2019 Design Trends

Ring out the old and bring in the new… or is it everything old is new again? Regardless it’s a brand-new year and a fresh start. It’s always an exciting time for designers because we get to see the predictions of what the hot new trends for the year may be.

I always tend to take trends with a grain of salt. I look at them as evolutions of ideas and often push back to previous years overly used trends. I don’t think they are ever supposed to be approached as being scripture for the year. A good designer will still make the best visual decision for their client regardless of it is “on trend” or not.

Let’s take a look at a few of the predictions that I think we will see the most of.

Color of the Year: Living Coral

Bright, vibrant, energetic, ALIVE!It’s exactly the color we need right now.

“With consumers craving human interaction and social connection, the humanizing and heartening qualities displayed by the convivial Pantone Living Coral hit a responsive chord.”

Leatrice Eiseman

Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute

Serif Typefaces

After many years of the sleek, modern sans serif faces dominating typography, we are seeing a resurgence of the soft, fluid, sophisticated elegance of serif typefaces. A well-chosen and executed serif face can immediately elevate a brand with a classic and timeless feel.

Memphis Design

First seen in the 80s as a retaliation to the “old school” rigid design trends. Memphis drew its inspiration from Art Deco, Pop Art & 50s kitsch to create a design aesthetic that broke all the existing molds. Love it or hate it, it’s back.Think Pee Wee’s Play House but with contemporary refinement.

Bold Gradients

Gradients have been a big part of Graphic Design for years now. This year, it’s predicted that they will continue to be just as influential but gaining even more complexity and sophistication.