What's Going on Now in Graphic Design?

I’ve noticed that there is a certain trend happening in various design fields. Although there are differences between print, screen, and industrial design there is a common theme. And part of that is due to Apple’s influence over the last 10 years or so, the growth of social media, and the increase of mobile technological change.

If I were to put that theme in a word, it would be “easy”. People want everything to be easier. Whether that means easier to read or easier to use. People are looking for understanding in a shorter amount of time. And as a result designers are creating designs that are easier to comprehend, and easier to digest.

Here’s how 3 areas of design have been affected by this theme:

1. The design process

With the advent of the crowdsource mentality some clients and businesses believe that design is a matter of picking the prettiest out of a cast of thousands. In this equation: more = value.

As a result, there’s a camp of designers who believe this is fertile ground to get work and build one’s portfolio. Their process consists of hunting for opportunities to bid, cranking out work, and waiting to see if they are selected and paid.

However, there are many designers who see this as the bane of their existence. This only pushes them to have to define their design process clearly, and explain their pricing structure more often than they want to.

2. Website big fonts and big photography

Because people want things simpler and easier, the trend of big fonts has hit the web. I don’t mind this trend, because with the advent of web fonts, typography has become more well designed and positioned to set the tone for a website.

Another trend are big background photos. Many sites do this with beautiful results.

3. Graphics

This last area deals with the proliferation of infographics and infographic-like design. Simple shapes, subtle shading, and tightly designed informational graphics define this trend. Of course not all infographics are attractive or easy to understand. But what makes them work is when these things are true — especially the easy to understand part.

Conclusion

There are many reasons why “easy” is the new black. So, check these links out for more information.

Virgin Consumers — the accelerating pace of innovation in the consumer arena means everyone is unfamiliar with many of the products, services, apps, experiences or brands they encounter every day.

Web Trends — the move to bigger fonts, bigger photos, responsive design, and the minimalist aesthetic.

3 Notable Graphic Design Trends — growing trends like more white space, compelling visuals, easy-to-read designs, and an emphasis on typography.

Photo courtesy mconnors of Morguefile.com