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Technology, innovation, aesthetics. It’s all very nice until BOOM!

New year, 562562 new trends and 565767878688 new techniques to learn. Then it’s not so fun anymore. Not for me, anyway, since this isn’t my field. Although I have to admit, it rubs off. And since our graphic design team is bursting with enthusiasm, I’ve decided to write about all the trends awaiting us in 2022.

Of course, I won’t be the first or the last to write about this, so this time we’ve brought in our team to reveal not just the trends, but also the thinking and reasons behind each one.

Here’s what we found:

Data, data, data

After a global pandemic full of unprecedented figures, our minds have got used to processing an excess of visual data. So it’s no surprise that from now on we’ll see lots of market rates and percentages everywhere. On top of that, credibility has taken such a hit lately that we now need information that’s overwhelmingly credible, and the most effective way to achieve that is with data.

In fact, if you look at advertising, you’ll see that the only way to bust the stereotypes imposed on us is with numbers and more numbers. Always on an eye-catching background to make them stand out, of course.

Serif fonts

Serif fonts are the ones that, to put it simply, have little feet on the letters, such as Times New Roman, Glosa and so on.

They tend to be associated with a rather old-fashioned style, but in fact they’ve been adapting to digital media, modernising and improving their letterforms, size, line spacing, contrast and line length to ensure readability. Bringing back the serif trend could be a great way to break the monotony and saturation of sans serif.

They’re timeless fonts that give us the trust we need. If politicians won’t, serifs will.

Memes

Gen Z has undoubtedly become the most critical generation and the hardest to please. Their humour is giving rise to key new resources such as memes for grabbing their attention. They’re also a great tool: with a little wit and humour, you can achieve levels of virality, impact and reach never before seen in the marketing industry.

Minimalism

Minimalism has been applied to design for a long time, and it’s no surprise that it remains one of the most important trends. Its name says it all: less is more. There’s no need to fill a design with information; in fact, doing so causes overload and reduces how much stays in the consumer’s mind. A great example is Durex, whose brand perfectly reflects the visual concept of minimalism.

Minimalist designs (in Spanish)

Diversity in images

Diversity is the defining issue in every field today, and design plays a very important part in making that equality real, since visual communication is ultimately the most useful tool for instilling it. It wasn’t going to be just WhatsApp: a great many companies have chosen to use images of people of different ethnicities, family structures and genders. What the public sees every day is what brings them closer to that normality.

3D elements

The depth and style of three-dimensional designs create an identity with movement and dynamism. It’s a very attractive, modern and innovative element that amply demonstrates technological progress and the skills of the new generation of designers.

It’s a truly striking and practical way of grabbing the viewer’s attention.

Heavy but simple fonts

Heavy fonts aim to make an impact, stand out and create a “rawer” design. Yet their simplicity helps keep the design cleaner and more legible, making for more elegant, “sober” and minimalist identities. In fact, a heavy but simple font can be either sans serif or serif, as both share the same goals.

Pantone 17-3938 Very Peri

This colour is a mix of two primary colours, red and blue. It’s a colour that really stands out, and you can create very interesting, striking designs by making the most of its complementary colour.

“Purple is a colour that conveys sensitivity, delicacy, elegance, luxury or spirituality.”

Emojis

In case you’d never stopped to think about it, emojis are all about emotions, and as the name suggests, they’re the new digital way of expressing our feelings and adding emotion and tone to a message. Still, you need to strike a balance so they don’t overload the text. They’re not only used to avoid misunderstandings, but also as a subliminal device. For example:

• Come over and we’ll watch a film 😏

Letter cutting

A trend that aims to make designs more dynamic, with eye-catching, visually appealing cuts in the letters. This technique offers lots of possibilities, helping to create space between objects, images or geometric shapes in a subtle, youthful way.

Retro style

Grain, gradients and curvy type are back. To be fair, the style never really left, but in 2022 we’ll see it stronger than ever.

In design terms, it stands out as a graphic resource that helps build identity, giving a simple, fun design through bright colours, psychedelia and retro-futuristic elements.

Techno dystopia

The pandemic was a dystopian time for all of us, and it looks set to be very present over the coming years. Masks, viruses and other more “apocalyptic” elements will be a powerful resource for communications that want to stir up unease and show harsh reality. Never truer words.

For me, the saddest and most negative trend, which hopefully won’t be here to stay.

There’s no doubt the graphic landscape is ready to take on the new year with great enthusiasm. Overall, we could highlight the objectivity, trust and realism the new trends aim to convey, something society as a whole absolutely needs. Fortunately, design is part of a visual revolution that aims to be a driving force for change and hope.

All that’s left for us is to trust them to make it happen.

I trust them