‌‌Graphic Design Trends To Follow: Top 6 In‌ ‌2022

‌Looking‌ back‌ on ‌the best ‌graphic ‌design trends to follow in ‌previous ‌years, I ‌found ‌some ‌new ‌design ‌directions &‌ ‌sorted ‌them ‌out ‌to ‌share ‌with ‌you. Designers‌ ‌need‌ ‌to‌ ‌explore‌ ‌and‌ ‌try‌ ‌more‌ ‌on‌ ‌how‌ ‌to‌ ‌choose‌ ‌and‌ ‌use. Here I am with my own 6 graphic design trends to follow in 2022.‌

1. Pastel‌ ‌Color‌ ‌- Graphic Design Trends

Colour ‌is‌ ‌the‌ ‌most‌ ‌important‌ ‌visual‌ ‌element‌ ‌in‌ ‌UI‌ ‌design that‌ ‌can‌ ‌emphasize‌ ‌content‌ ‌and‌ ‌enhance‌ ‌brand‌ ‌recognition. A‌ colour ‌theme‌ ‌design‌ ‌should‌ ‌be‌ ‌harmonious, and‌ ‌it‌ ‌can‌ ‌help‌ ‌you distinguish UI‌ ‌elements‌ ‌and‌ ‌appearance‌ ‌easily‌ ‌from‌ ‌each‌ ‌other.‌

Graphic‌ ‌Design‌ Trends
Pastel Illustration By Cami Dobrin

The‌ ‌appearance‌ ‌includes‌ ‌titles,‌ ‌cards,‌ ‌forms,‌ ‌and‌ ‌elements‌ ‌placed‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌background‌ ‌layer. ‌These‌ ‌cards‌ ‌are‌ ‌white‌ ‌with‌ ‌soft‌ ‌shadows,‌ ‌which‌ ‌creates‌ ‌a‌ ‌floating‌ ‌effect;‌ ‌generally, ‌the‌ ‌background‌ ‌is‌ ‌white‌ ‌or‌ ‌light‌ grey.

Graphic‌ ‌Design‌ Trends
Nonsense in 3D By Roman Bratschi

Color ‌trend‌ – Bright‌ ‌Yellow‌ ‌&‌ ‌Extreme‌ ‌Grey

PANTONE‌ ‌releases graphic design trends in 2022 ‌double-popular colors Pantone ‌chose ‌Ultimate ‌Grey ‌(17-5104 ‌Ultimate ‌Grey) ‌& Bright Yellow ‌(13-0647 Illuminating) as the representative colors of 2021-2022, intended to convey the strength and hope of lasting excitement. The‌ ‌ever-changing‌ ‌life‌ ‌is‌ ‌the‌ ‌source‌ ‌of‌ ‌inspiration‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ color ‌trend that‌ ‌makes‌ ‌the‌ color ‌trend‌ ‌updated‌ ‌and‌ ‌changed.

As‌ ‌designers,‌ ‌we‌ ‌must‌ ‌maintain‌ ‌a‌ ‌keen‌ ‌heart,‌ regularly‌ ‌capture‌ ‌inspiration‌ ‌from‌ ‌real‌ ‌life,‌ ‌and‌ ‌apply‌ ‌the‌ ‌precious‌ ‌inspiration‌ ‌given‌ ‌to‌ ‌us‌ ‌by‌ ‌nature‌ ‌in‌ ‌our‌ ‌works,‌ ‌thereby‌ ‌enhancing‌ ‌the‌ ‌originality‌ ‌of‌ ‌design‌ ‌and‌ ‌injecting‌ ‌fresh‌ ‌blood‌ ‌into‌ ‌the‌ ‌design‌ ‌industry.‌ ‌Secondly,‌ ‌the‌ ‌trend‌ ‌is‌ ‌the‌ ‌direction, and‌ ‌you‌ ‌cannot‌ ‌blindly‌ ‌follow‌ ‌it. You‌ ‌have‌ ‌to‌ ‌keep‌ ‌thinking,‌ ‌summarizing,‌ ‌sublimating,‌ ‌and‌ ‌applying‌ ‌it‌ ‌to your‌ works‌ or‌ projects.‌

color of the year - Graphic‌ ‌Design‌ Trends
Pantone‌ Color Of The Year ‌Ultimate‌ ‌Grey ‌&‌ ‌Illuminating

