10 graphic design trends that will dominate 2024

We're talking about pixels making a sexy comeback, AI powering the future, inclusivity becoming the most compelling visual and design element so you'll feel like you're peeking into a scrapbook someone's most interesting ever.

Be patient, because this article has prepared the information sheet you need to stay ahead of the design game. With real-life examples to spark your creativity, it's your ticket to becoming a trendsetter everyone will admire.

1. Practice advanced design using AI

In 2024, AI will surely become the designer's ultimate enabler, streamlining workflows and unleashing creativity.

Imagine software that understands your design intent, recommends color palettes based on your target audience, or even creates mood boards inspired by your favorite artists. The future of AI lies in enhancing your creative process, not replacing it.

Tools like automatic image resizing, background removal, and color correction save you from tedious tasks, allowing you to focus on the big picture of creating a beautiful design.

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For example, Adobe Sensei is a great AI-powered tool for designers, powered by Machine Learning, built to enhance your creative flow. It speeds up tasks, personalizes experiences, and opens up possibilities you never imagined, all within your favorite Adobe apps.

2. Classic Pixel

Pixel art is making a charming comeback, injecting designs with a bit of nostalgic fun, from branding to websites, classic video games and subtle game-inspired elements.

This classic aesthetic, mixed with a modern twist, infuses a sense of playful nostalgia into the brand, website design and even packaging.

Pizza Hut takes us back to the video game era with its 'Pac-Man x Pizza Hut' collaboration, which includes pixelated pizzas and Pac-Man themed packaging.

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Pixel art doesn't just give a classic look. It's a celebration of minimalist beauty, proving that sometimes the most captivating images are born from the simple things. Its inherent simplicity and vibrant appeal resonate with audiences across generations.

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Take Lacoste for example, the iconic crocodile got a pixelated makeover to collaborate with Minecraft, celebrating nostalgia and gaming culture.

3. Comprehensive image

In 2024, graphic design has a responsibility to reflect the true diversity of the world around us.

Gone are the days of generic, faceless characters representing 'everyone'. Instead, designers are incorporating visual elements that celebrate a wider range of races, ethnicities, genders, abilities and body types.

This commitment to inclusivity goes beyond mere representation; it's about creating images that resonate with the lived experiences of diverse audiences. Google's updated emoji library now also includes more skin tones, hairstyles, and gender expressions.

In a bid to diversify the digital world, Scope, a UK-based disability charity, has released 18 new emojis that represent disability and inspire inspiration of the Paralympic Games.

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Designers are also prioritizing accessibility, ensuring people who are blind or disabled can use their images. This shift toward inclusivity isn't just about trends; It's about recognizing the power of design to build empathy, understanding and a sense of belonging in the world we share.

4. Test fonts

Forget about neatly aligned, predictable fonts. In 2024, the font turns into an experimental playground.

Experimental fonts include anything a little different, such as fonts with lines or edgy and fun lines, animations, 3D elements, colors, illustrations, and designs with can change.

For example, Oatly embraces an 'imperfect' aesthetic, reflecting the brand's values ​​of playfulness and sustainability.

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Oatly isn't the only brand with playful packaging - Ben & Jerry's also uses hand-drawn typography and motifs that reflect their quirky and fun brand.

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Think of a graffiti artist using letters from a spray can, creating captivating murals. Or envision a playful dance of animated fonts, where each letter spins across the screen, imbuing the message with vibrant energy.

This is the crossing of boundaries of form and function, conveying personality into each character.

5. Photo album

The joy of looking through a childhood scrapbook and flipping through pages filled with memories, vignettes, and handwritten notes is hard to describe.

That nostalgic charm is about to infuse graphic designs in 2024. Imagine a website decorated with Polaroid-inspired motifs, its text written in a whimsical hand-drawn font. Or picture a brochure layered with vintage images, each element reflecting the joy of memories.

This trend isn't just about aesthetics; it's about evoking emotions, fostering connection and inviting you to peek into the designer's personal scrapbook of inspiration.

Spotify's 2023 annual 'Wrapped' celebrates users' listening habits with personalized graphics that can be shared like a custom digital scrapbook. Each user will receive a unique collage of their top artists, genres and songs, accompanied by fun illustrations and witty captions.

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The scrapbook design trend is a celebration of individuality and a warm embrace of the imperfections that make our stories unique.

Kiehl's also focuses on sophistication in design and packaging. This skin care brand often incorporates vintage botanical drawings and handwritten labels into their packaging, giving it a nostalgic charm.

