How do you evaluate graphic design trends and styles?

You would certainly design differently for a lawyer than a construction company, choosing appropriate font styles as well as colors. I primarily work with signs, and I always advise a readable font and good color contrast in any signage, including vehicle graphics. You only have a few seconds to capture someone's attention, so your name and message needs to be clear in all your branding. However, if I'm working on a handheld design, the process will be different. Are there color and font preferences? Classic vs. contemporary? I typically give my customer 3 options on style and layout and let them pick the elements they like from each one, and then put them together.

Striking a balance between current design trends and enduring, timeless elements is essential. Trends may not last forever, so it's crucial that you incorporate a mix of both to ensure that your designs remain relevant and appealing for a long time.

Knowing your audience and client is key when it comes to deciding if/when to join a trend. And while yes you can do market research, and user testing, some times just a quick step back to think about context is all you need. A hypothetical for y'all: It's the summer of 2024 and 'brat summer' is all the rage. Your client is a top 5 law firm that works with legacy corporations. Would you suggest they push out some creative in the brat summer trend? Probably not.

Discovery interviews of the business key player(s) is mandatory. Asking multilayered questions, down to the emotional level.

I evaluate graphic designer trends and styles by staying updated with industry publications, following influential designers, studying popular design platforms, and analyzing the reception of design trends in the market.

In line with this – know your brand. Every day there are new trends that emerge, but do they make sense with your brand's mission, vision, guiding principles? Do they fit your brand voice? As creatives we always want to try new things and push boundaries, but it has to make sense. Sometimes that means taking a trend and modifying it to align with your brand. Sometimes that means passing up on a trend entirely. The absolute last thing you want to do is cause brand confusion for the sake of being trendy.

Understanding your purpose is paramount when evaluating graphic design trends and styles. Define your goals, message, and desired audience response. Align trends that support your purpose, avoiding those that may contradict it. For instance, for a fashion brand, bold typography may reflect its edgy persona, while an environmental nonprofit might opt for earthy palettes. Use tools like briefs and mood boards to refine your direction and create designs that deeply resonate with your audience.

The best way to elevate graphic design trends and styles is to listen to your instincts and ignore trends and styles, then come up with your own. What do you have to say about the project at hand? The more of you put into your designs the more it will resonate with others.

To truly grasp graphic design trends and style, it's essential to intimately understand your purpose. For example, if you're revamping a fashion brand's website, delve into trends like bold typography and dynamic layouts to reflect the brand's edgy personality. Conversely, for a nonprofit promoting environmental sustainability, explore trends like earthy color palettes and organic shapes to evoke a sense of harmony with nature. By aligning trends with your purpose, you create designs that resonate deeply with your audience and elevate your brand's identity to new heights.

Knowing your industry and demographic is important to navigating design trends. An example being, some demographics may be more drawn to bright colors and bold lettering, while others may be drawn to a monochrome color scheme and script fonts. It's important to know the industry you work for and who your main audience is. Keeping focused on those sorts of trends will keep your designs always looking sharp and in-style.

Your source must be relevant to your market as well. While I love looking at some of the creative work presented in some of the top art and advertising publications, many of these ideas are too out of the box for my client base and their audience. Instead of taking a design (running into the issue of plagiarizing), I like to take elements of trends and adapt them to something that will resonate with my clients' audiences.

Absolutely! Graphic Designers aren’t solo artists , they have to always work collaboratively with other designers, stakeholders and as a team. They have to do lots of listening , iterations, discussions, finding a balance between creativity and an analytical approach. Yes! reviewing and accepting feedback will definitively help a graphic designer to evolve.

To evaluate graphic design trends and styles effectively, it's essential to know your own boundaries and capabilities. Then, dive into the world of design, keeping an eye out for new patterns, techniques, and influential voices. By understanding the context, audience preferences, and cultural changes, you can determine which trends are worth incorporating into your work. This insight allows you to navigate the ever-changing landscape of graphic design confidently, using trends to enhance your creations while staying true to your unique style.

100%. When brainstorming ideas, we tell our team members to think inside our toolbox. Instead of thinking of ideas that are way beyond our abilities, how can we utilize the tools and resources at our disposal to produce the best material? You'd be surprised how sometimes limiting the scope can really create a more creative-inducing environment.

??You should know your unique style Like in my case I create logo design and apart from that I show the entire branding describing colors used in brand,fonts used. ??Also how the logo will look in real by presenting it on mockups eg: Company wall mockup,Letterhead,visiting card,notebooks so the brand can actually get clarity on things and also the way you present your work shows your professional and it looks attractive too.

Knowing your style is crucial when evaluating graphic design trends. Define your unique voice and vision. How do you express it through design? Stand out by showcasing your authenticity and consistency. Use tools like portfolios and branding to develop and display your identity. For instance, in logo design, present the entire branding package with mockups to give clients a clear vision and demonstrate professionalism. Your style sets you apart and attracts clients who resonate with your authentic expression.

Don't follow any trend!!! Just observe and go with what you feel is right – for the client, the project, the brief, the time, the medium.

This article generally has some excellent points and solid "best practices." However, trends are relative. For most brands, following a trend is an absolutely terrible idea. For one, it automatically lumps you in with a bunch of other brands that may or may not have any relevance to yours. In the best case, they can provide a moment of notoriety, but in general, it's fleeting, as they are usually only successful in very specific contexts. There are specific trends that a brand could leverage - say for social media - but your brand's core should a) differentiate you from your competition and b) strive for timelessness. Trend hopping will likely do neither.

My personal opinion regarding the use of AI tools is hopeful. As we look at new ways to assess value and define art and the creative process, I focus on my own processes and how I am influenced and inspired to create. It has been said that there is nothing new under the sun, and to a point I feel there is truth in this statement. As individuals, we strive to express our unique experiences and to find satisfaction in feeling understood. There is also power and potential that lies in the collective flow of inspiration that surpasses the individual ego. I ask the question, will the advent of a torrential flow of “AI assisted” visual stimulus result in an explosion of inspiration for the advancement of human expression? I think so. I hope so.

In my experience, I start evaluating graphic design trends by researching the latest trends in graphic design. Also, I analyze the trends I researched and determine which ones are relevant to my industry and target audience. I Look for common themes, color palettes, and design elements. The next part, is my most favorite part of evaluating graphic design trends ; Experimenting with incorporating the trends I have identified into my designs. Trying different color combinations, typography, and design layouts to see what works best for the project or my brand. Lastly, I evaluate the success of my designs by analyzing the engagement and feedback from my audience. I use this feedback to refine my designs and continue to iterate on them.

Dans un environnement en perpétuel changement avec une très forte influence de l’intelligence artificielle, des tendances et styles il y en a tous les matins. Le plus important c’est de ne pas rester à l’écart, chercher à en savoir davantage sans toute fois tomber dans du suivisme; en gros c’est faire de la veille. Après il faut prendre la peine de mieux comprendre les tendances qui nous parlent le plus et les intégrer à sa routine de travail.