Graphic Design Trends for 2024

If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that change is inevitable. And the graphic design world is no exception. Whether it’s remote work changing how designers create and collaborate, or free design software dominating the marketing space, or artificial intelligence (aka Skynet) taking (over) the world by storm, change is everywhere. And as creatives, we say, “Bring it on!”

So, in the spirit of change (kind of), we’re featuring 5 graphic design trends looking to make their mark on our cozy little corner of the universe. We’ve (mostly) agreed on the trends, but only time will tell who has the best predictive powers (or at least the “trendiest” trend).

We’ll begin with what is hands-down one of the most dynamic changes to hit the design space – Artificial Intelligence (AI), explore the modern marvels of Abstract Geometry and Maximalism, embrace the quirkiness of Hand-Drawn Illustrations, and show some OG love to typography in our Fonts With Flair section.

AI Image Generation

Future-forward designers are finally bidding farewell to the world of cliche stock photography and embracing the endless possibilities of AI-generated custom imagery and unique illustrations.

In a matter of seconds, a creative designer can use AI to transform ideas to reality, with professional looking images that are both visually appealing and content relevant.

With the increased availability of intelligent retrieval graphic art development tools, you can expect to see an explosion of AI-generated custom design being used in social media, educational tools, corporate branding, promotional materials, print, signage, mood boards, and anything else you can dream up!

So how does it work? Using text-to-image models, designers can imagine any visual scenario and submit a detailed prompt that will generate their mind’s eye into the real world. AI generation will immediately translate provided text into closely matching results. Some platforms also allow further human refinement by adding additional styling and filter options.

As AI continues to revolutionize the graphic design industry, creatives around the world are quickly adopting these shifting technologies. AI can be an amazing tool for enhancing creativity while simultaneously streamlining the professional design processes.

Get excited and embrace the change. AI is here to stay!

Are you ready to try generative AI imagery?

Here are a few great resources to get you started!
Adobe Firefly – https://firefly.adobe.com/
Open AI’s Dalle•E 3 – https://openai.com/dall-e-3
Midjourney – https://www.midjourney.com/home
DreamStudio by Stability AI – https://beta.dreamstudio.ai
Gencraft (Free) – https://gencraft.com/

AI Graphic Design Ideas

Abstract Geometry

With roots in the early 1900s, this seemingly “modern” design style is back and ready to make an impact. As 2024 approaches, we’re seeing more designers ready to embrace the chaos, creatively combining geometric forms, confounding expectations, and sparking interest.

The abstract geometry style lends instant recognition to any design using well-known shapes and eye-catching colors to express ideas, create movement, texture, and depth, and even convey emotion. With so many opportunities for unique designs, we can’t wait to start exploring this bold “new” trend!

Shape in Graphic Design

Zeka

Geometric Design

Geometric Design Jeff Yas                                               Paul Bokslag

Maximalism

What do you get when you blend all of the elements of design together in one composition? The “more is more” organized chaos that is maximalism!

Bold colors, repetition, little white space, contrasting patterns and textures, and multiple fonts are the hallmarks of maximalism. With layers upon layers of visuals, this fun style has a depth that’s missing in minimalistic design.

A one-of-a-kind sensory journey, maximalism is bursting with expressive creativity and attention-grabbing extravagance. So, throw out the traditional design rules and take a chance on this adventurous trend. You never know where it might take you!

Maximalism

Boja                                                        Jessica Hoffman

Minimalistic and Maximalism Design

OD Design Studio                                                                                     OD Design Studio

Hand-Drawn Illustrations

Are you on the lookout for a splash of personality and a dash of creativity for your brand?

Hand-drawn illustrations are stealing the spotlight in 2024, and you definitely want to try out this trend!

Illustrations have a magical way of turning your designs into approachable rockstars. Whether you’re embracing quirky hand-drawn icons or cool graphics, or going all out with handmade fonts and illustrations, the hand-drawn vibe is your secret to standing out.

Not just about visuals, this trend is about reconnecting with your audience on a human level. So, if you’re ready to infuse your brand with a touch of fun, creativity, and irresistible charm, hand-drawn is the way to go!

Hand drawn Illustrations

Dieline                                                                                                Under Consideration

Hand-Drawn Illustrations

Bamff                                                                                        Midday Studio

Fonts With Flair

With hundreds of thousands of fonts at your fingertips, how do you choose? Will sans serif fonts continue to dominate the design space? Or will the beloved serif make a comeback? We think they’ll both have their moment to shine in the coming year, so we’re highlighting a few fonts that are sure to rise above the competition. They have fun, unique glyphs and ligatures that make them true standouts for eye-catching logos and headlines!

Kocha

A playful, hand-drawn font with plenty of ligatures and stylistic alternatives, Kocha works well for multiple logo styles, posters, and other fun events, and is available in clean and rough versions.

Fonts with Flair

Romie

A calligraphy-inspired display font by Margot Lévêque, Romie is clean and elegant. This is a very versatile font, with 910 glyphs available in a variety of styles and weights.

Calligraphy inspired fonts

Fook Communications                                Margot Leveque                                                  Sarah Bachman

Qureah

Created by Storytype, Qureah combines the best of modern and classic typefaces, and is perfect for logos, titles, headlines … anything you want to stand out!

