Top 5 Latest Design Trends for 2023

Are you looking for some new ideas to freshen up your designs? As we round the turn on 2023, we’ve seen some trends emerge that are weaving their way through the creative landscape. Keep reading to learn about these new trends and how they can invigorate your design projects.  

1. Expressive Typography 

The art of typography is a cornerstone to graphic design and sets the tone and message for the design. From large serifs and sleek san serifs to flared or exaggerated fonts, typography can express the mood which the designer wants to convey. Whether you’re looking for a font to add some personality to your designs or want to make a statement, there’s sure to be a quirky font that fits the bill.

Typography can make or break a design so it is very important to put some thought into it. 

Key Takeaway: Expressive typography is a great way to convey a feeling or set the tone for the message you want to convey to your viewers. 

2. Branded Illustrations

A company’s brand can include more than colors, fonts and logo style. What better way to depict what a diverse company has to offer than incorporating branded illustrations. 

When it’s done right, these branded illustration styles are so original and unique that they can quickly become synonymous with the brands themselves–even when separated from the logo. Google, for example, leverages this design style in its famous “Google Doodles”.

Custom Illustrations have the benefit of being just that, Custom.

Key Takeaway: Branded Illustrations give you the flexibility of encompassing a wide range of visual needs into one cohesive design while also incorporating your company brand guidelines. 

3. Prominent Photography

Photography has always been one of the quickest ways to convey information. Designers are starting to shift away from flat, static stock photography and choosing to create their own collections that are bold, fun, and full of life. Prominent photography highlights colorful images that are pure, authentic, and can help tell a story or evoke an emotion.

This could be anything from a full-page photo in a magazine to a hero image on a website. And it’s not just product photos that are being used more, but also photos of people, nature, and other things that can reflect the client’s specific needs.

A picture is worth a thousand words, but the right image is priceless.

Key Takeaway: Prominent Photography can elevate the simplest of messages and grab the viewer’s attention at the turn of a page or scroll of a screen. 

 4. Motion

As we mentioned, still photography will also be a great asset in a designer’s toolbox, but in today’s advancements of design technology, it is now possible to bring your concepts to life with captivating animation and whimsical images. I love elevating a simple design concept with motion either with a fun animated GIF or short video. This is a highly effective and visually appealing solution to catch the attention of your prospective consumer.

From ads found on your smartphone to bus stop billboards, motion is an easy way to add high-quality marketing to reach a consumer at any level.

Key Takeaway: A design in motion has many uses in advertising and can now be created on any budget.

5. Flat Design

Flat design is a minimalistic design approach especially popular within the tech industry as it allows for a streamlined and efficient design. With minimal design elements, websites are able to load faster and resize easily – without losing any quality on high-definition screens. Flat design tends to look happier than other designs because of the brighter colors and abstract concepts. 

When talking about illustrations or character design, the use of flat design will give the freedom to break the rules. Flat design is all about leaving things out and keeping it simple. This often means minimal shadows, gradients and 3D effects. In other words: drop all the bells and whistles and just focus on delivering a clear message.

| Flat design is all about leaving things out and keeping it simple. 

Key Takeaway: Flat designs are especially popular due to their usability, clean, open space, crisp edges, and two-dimensional illustrations making them perfect for digital advertising.

There are so many wonderful design trends to try out. Which will be your first? Any one of them can liven up your marketing campaign or spark some attraction on social media.