Trends

Trends / 23 Mar 2023

Design Trend: Blockchain’s Impact on Design and Branding

Sometimes a design trend can start from an unlikely source. Blockchain, a technology designed for secure information transfer, has impacted the online community.

From Bitcoin to NFTs to everyday design projects, you can see some of the impact in projects that have nothing to do with blockchain itself. Here’s a look at how blockchain is impacting design and what it means for you.

While not a design or branding technique, this digital business tool is already changing the landscape of design. Let’s dive in and find out how.

Trends / 27 Feb 2023

Are Grids Dead? Why Do So Many Websites Seem to Not Have Them?

Design elements just seem to be all over the place these days. They respond in a number of different ways, moving up and down, left to right, and even diagonally. Is anyone using a grid anymore?

All of these design schemes really got us thinking about grids and their use in modern website design. Is the grid dead? Why do so many projects look like they are designed off of a grid? And have there been any fundamental changes in the last few years?

It’s a pretty complicated topic (and one that doesn’t have a super clear-cut answer).

Trends / 23 Feb 2023

Design Trend: Text-Only Homepages

Where did all the images go? There’s a major trend right now, where designers are creating homepage hero areas that only include text, but with no images or video.

It’s an interesting aesthetic that puts a lot of focus on words and lettering. It can be elegant and beautiful or turn disastrous quickly. And it requires quite a bit of nuance and craft to get right.

As you notice more of these trending sites, you can decide how you feel about them. Personally? We think, when done well, they can be a beautiful example of design on the web.

Trends / 16 Feb 2023

Candy Pastels: A Soft and Soothing Graphic Trend

Softer colors, soothing palettes, and a lighter vibe are what the candy pastels design trend is all about. More projects are using this color scheme to create a subtle and softer feel for projects, a distinct shift from many of the bold, bright colors that have been popular for the last few years.

Usually featuring pastel shades of pink, blue, yellow, green, and purple, it’s a calm and comforting collection of colours. Inspired by sweets and confectionary of old, it’s dubbed “candy pastels”.

Here’s a look at the design trend and how you can make the most of it.

Trends / 13 Feb 2023

Design Trend: Experimental Typefaces & Fonts

One of the biggest trends in website design is experimental typefaces. These funky, unique, and always special fonts can serve as the backbone of a project or provide a special spark.

Experimental typefaces come in a variety of formats from handwriting styles to interesting serifs to color or animated fonts. There’s something for everyone with fonts that are a little bit different (or even customized).

Here’s a look at this design trend and how to make it work for you.

Trends / 6 Feb 2023

Tropicalism: A Design Trend Coming Back in 2023

Tropicalism is a design trend that we are already seeing quite a bit of in 2023. You’ll know it thanks to bright colors, fun illustrations, and a breezy feel that makes you think of summer (and maybe a cold drink).

It’s a trend that draws inspiration from tropical landscapes, flora, and fauna. It is characterized by bright, bold colors, patterns featuring tropical leaves and flowers, and imagery of exotic birds and animals. The trend often incorporates organic shapes, textures, and materials to create a lush and tropical atmosphere.

The design trend extends to all elements of design, including website, illustration, and printed materials. Here’s a look at the trend and how to make the most of it in your projects.

Brochure Templates / 19 Jan 2023

Brochure Design Ideas & Inspiration for 2023

Almost every designer has created a brochure at some point. And there’s a strong possibility you’ll be asked to design another! Whether it’s for a client or to promote your own business, there’s an art to designing a brochure.

And then there’s an added challenge: brochure design isn’t just for print anymore. Digital brochures are just as popular as hard-copy versions. It’s quite common for clients to request a printed brochure with a digital shareable file of the same design.

Don’t sweat this design challenge though. We’ve put together some classic and modern tips so you can create a brochure design that looks great, and is easy to read.

Trends / 29 Dec 2022

50 Best Website Color Schemes of 2023

Does it ever seem like certain website color schemes just get all the attention? As with every other aspect of web design, there are color schemes that tend to trend more than others. Bright colors, stark palettes, and even some mismatching schemes are elements of color that are trending.

Here’s a look at some of the best website color schemes (in no particular order). For each, we’re also sharing the color codes that make up the key elements of the design, so it’s easy to play around with these color schemes yourself too!

One of the biggest trends in color schemes that you might notice is the use of dark dominant colors and backgrounds and shades of gold and bright red or pink hues for accents. This dark/light combo is an evolution of black and red in many minimal designs from a few years ago with a more modern touch.

Here are some great examples of color choices done right, to inspire your next project.

Instagram Templates / 19 Dec 2022

10 Key Instagram Trends for Designers to Watch in 2023

From hard-core ‘grammers to those that post the occasional pic, Instagram is the social media platform that’s practically made for designers because it is so visual.

So, you’ll probably want to be on-trend when it comes to posting. Here are nine ways to create images that look modern with a few examples and Instagram templates to help you get started.

From #nofilter, to framing, overlay elements, carousels, and more, we’re exploring all the trends you need to know.

Trends / 5 Dec 2022

18+ Top Graphic Design Trends for 2023

What’s hot in graphic design? One of the things people always want to talk to me about is graphic design trends. Here’s a preview of what’s going to be hot in the coming year.

It’s such an interesting topic because there are trends that change slowly over time – just look at the long evolution of flat design to where we are now – and others that seem to flip overnight.

Should you always rush to use the latest graphic design trends in your work? Of course not. But it’s helpful to pick up new ideas, find inspiration, and see what types of techniques and styles are shaping our industry.

Trends / 5 Dec 2022

15+ Video Marketing Trends for 2023

Almost every marketing prediction, resource, or how-to guide includes the same advice: video needs to be part of your strategy. But what type of video marketing is most important right now?

From super-short (micro) video clips, to live video on social media, to full-production ads and stories, we’re going to look at some of the top video marketing trends for the year and how you can incorporate them into your design and marketing plans.

And here’s why it matters, U.S. adults spent 149 minutes per day watching digital video in 2021 and that number is only expected to rise.

Let’s dive in, and embrace video as the new marketing channel you need to get right!

How to Design a Logo / 30 Nov 2022

22+ Key Logo Design Trends of 2023

Need a new logo? Whether you’re starting from scratch or just planning a tweak to a current mark, understanding shifts in logo design trends can help you create a design with a modern touch.

The theme in logo design is to create something simple and distinctive. With so many new websites and brands and companies coming online almost every day, it’s no wonder that logos are trending toward designs that stand out.

Here’s a look at a few logo design trends, and how you can make them work for you (and while you’re at it, be sure to look through our full guide on how to design a logo!)