With trends it’s kind of a love-hate relationship: As a graphic designer, you need them to stay up-to-date and to offer fresh perspectives, on the other side trends have the reputation of being very short-lived and of interfering with the designer’s creativity. With the year 2022 unfolding its spirit upon us, it also sees new trends in the graphic design field. Let’s check out what’s hot and what is not!

 

Expressive and experimental lettering

With the world shifting more and more into the digital sphere, lettering and type are thought of as important tools to convey meaning. This year is about to bring lettering that pushes the boundaries of easy legibility and creates forms that are expressive in and of themselves. Personal expression and experimentation are where it’s at with this trend and it will challenge the distinction between abstract shapes and readable letters. When it comes to lettering the sky is the limit!

 

(c) Molecula & erraticus

 

Ukiyo-e flat design

Ukiyo-e is a style of printed artwork using hand-carved woodblocks and has its roots in Japan. It often features bold outlines, flat colors, and limited perspective techniques. Since designers have been looking for ways to reinvigorate the flat vector artwork by digital design standards, the designers of 2022 found their inspiration in Ukiyo-e to give ordinary flat vector scenes an extraordinary effect.

 

(c) Neo-NeonStudio

 

Anti design

Introducing the countermovement to straight and user-friendly graphics: anti-design. Related but not entirely synonymous with Brutalism, anti-design crashes traditional design principles and all-things conventional. Asymmetry, slashing colors, bare interfaces, crowded elements, and stark typography are key characteristics for anti-design. In 2022, we will mostly see it in digital spheres and beyond.

 

(c) Harry Vincent
(c) Yevhen Genome

 

Extreme bubble design

Each year, designers find a way to ease their professionalism with some much-needed fun. And in 2022, creatives gain their joy out of reinventing rounded graphics and lettering styles. As Stefan Sagmeister once said, circles have a calming and positive effect as the round form often conveys friendliness and levity. Unlike the traditional usage of bubbles, the extreme version lives off its exaggeration through elongated forms and psychedelic colors, which makes these designs feel grown-up.

 

(c) Nejc Prah & Zuzanna Rogatty

 

Y2K

The early 2000s were characterized by crude interfaces, low poly CGI, bubblegum pinks, blues, and iridescent colors. The trend of the naughties is now being brought back spreading optimism and a bright and innocently nostalgic mood and really spicing up 2022’s design trends.

 

(c) TikaDesign

 

Intricate maximalism

Go big or go home – intricate maximalism isn’t just about filling space but about filling that space with objects, colors, and patterns that highlight the artist’s whim. This trend has been growing for a while now and will reach a high point and put together all aspects of a designer’s artistic palate. Even though intricate maximalism is considered a trend, it has real staying power: with so many elements being placed in one design there will always be new discoveries waiting.

 

(c) Ega Elanda