I’ve been living on Pinterest since I first signed up and I am constantly getting a first hand look at some great trends in action. With Pinterst you see all types of images that members are bookmarking across the internet, from fashion, interiors, to graphic design. It allows you to get a first hand look at what’s popular and new.
There is always a trickle effect in design trends. I’ve said it before, that what you see in fashion effects the world of interior design and finally touches on graphic design. These effects can be seen through color, pattern, shape, balance and even texture. Keeping up with the trends in all three areas is important. It allows us to see design trends from a different angle and lets us evolve our own designs.
On Pinterest you may need to do some wading, but there are definitely some great current trends that you can pick up on. Below are a few trends I’ve been noticing in the fashion and interior realms and how these trends may effect design choices for current graphic design.
Industrial: Industrial design is everywhere in interior design. It’s a mixture of clean lines, heavy metals, warm woods and simple shapes. Industrial is all about form and function without any fluff.
How it translates to graphic design: Minimalist designs, heavy gritty textures, shiny and smooth surfaces, dark moody grays, taupes and blacks, chunky slab serif and modern serif fonts, simple icons, and geometric forms.
Pattern: Geometric, tribal and Southwest patterns are all over fashion and interior spaces. Patterns are generally a wonderful mix of rich vibrant colors combined with neutrals like soft gray, white and black.
How it translates to graphic design: Exciting geometric designs, bright colors and contrasting neutrals. Subtle patterned backgrounds and unique color pallets.
Mod/Mid Century: The 60s are coming back with tailored clothing, contrasting stripes, warm leathers, rich wood tones, and pops of vibrant color paired with charcoal grays and blacks.
How it translates to graphic design: Bold geometric shapes. Vibrant mix of muted warm colors paired with strong dark neutrals. Heavy use of typography and a mixture of font types.
Romantic / Organic: Softer shades are emerging. Dusty Rose is back in along with nudes, taupes, and creams. Gauzy fabrics, organic materials, tufted furniture, velvet, reflective mirrored surfaces and elegant shapes and lines.
How it translates to graphic design. Heavy use of neutrals, soft organic shapes and textures. Hand drawn calligraphic fonts. Light and subtle textures. Thin lines, natural shapes and soft curves.
With new developments in screen sizes and devices, the fold has become practically outdated. In web design, the “fold” is known as the imaginary line on a screen that designates what content is visible to a viewer without scrolling. If you’re curious, the term, “fold” originated from the traditional newspaper, where the most important content and images were printed above the paper fold. This rule helped gain maximum attention from the reader and made sure essential information was always visible. The same goes for web design, you want to make sure a viewer has visual access to the key info on your site within the first five seconds of reaching the page.
