Digital Design Trends to Know (for 2020 and Beyond)
Digital design trends are always changing and developing. For a digital product agency and individual designers to remain successful, they need to stay on top of these developments, incorporating the latest trends into their own work.
The following are specific examples of design trends worth paying attention to in 2020. Over the course of this year, they’re likely to play an increasingly important role in all areas of digital design.
1. Abstract Illustrations
Illustrations and animations already provide digital products with a sense of dynamic character and identity. However, literal depictions of concepts and processes may take a backseat to abstract designs this year. As design tools become more powerful, designers simply have a greater degree of freedom to create images that are more evocative than what they might have been able to create in the past.
2. Simple Fonts
As the above example indicates, some aspects of graphic and digital design will grow more complex throughout 2020. However, there are also some aspects of digital design where simplicity will become more valued.
Consider the example of fonts. Gone are the days when the option to choose from a wide range of fonts was impressive on its own. Now, consumers are turned off by fonts that are too complex for their purposes. While there will always be instances when using ornate or “fancy” typography is appropriate, it’s now clear that a “less is more” attitude is often best.
3. Simple Landing Pages
Minimalist design principles are becoming more common in 2020 for a very practical reason: the number of smartphone users worldwide currently sits at approximately three billion. This rise in the popularity of smartphones has also resulted in mobile browsing overtaking desktop browsing.
Of course, landing pages (and websites/apps in general) need to load fast and look clear on small mobile screens. Designers are accounting for this when they choose what types of elements to include in landing pages. Keeping them clean and minimal simply ensures a better user experience.
4. Gradients
Don’t make the mistake of assuming a turn towards minimalism means a turn away from color. On the contrary, designers are actually experimenting more than ever with color gradients in 2020. However, given current attitudes and the turbulent state of the world at the moment, the colors they’re opting to use so far in 2020 have been more muted than was the case in recent years.
Anyone involved in digital design — or a marketing profession of any kind — should keep these trends in mind throughout 2020. Appealing to shifting consumer tastes is key to ensuring the success of any digital product.