Visual design trends every designer should know — 2023
Trends that will be dominating our year ahead.
Trends are usually a reflection of changing social and cultural moods. They hold significant value in the field of design because it is a medium of communication. Visual design is a sign of the times… and the trends of 2023 are no exception.
Here are some design trends for 2023.
Neo Brutalism — “Visual element as the hero”
It is a mix of regular brutalism in web design and more modern typography, illustration, and animation standards.
Brutalism in graphic design is a trend that features big, heavy modern fonts, futuristic and heterotopic visuals, stark color palettes, and striking images. It uses elements that remind us of its industrial origins. Compared to brutalism, neo-brutalism uses more refined elements of design.
Animated UI — “Motion design”
Motion design has become HUGE and you probably see it everywhere. With micro-interactions to complex animations, user interfaces are no longer static — users expect them to “live and breathe.”
Animation in UI adds some whimsy to it.
NeoPop
NeoPop originally CRED’s 4th generation design system has now become a visual design trend. It draws inspiration from the postmodern art movement of the 1980–90s by the same name. It uses bright colors, bold fonts, and shapes.
NeoPOP is a sophisticated, future-aware, backward-compatible library that is built to ensure that every feature, every little piece of design can be created to look just like it did on a designer’s screen.
High Contrast / Monochrome
High contrast grabs and holds the user’s attention throughout the experience. It also makes the interface accessible…because of better visibility of the elements and text, unless you go too far with the contrast and cause eye strain.
Aurora — “Color as a hero”
Aurora is a new visual trend that started in 2020. It involves a design gradient effect that resembles the Northern Lights. They are also called Aurora Borealis. It is fun as we try to blend colors of different contrast to create a subtle, blurred splash of color effect.
Hologram style —” Light as a hero”
A holographic style is a trend that started with purely aesthetic appetite. Designers love almost transparent visuals full of candy and neon colors. In its simplest terms, a hologram is a photograph of light that’s scattered from an object.
The retro/industrial vibe appeals to young urban audiences. It is common for streetwear and footwear brands, cosmetics, and music streaming services to incorporate holographic elements.
Typography-centric designs —” Type as a hero”
The time is now for typography to be valued as both a functional and aesthetic component. Our focus has shifted to its form as opposed to its function.
Despite the fact that this trend started in 2020, it maintains its momentum and is here to stay. While it battles accessibility and usability, it maintains its aesthetic integrity.
The Y2K trend —” Aesthetics as the hero”
The Y2K aesthetic is radically distinctive and inspired by the mid-’90s and early 2000s when the internet became more popular, during the dot-com boom. It’s no surprise when the trends from the past decade circle back with a fresh take. It goes back to GRUNGE style, semi-3D and 3D elements, and vaporwave.
WHY IS IT BACK?
While we all know that it was short-lived in the first round, now it has come back to being all fun, trashy, and futuristic.
Thank you for reaching to the end of the article! Which trend is your favorite? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments down below.
