popular when everyone has been spending so much time indoors? You’ll see a lot of green in people’s wardrobes, some stand-out shades are Olive Green, Lime Green, and Kelly Green.
Don’t be surprised if you see green in work clothes and leisurewear.
Blue is always a popular color but in 2022 the spotlight will be on lighter shades of this color. Like with all the other colors on this list, the appeal of light blue is its connection to nature and its versatility.
Like with yellow, orange is an easy way to put a smile on your face. 2022 will feature bold shades of orange and people wearing them in unusual ways. Some people may use the color for accessories or have it be front and center of their look.
As mentioned before, many of the graphic design trends for 2022feature bright colors, whimsical designs, and silly shapes.
People probably don’t think too much about fonts beyond if they’re readable or not. While readability is important, 2022 is seeing designers incorporate fonts into the art itself.
People are breaking the usual standards and having some letters larger than others, having letters upside down, or even in a different font. If people are able to, they may even use letters to create a separate message from the original. Think Squid Game.
Try experimenting with any text in your designs and see if you can make them better than before! Just remember, it’s still important for it to be readable.
With the world being in such a dark place for the last couple of years, it’s no surprise that people are turning to bright colors in their designs. Bright colors are also a great way to stand out from the rest of the digital content and designs out there.
Having knowledge of color theory with help you mix and match colors to create a well-balanced but vibrant design.
We’re going back to the 60s with this trend. Psychedelic is associated with hallucinogens and artistic experimentations against the standard art rules. Think chaos.
What do we mean by chaos? We mean overwhelming a design space with shapes, lines, and a whole lot of color. There is no sense of reality with this style so let your imagination go free. The weirder the better.
Art Deco is a style of art that originates from the early 20th century. It came from the desire to get rid of the past and focus on the future. The style is all about slim lines, focusing on power, and progress. While only being popular for a short amount of time, its effects are seen throughout modern cityscapes, with skyscrapers in particular.
Use symmetry, geometry, and intersecting lines to get that Art Deco look. You can also play with the weight of your lines and mix and match thin and thick lines.
Paper art is a long-standing tradition that has roots in the 4th century. People have somehow managed to bring this physical art to the digital world. Using technology, designers are able to mimic the texture of paper and the look of cut paper.
This trend is whimsical and artistic. It has an innocence to it that people love.
Millennials are nostalgic for the 90s, a time when they were younger and had fewer responsibilities. Use that nostalgia to your advantage and create designs with 90s aesthetics. Use neon colors, abstract shapes, optical illusion patterns, gradients, and specific fonts like Comic Sans.
Ukiyo-e is an art form from Japan’s Edo Period. It’s a style of printed or painted artwork using hand-carved woodblocks. What’s special about this style of art is that it mixes luxury (its subjects) with grounded materials (woodblock and ink). At the time it was thought of as more of a process than an art.
Key features of this style are bold lines and flat colors.
Because the past couple of years have been so serious, it’s not surprising that whimsical art styles are becoming popular. Doodles are rising to popularity and using the right tools, you can bring a human touch to digital art. Doodles give off a feeling of freedom and allow for unique shapes.
You’ve probably noticed a pattern by now with this list, whimsical and happiness are key factors with these designs. It’s all comes to a head with escapism.
Escapism is just getting away from the real world. It’s daydreaming, imagination, and fantasy. Let out your inner daydreamer and create fantastical designs. Use cute character designs, play with lines, create movement, and use fun colors.
Make people want to explore your design.
Maximalism is about filling a space with as many objects, colors, and patterns as you can. The idea is to overwhelm the viewer so they want to keep looking at your design to discover new things.
That’s not to say to just throw everything out there. It’s important to focus on each part that you put into the space. You want to make your design interesting, not an eyesore.
This trend is hard to specify but think about all the social upheaval that’s happened around the world in the last couple of years. People are paying attention to things outside of themselves.
In your designs, you can actively use diverse characters or pay homage to other cultures and identities.
This has to be from a truly authentic place of wanting diverse representation. People can sense fake social awareness in a heartbeat.
This trend should be no surprise. People are sick of being in their houses all the time. They want to see something other than their urban landscape. An easy way to freshen up their home and get some nature in is getting house plants and nature-inspired products. Not everyone has a green thumb, so that’s where you come in.
Create softer designs inspired by the natural beauty that surrounds us. Use more earthy tones, floral patterns, or leaf designs.
There are so many trends and colors to choose from on this list. What are you going to incorporate in your designs? What do you think your audience will like best? Don’t be afraid to try a couple of different trends and then see which campaign is more successful.
You have all year to play with them.
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