2. 3D‌ ‌Typography

‌With‌ ‌the‌ ‌rapid‌ ‌development‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ internet, the software‌ ‌has‌ ‌become‌ ‌more‌ ‌intelligent. ‌The‌ ‌design‌ ‌has‌ ‌gradually‌ ‌moved‌ ‌from‌ ‌2D‌ ‌to‌ ‌3D.‌ ‌3D‌ ‌has‌ ‌appeared‌ ‌in‌ ‌various‌ ‌design‌ ‌branches. The designs‌ ‌become‌ ‌more‌ ‌diverse‌ ‌and‌ ‌novel, ‌and‌ ‌different‌ ‌styles‌ ‌collide.‌

‌New‌ ‌technologies‌ ‌are‌ ‌also‌ ‌widely‌ ‌used‌ ‌in‌ ‌design‌ ‌to‌ ‌better‌ ‌serve‌ ‌the‌ ‌public. For instance, ‌the‌ ‌3D‌ ‌style‌ ‌is‌ ‌three-dimensional‌ ‌and‌ ‌realistic‌ ‌enough. ‌Besides being ‌artistic, it is‌ ‌also‌ ‌easy‌ ‌to‌ ‌attract‌ ‌the‌ ‌attention‌ ‌of‌ ‌users. Therefore, reducing‌ ‌user‌ ‌jumping‌ ‌out‌ ‌and‌ ‌increasing‌ ‌the‌ ‌conversion‌ ‌rate‌ ‌of‌ ‌users.

3d text - Graphic‌ ‌Design‌ Trends
3D Typography By Derek Elliott

The 3D‌ ‌design‌ ‌makes‌ ‌full‌ ‌use‌ ‌of‌ ‌modern‌ ‌technological‌ ‌advancements‌ ‌and‌ ‌software‌ ‌functions.‌ ‌With‌ ‌the‌ ‌increase‌ ‌in‌‌ ‌the‌ ‌Internet‌ ‌and‌ ‌technology,‌ ‌an‌ ‌endless‌ ‌stream‌ ‌of‌ ‌design‌ ‌software‌ ‌has‌ ‌made‌ ‌it‌ ‌possible‌ ‌for‌ ‌designers‌ ‌to‌ ‌try‌ ‌3D‌ ‌design.‌ ‌B-side‌ ‌designers‌ ‌also‌ ‌add‌ ‌3D‌ ‌three-dimensional‌ ‌graphics‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌page‌ ‌to‌ ‌create‌ ‌a‌ ‌sense‌ ‌of‌ ‌space,‌ ‌enhance‌ ‌the‌ ‌aesthetics,‌ ‌and‌ ‌make‌ ‌the‌ ‌page‌ ‌more‌ ‌attractive.

3. Emoji Design‌

‌Emoji‌ ‌packs‌ ‌still‌ ‌have‌ ‌a‌‌ ‌broad‌ ‌market‌ &‌ ‌globally, and they play an essential role in graphic design trends to follow‌ in 2021. ‌Emoticons‌ ‌are‌ ‌magical that‌ ‌can‌ ‌make‌ ‌the boring‌ ‌text‌ ‌captivating.‌ And‌ ‌the‌ ‌meaning‌ ‌of‌ ‌emoticons‌ ‌makes‌ the ‌complex‌ ‌text‌ ‌more‌ ‌humane‌ ‌and‌ ‌makes‌ ‌chat‌ ‌more‌ ‌interesting.‌

Smiley ‌is‌ ‌common‌ ‌in‌ ‌chat‌ ‌groups‌ ‌or‌ social media ‌software.‌ ‌The‌ ‌most‌ potent ‌kind‌ ‌of‌ ‌people‌ ‌can‌ ‌chat‌ ‌with‌ ‌others‌ ‌without‌ ‌typing.‌ ‌No‌ ‌matter‌ ‌what‌ ‌others‌ ‌say,‌ ‌they‌ ‌have‌ ‌corresponding‌ ‌expressions,‌ ‌and‌ ‌it‌ ‌is‌ ‌very‌ ‌appropriate.‌ ‌This‌ ‌kind‌ of‌ ‌chat‌ ‌makes‌ ‌people‌ ‌very‌ ‌happy.‌ ‌