Modern and Classic typesfaces

Well, there it is. We’ve covered everything from the not-so-futuristic AI Image Generator that will one day take over the world (just kidding … maybe) to outside-the-box abstract geometry and maximalism design that demands attention, to doodles that steal the show, and our tried-and-true workhorse of the design world – fonts. But wait, there’s more.

Since we still can’t agree on our favorite trend for the new year, we’re taking it up a notch with a new design challenge. So, in the coming month, check out our Design Challenges page to see all the creative ways we feature our 5 Design Trends for 2024 and pick your favorite. And if you missed our 2023 trends, click here to check them out now.

5 FUN DESIGN TRENDS FOR 2023

ECONOPRINT DESIGN TEAM

Another year has flown by, and here we are again looking toward the future and all its possibilities. And since we prefer to leave the endless lists of New Year’s resolutions to all the influencers out there, we’ve decided to dive into something we love – design trends! So, we took a look into our crystal ball and have come up with some really fun trends for the coming year. Join us as we take a blast to the past with Retro Logos, the Jeweled Tones of the 1930s, and organic Folk Botanicals, and fast forward to a more modern design aesthetic with Gradients and Distorted Type.

Retro Illustrative Logos

Nostalgia is a powerful feeling that can carry us to a better time and place. It’s human nature to romanticize the good times of our youth and gloss over the bad. A few years back, logo styles and trends were leaning more toward the modern, sans serif style (see Google, Century 21 rebrand and others). But our love for the past always comes back around.

One of the trends we are looking forward to is the retro line art/illustrative style logos. Minimal, cartoony, and fun, these engaging logos embrace bright, bold colors that never go out of style. Sometimes it’s a brush stroke, sometimes it’s hand lettering, but it’s always fun. Out with the new, in with the old!

Check out these fun retro fonts:

https://www.letterheadfonts.com/

https://creativemarket.com/fonts/vintage-fonts

https://www.fontsquirrel.com/Retro Illustrative Logo Designs

Rich Jewel Colors

Where the retro illustrative style is fun and playful, the rich jewel colors trend is moody and elegant. Talk about opposites! This luxurious trend plays off the warmth of deeper tones like golden orange, forest green, and the rich red and purple hues of the 1930s. These deep, saturated colors are excellent for portraying a high-end, luxurious feel that can be a great way to elevate packaging design.

Jewel Tone Designs

Spice Tree Organics Packaging                                                             Coffee Tosside Packaging

With a swing toward these bold colors in design, it’s no surprise that Pantone is jumping on the bandwagon with their Color of the Year – Viva Magenta. This Crimson Red is a bold, fearless color that we can’t wait to try out! These rich jewel colors are perfect when you need to add a little bling to your design.

Folk Botanicals

On the other end of the spectrum is the Folk Botanicals trend. Have you been searching for a way to add an organic flair to your design? This whimsical trend could be just what you need. Botanical graphics will lend the texture and vibrancy to your design that can be lacking in more modern design. By embracing the perfectly imperfect and unexpected color combinations, this trend departs from traditional geometric vector art to give your design a unique, handmade look.

Folk Botanical Design

Dieline                                                                                                                                       Jessica Hoffman

Folk Botanical Design

Dieline

Gradients

Gradients are back! Actually, they never left. A modern departure from our earlier design trends, gradients use cool transitions that blend from one color to the next, and they’re incredibly versatile. They can be used in the background, for elements, and even in text. Well-known graphic designer, Beeple, has used gradients in many of his digital designs, and you’ll find them popping up on social media, posters, packaging, logos, and even apparel. This trend can be eye-catching and bold with bright colors or soft, subtle, and luxurious with a lighter color palette. Gradients will continue to be popular with on-trend color pairings and abstract forms in 2023. So, experiment and have fun. We certainly will!

Gradient Design Images

Taras L                                                                                 Mohamed Samir                                  Cuong Nguyen

Gradient Design Images

Jiyoung Kim                                                                                           za lina

Distorted Type

And, finally, as we wrap up our favorite trends for the upcoming year, we have arrived at a style that is sure to turn your designs upside down – Distorted Type. As today’s societal trends crush social norms, traditional standards of living are becoming less rigid, and out-of-the-box ideas are fashionable. The world of graphic design is taking notice as well and breaking away from the standards of typography.

Equipped with its own set of rules for legibility, balance, and flow, typography remains a central element of graphic design. When type is implemented correctly, the message it conveys should be clear, concise, and without distraction.

Well, scratch that noise! Designers’ future creations will upset the status quo of type. Expect to see stretching, slanting, squeezing, melting, twisting, fading, and all other forms of movement. The result? Quirky, interesting type, leading to a new way of impacting your target audience. This fun new take on type is guaranteed to get you NOTICED!

Distorted Design Images

Danilo Gusmão Silveira and KNAS

Distorted Design Images

Bashooka                                                                                                       Roxanne Kazmierski

As you can see, next year’s trends offer something for everyone. Whether you’re feeling nostalgic and digging the retro look or searching for something a little more edgy and modern, 2023 has so many options for creatives. And we’ve just scratched the surface of all the amazing ideas out there. Do some digging on your own and see what else the design community has in store for the coming year. Or be a true vanguard of design and create your own trend. We can’t wait to see what exciting things happen in the design world next year!