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6. Heat map

Those mesmerizing scientific chart swirls will be a trend everywhere, from social media graphics to packaging design.

Heat maps add depth and dimension to graphic designs, engaging viewers and capturing their attention. It's perfect for creating eye-catching branding, animated posters, and vibrant web interfaces.

Graphic designers are increasingly incorporating color gradients and heatmap-like textures into their work, creating interesting visual patterns and conveying data visualizations in an aesthetically pleasing way.

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7. Maximalism

Maximalism, the design movement known for its explosions of color, pattern and texture, is making a comeback in 2024.

We're talking bold geometric shapes, clashing color palettes, and fun vintage fonts. This trend focuses on psychology as much as possible, creating designs that are visually stimulating and fun.

Maximalism explodes your brand story, creating instant emotional connections with intricate details and captivating imagery.

Season 4 of Netflix's 'Stranger Things' isn't just a trip down memory lane; it's a fun, maximalist journey through the neon-lit streets of 1980s Hawkins.

Its marketing campaign features a classic '80s aesthetic with neon colors, bold typography, and layered visual elements. Posters, billboards, and even physical pop-ups brought fans back into the world of Hawkins in the ultimate way.

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Beyond graphic design, this trend recalls the early 2000s obsession with maximalism, with bright colors, three-dimensional accents and playful patterns. Brands like Juicy Couture and Von Dutch saw a resurgence, and social media platforms like TikTok were filled with Y2K fashion inspiration.

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8. Bold and high-contrast typography

While maximalism and heat maps may attract attention, 2024 will also focus on clarity and accessibility.

Designers are increasingly using high-contrast color palettes and bold typography to make their work accessible to everyone, especially those with poor vision. Think black and white with pops of color, large, easy-to-read fonts, and clear hierarchy in the information layout.

This trend isn't just about doing the right thing; it is also about recognizing the value of inclusivity in design. By making their work accessible to everyone, designers can reach a wider audience and create more visual landscapes.

Apple's marketing for the Watch Series 8 uses bold sans-serif typefaces with vibrant colors on a completely black background. This not only ensures clear legibility for everyone, but also creates a dynamic and eye-catching visual language that perfectly encapsulates the watch's sleek and modern design.

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9. Accessible color combinations

Gone are the days when color palettes were chosen solely for aesthetic purposes. 2024 ushers in an era of accessible color combinations.

This means adopting color palettes that meet the requirements of WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), ensuring designs are easily visible to people with color blindness. Designs will see more high-contrast combinations such as yellow and blue or green and pink, ensuring information always stands out regardless of visual limitations.

Airbnb's 2023 'Live There' campaign used a warm and inviting color palette of coral, ocher and teal. They use high contrast between foreground and background elements, helping visually impaired people read the content.

These complementary colors provide sharp contrast while maintaining a sense of harmony, ensuring accessibility without losing the vibrant and welcoming aesthetic of the campaign.

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On the other hand, Spotify's 'Equal' initiative does more than just promote gender equality in music. The brand uses contrasting colors, ensuring accessibility for all users. Spotify's designers also avoided relying solely on color to convey information, using additional cues like iconography and text descriptions.

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But accessibility doesn't stop at the desktop. This trend takes responsiveness into account, as designers create color palettes that seamlessly adapt to mobile screens, light and dark modes, and different zoom levels. This ensures information stays clear and easy to read across multiple platforms and user preferences.

10. Aesthetics inspired by nature

Get ready to enter a world of soothing blues, earthy browns and sunny yellows. Nature takes center stage in 2024, with graphic design inspired by the world's natural beauty.

This trend resonates with the growing emphasis on mindfulness and well-being. Nature-inspired textures, like rough wood grain or delicate watercolors, add a sense of tactile richness, further blurring the lines between the digital and physical worlds.

Expect this aesthetic to compliment everything from branding materials and website interface to packaging and advertising.

Yves Rocher's 'Botanical Beauty' campaign highlights the brand's use of natural ingredients in their beauty products through images of lush botanical gardens and vibrant botanical illustrations, celebrates the nurturing and beautifying power of nature.

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Alessandro Michele's Gucci continues its love affair with nature with 'Flora Collection'. Vibrant floral prints, organic shapes and earthy tones turn handbags, clothes and accessories into gardens on your body.

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These examples show how to use nature-inspired aesthetics in a variety of ways, from raising awareness of environmental issues to celebrating the beauty of the planet and inspiring creativity. So take a deep breath of fresh air and let nature guide your next design project!

Micah Soto

Update 07 March 2024