emoji design - Graphic‌ ‌Design‌ Trends
Emoji Design By Jim Idanan

The‌ ‌application‌ ‌of‌ ‌emoticons‌ ‌can‌ ‌also ‌liberate‌ ‌people’s‌ ‌nature. Many‌ ‌people‌ ‌who‌ ‌are‌ ‌often‌ ‌inconvenient‌ ‌to‌ ‌express‌ ‌deep‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌heart‌ ‌can‌ ‌use‌ ‌emoticons‌ ‌to‌ ‌express‌ ‌their‌ ‌feelings. Emoji‌ ‌is‌ ‌another‌ ‌popular‌ ‌trend. Emojis‌ ‌have‌ ‌broken‌ ‌through‌‌ the ‌‌”traditional” ‌chat‌ ‌field‌ ‌and‌ ‌have‌ ‌begun‌ ‌to‌ ‌be‌ ‌widely‌ ‌used‌ ‌in‌ ‌flat,‌ ‌visual‌‌, and‌ ‌even‌ ‌UI.

‌It‌ ‌began‌ ‌to‌ ‌act‌ ‌as‌ ‌a‌ ‌new‌ ‌type‌ ‌of‌ ‌language‌ ‌between‌ ‌text‌ ‌and‌ ‌vision. It‌ ‌can‌ ‌also‌ ‌convey‌‌ emotions,‌ ‌which‌ ‌is‌ ‌very‌ ‌powerful. Therefore, various‌ ‌emojis‌ ‌are‌ ‌used‌ ‌in‌ ‌graphic‌ ‌and‌ ‌visual‌ ‌design‌ ‌to‌ ‌dispel‌ ‌seriousness, create‌ ‌atmosphere ‌and‌ ‌make‌ ‌a better design‌. In‌ ‌the‌ ‌next‌ ‌few‌ years,‌ ‌the‌ ‌emoji‌ ‌should‌ ‌be‌ ‌applied‌ ‌more‌ ‌widely‌ &‌‌ ‌presented‌ ‌in‌ ‌all‌ ‌aspects‌ ‌of‌ ‌design‌ ‌more imaginatively.

4. Nature-Inspired ‌Design

In the past ten years, organic, soft, and natural design elements have gradually appeared in top designs. Lines, patterns, gradients inspired by nature coincide with minimalism.

Affected by the epidemic, people’s desire for nature will become stronger and stronger. The term “organic” originated in biology & was later used in art to mean a natural curve similar to organic organisms. Organic forms provide extensive enlightenment for design and art in both external and internal structures. And are now used in architecture, industrial products, furniture design, and more.

Nowadays, “organic design” does not only stop at the “harmony of the form”. However, it also embodies the harmonious relationship between design, craftsmanship, production, and nature. Moving nature-related design elements to various design and commercial fields will become graphic design trends in 2022.

nature inspired design - Graphic‌ ‌Design‌ Trends
Nature Inspire Design By Olga Pylaieva

5. Colorless design

In a colorful world, perhaps colorless can make people feel warm. Colors are and will be the key player in determining graphic design trends every year. Although bright, bold, and impactful colors are eye-catching, they are likely to backfire in 2021. In such an era when everyone wants to attract attention, it’s better to do the opposite with exaggeration and brightness. In 2021, soft color matching became a trend, & in 2022 it will take another step forward.

The classic black and white effect is subtle, seductive, and full of nostalgia. Motion, shadow, animation, liquefaction, and other features can make the content more prominent. Firstly, The dark mode design makes the eyes not too tired when watching the screen for a long time. Secondly, In addition to the classic black, white, and grey, very few highlight colors can also create a stylish & fabulous effect.

black and white design - Graphic‌ ‌Design‌ Trends
Colorless Design By Raw Pixel

6. Retro illustrations inspired by the 80s

Fashion is a circle. Nostalgic comics of the 70s and 80s will return to the trend in 2021. You can characterize the classic style of illustration through outlines, simple shapes, and some detailed filling.

retro design - Graphic‌ ‌Design‌ Trends
Retro Packaging By Typogriff

Conclusion On Graphics Design Trends

All the Graphic design trends released by various agencies at the end of each year always give us a new understanding of future design styles.
But no matter what kind of design style you need to consider the actual situation, However, the one that suits you is the best. We must always keep the attention and research on fashion trends. It will make more room for display and more creativity in the design.