The 7 Trends Transforming Design in 2021 — By Nicole Weatherby
After a seemingly never-ending 2020, 2021 is finally here! New beginnings, new trends, opportunity for a reset… who else is excited?! I know I am!
Every year there is a new Pantone colour which is chosen to represent the year and to inspire, and this year that colour is… drumroll please… well, it looks like two colours have been chosen, and they are Ultimate Grey and Illuminating Yellow! So, what does they represent? Well Ultimate ‘Pandemic’ Grey is representative of the grey of cloudy skies, sidewalk cement, comfortable bed linens, gravity blankets — the colour evokes our collective experiences from the past year, 2020. Grey is the colour of contemplation; it makes us notice things we might not have paid attention to before, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that is symbolised by the Illuminating Yellow. Illuminating Yellow represents the sun rising over a dark landscape, which can be seen as the dawning of hope that comes with the possibility of a vaccine.
“These two independent colors that come together to create an aspirational color pairing, conjoining deeper feelings of thoughtfulness with the optimistic promise of a sunshine filled day.” — Pantone.
Now that we have the colour down, let us get started on the type of trends that we as artists should consider using this year based on stats from 2020. I feel that all design and art is about transforming the plain into something special. I chose the 7 trends that Green House Media feels will best impact design in 2021, and these are:
1. Abstract psychedelic imagery. Creative experimentation inspired by social disruption: in short, the opening of one’s mind.
2. Symbol revival. Creating aspirational icons of resilience, growth, and empowerment.
3. Retro futurism. Retro futurism as a visual style that has prevailed due to its bold imagination with a surprisingly optimistic outlook.
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4. Seamless surrealism. ‘Surrealism’ is one of those artistic terms people tend to associate with the incomprehensible imagery that is nonsensical by design. But what people often forget is that it contains the word ‘realism.’ The real is intertwined with the surreal, and in no year was that more deeply felt than in 2020.
5. Authentic representation. The Black Lives Matter movement represents an unprecedented turning point moment of global protest. We remain hopeful that it is only the beginning of a reexamination of injustice and that its impact will continue to ripple through every industry in 2021, including graphic design.
6. Elements of nature. There is no avoiding it: many people spent much of 2020 cooped up inside. That would have been felt strongly by designers who might have experienced their work-from-home freelance lifestyle as beginning to resemble solitary confinement. It may be no surprise then that the outside world will be making its way inside 2021’s graphic designs.
7. Socially conscious design. It seems fitting that 2020 was the year the world understood how much it needed to change. From healthcare to environmentalism to Black Lives Matter to pandemic preparations. The good news is that this conflict might just be a turning point, provided everyone does their part.
2020 may have proved to be a disappointment to many of us. But the graphic designers of 2021 are determined to turn it around in their own way. Out of tragedy, they are giving us cheeky characters. Out of self-isolation, they are giving us nature. And out of confusion, they are giving us our symbols of speech. Each year graphic design trends always bring change, and it is the designers who will determine whether that is for better or worse.
Together, we are stronger!
Nicole is a senior graphic designer and the “boss lady” of Green House Media. She is based in South Africa, but has worked with businesses across the world. Nicole is passionate about animal welfare, and her dream job is using graphic design to help animal charities to promote the work they are doing.
Would you like to share your story or expertise with our readers?
Contact our editor-in-chief, Rafael dos Santos, by clicking here.
