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Freehand Doodles and Mascots

Hand-drawn assets are making a huge comeback as people are falling in love with their simplicity and personality. If you’re going for this style, it’s important to know how best to implement it for you. Some designers are using these hand-drawn elements as accents–highlighting other, more traditional assets, while others are going for a full-on look, replacing all their iconography and even creating mascots. Personally, we think it looks great. It adds a “school desk graffiti” energy that a lot of branding has been afraid to utilize.

For sales cycles where you’re also having to educate your audience within the journey itself, this offers a clever way of highlighting key parts of your value proposition over multiple steps in that journey. We call this "ambient messaging", which means that by the time they become an MQL, your sales team has a much easier time converting!

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Retro Pixels

Pac-Man is back and he wants to sell you stuff. The video games of yesteryear are worming their way into our modern marketing, and it’s working out great! People are drawn to the nostalgic feelings that pixel art brings to the table, while also resonating with younger people who have developed an appreciation for the aesthetic. While usually used to show levity and to indulge a limited color palette, don’t make the mistake of thinking pixel art can’t be intricate and stunning if done correctly.

This type of design can come in majorly handy when you’re positioning an innovative approach that might feel uncomfortable for the reader. Maybe they’re used to doing things the old, less effective way. The nostalgia of pixel art can make them feel more comfortable and stable, increasing their propensity to try new things from a place of stability and familiarity.

Maximalism

As a species, we’re kind of a lot, so it’s nice to finally have a design trend that reflects that. There’s still a place for minimalism, but there’s been a surge across the cultural board of people deciding that walls filled with trinkets and loose photographs are more interesting than a wall with nothing on it. Maximalism gives the viewer a lot to take in and can contain small hidden details that feel rewarding to spot. It’s not a style that will work for every industry, but it can be a very fun addition to your visual branding if you’re the right kind of org.

If you’re an organization that traditionally tries to put a lot of text into each email or page, it can be a conversion killer, as it leads to a high cognitive load. Maximalism is a great way to display more information but through cohesive design elements rather than text. Your ideas are then taken in more organically and with less strain on the observer. While hard to pull off in the traditional boxy section-based templates, maximalism might be a good place to invest. Think high-quality conversion-optimized custom emails/pages/ads.

Bold Minimalism

Told ya that minimalism was still here. Why? Because it still looks great. The bold form of minimalism is hitting hard with strong, blocky letters and bold, rigid shapes. It uses color and simplicity to cut the fat of design and get right to the point, which a lot of observers appreciate. Sometimes simple is better.

The Cyberpunk Resurgence

Honestly, we’re so thrilled about this one. The Cyberpunk aesthetic harkens back to a very specific subgenre of science-fiction originating in the 80s that focuses on neon lighting, overwhelming visuals, and toxic corporate culture. You may think that this would be something to avoid in your marketing, but as time has gone on, the visual appeal of Cyberpunk has separated itself from the source material in a breathtaking display of irony. Lines of code, bisexual lighting, glitch art, and overwhelming ads in neon mixed with dripping graffiti are going to be your bread and butter here if you’re looking to give your org a harder edge.

Clutter and Scrapbooking

This look is all about individuality. A tailored experience. Specific iconography that speaks to people on a personal level. There’s organization here, but it’s a lot less rigid than it would normally be. It’s nostalgic imperfection and kitsch that make people think of memory boxes and old valentines. It’s giving cozy, and if that’s the vibe you want your organization to have, maybe you should explore these possibilities! 

These are just a few of the big ones, but...

design this year is far-reaching and wholly unique. There may not be anything here for you, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t something out there. You just need a design team with their fingers on the pulse! They’ll be able to tell you what’s new out there that could work for you. You just need to trust them and listen!

Don’t have a design team? We have one you can use… Just request a demo!

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