TOP 5 GRAPHIC TRENDS OF 2015

With a sector that is constantly changing and forever evolving, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what the next wave of innovative techniques and trends will be.

2014 saw a seismic shift in the way designers contemplated their visions. In a move away from the more traditional skeuomorphic design and the imagining of actuality, flat design, with its ability to please aesthetically across a number of platforms, took the design world by storm as graphic designers went for a minimalist approach to give their overall message both simply and effectively.

However, as with anything within the world of graphic design, things move quickly and if you aren’t moving forward, you’re standing still, which means that 2015 is likely to see yet another sea of change within the landscape.

We at Photoline are obviously hugely interested in the direction the industry is looking to take in 2015 and the journey graphic design will take us over the course of this next year. Will it be another year of sweet simplicity and flat design? Will complexity and nuance make a triumphant comeback and be head of the class? Will generative design find its niche and open itself up to the waiting world? Or will a dark horse stun us all into standing up and taking note?

Only time will tell and whilst it’s nigh on impossible to say with absolute certainty what will be trending over the course of the next 12 months we’ve put together what we believe will be the top 5 graphic design trends of 2015.

Flat Design

The big winner of 2014 will continue to go from strength to strength in 2015. Already used heavily by big companies such as Google, Microsoft and Ebay, it will filter down throughout the industry and likely become the universal standard bearer over the next 12 months.

Borrowing from artistic movements like Minimalist, Swiss and Bauhaus, the designs are flat, simple and easy to follow due to the avoidance of gradients and dimension, elements that can cause problems for users to follow. Whilst simplicity is the order of the day, this year will see it added to with a great variety of patterns and textures included to add depth to a design mode that is sure to be the market leader in 2015.

Kpop Graphic

Loud, funky, in your face and full of personality; Kpop graphics have slowly been building momentum within the industry over the last few years are likely to explode into the mainstream in 2015.

The idea behind the Kpop craze is to present immediately noticeable, easily digestible bite-sized explosions of information. Loud playful colours provide the eye catching hook and the short quirky slogan provides the compliment that consumers can easily relate to and understand. Finished off with clashing prints and swaths of aesthetic embellishments the Kpop graphic sphere speaks to a generation of consumers who have a slew of distractions all vying for attention; being loud and saying as proud as Kpop does, is a sure fire way of infiltrating their conscious.

Interactive Design

In order to improve the user experience and encourage users to create their own stories and journeys, tech savvy graphic designers are including more interactive modes of putting forth their message.

With clicks, scrolls and zooms the onus will be on putting consumers in control of their journey; from interactive advertisements, through to animations, presentations and infographics, designers will look to give users ownership of and the freedom to create their own narratives which will help businesses brand themselves unique.

Nouveau Grunge

Given that designers this year are looking to make more relatable graphics for their consumers, it stands to reason that the design of graphics will take a more rustic and human approach in their overall aesthetic. Graphics themselves have begun to take away that personal and unique feel, with uniformed and robotic themes and tones dethatching users further from brands.

2015 promises to reintroduce that organic feel to graphic design and convince users that there is something – or rather, someone – behind the images and messages they are being presented with.

Digital Surrealism

While Nouveau Grunge will add a more relatable and human element to the graphic design world in 2015, the ying to that yang will come in the form of digital surrealism. This counter culture of 3D digital artists will look to use the limitless bounds of graphic design and let their imaginations run wild as they create outlandish works of surreal digitalism that is sure to evoke and inspire a whole host of users and consumers.

2014 saw the first murmurs of the movement with artists like Anny Wang successfully infusing the worlds of digital and analogue to create dreamlike scenes that spoke to a world beyond actuality. 2015 will likely see an increase in production as more and more artists use the vast scope of digital design to create 3D effects for flat surfaces.

If you have a print-based campaign in mind, get in touch with our in-house design team and discuss your creative requirements.

For more information on Photoline and the services we offer, visit www.photoline.co.uk, email us at print@photoline.co.uk, or call us on 0191 2325454.