Graphic design 2021: new trends

Surreal and Extraordinary Graphic Design

Images and photographs are altered in saturation and contrast. Everything in the graphic design is extraordinary.

The year 2020 was strange, exhausting, and virtual—a year that, paradoxically, in its monotony, enhanced and stimulated the creativity of many. We are now preparing for a new year and a new resurgence, including in the field of graphic design. Let’s look at both confirmed and emerging trends.

Increasingly Surreal Graphics

Already in 2019-2020, we saw surreal images, beyond ordinary reality and possibility. Everything—even photographs—was rendered extraordinary and excessive. Images are modified in saturation and contrast to the point of transforming them. Desaturation and oversaturation: these are the trends for photos and imagery.

Cybernetic Colors

In line with the choice to create an unreal appearance in images, graphic design inspired by cyberpunk, science-fiction, and futuristic worlds is increasingly appreciated. Both in graphics and typography, everything must appear “cyber”: the lines of drawings and text, as well as colors, which are metallic and unnatural, such as dark purple, orange, and royal blue.

Metallic Embellishments

Metallic embellishments are already widespread and highly valued in graphic design and labeling. On wine labels, as well as craft beer or cosmetics, metallic finishes enhance the sense of quality and prestige of the product. Glossy or metallic embossed prints create an elegant and refined effect—very distinctive and visually striking—but they are not suitable for mass-market products.

Yes to Patterns

We have often said that graphics must be clear and immediately readable, not visually dispersive. But there are exceptions. The use of patterns has now become established in contemporary graphic design: complex, extravagant, and composite patterns, far from simple or ordinary. Patterns range from linear to highly intricate, repetitive designs. However, caution is needed: even trendy graphic patterns are not suitable for all products. It is essential to ensure that the complexity of a pattern aligns with the message and the target audience, and above all, that it does not confuse.

Unusual Lines

Movement and dynamism, but also stability and solidity. To embody all this, new graphic styles combine soft, curved lines with geometric, sharp lines. The former were traditionally used for more natural concepts, the latter for artificial shapes and objects. The result is striking: minimal yet dense, lightweight but compact, a strong union of the two worlds. Still extravagant, unusual, and surreal.

A Mix of Illustration and Photography

Photographs are unnatural, as noted—they are altered in saturation and contrast to the point of appearing otherworldly. Moreover, the images used by designers increasingly combine illustration and photography. They are stylized or doodled images, reminiscent of street art, where drawings appear so realistic they almost look like photographs—but are not. This technique is called doodling: it is informal but delivers a very youthful and dynamic impact.