8 Important Graphic Design Trends For 2022 [Infographic]

Graphic design trends have been dominated by the confluence of events in 2020.

First and foremost of these is the pandemic. We also witnessed the Australian bushfires, a stock market crash, the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, the arrival of murder hornets here in the U.S, and more.

These events have impacted the way marketers and businesses communicate with customers.

There is a noticeable shift towards inclusion, and brands are working to back up statements with statistics and facts. Bright colors are being used more. Brand memes are popular again.

Graphic design will continue to both draw inspiration from and exert influence over cultural changes. The infographic below from Venngage illustrates the upcoming trends to watch for.

What graphic design innovations are expected to dominate the landscape in 2022?

1. Muted color palettes

Brands are stepping back from the vivid and bold color trends of last year and are veering toward more muted color palettes. Muted colors are colors that have been slightly desaturated with black, white, or a complementary color.

2. Color gradients

Instead of being relegated to image backgrounds, gradients will be used in a lot of unique ways in the coming year. They will be added to complex illustrations, used color filters, and included in simple graphics to add some depth and texture.

3. Abstract and dreamy illustrations

Simple illustrations don’t have the same eye-catching power that they once did. Embrace more imaginative, abstract, and dreamy illustrations to really stand out.

4. Heavy but simple fonts

Heavy fonts are usually bold or extra bold. Many designers are using heavy fonts to create contrast and hierarchy by pairing them with simple backgrounds and lighter fonts.

5. Beautiful flowing shapes and lines

Flowing shapes can be used to convey a natural, approachable, and genuine feeling in your designs. They also pair well with other design trends, such as muted colors and heavy fonts.

6. Genuine and neutral stock photos

Once color trends begin to shift, trends in stock photos and images are quick to follow. That means you can expect to see more muted landscapes, realistic portraits, and neutral stock photos.

7. Minimalist landing pages

More brands are taking a minimalist approach to their landing pages to achieve better load times and compatibility with mobile devices. This is especially important because Google rewards fast mobile pages with higher rankings.

8. Better branded animations

Brands will take the time to create better and more unique branded images going forward. Animations are more eye-catching than the standard GIF.

via Venngage